AmaMagna, Budapest, Hungary, January 5, 2020 – The ship twinkled with holiday garland, the weather was perfect with clear blue skies and bright sunshine and despite many hours of travel, there was nothing but smiling faces and welcoming hugs as over 120 of AmaWaterways’ family members joined Rudi, Gary and I at the 3rd Annual Global Summit.
As during previous Summits, our main goal was to bring together our sales and operations teams, along with representatives from our marketing team and our Cruise Managers, to review the accomplishments of the past year, finalize important details for next year and brainstorm ideas for what we can accomplish in the future when we combine our energy, expertise and determination.
Each morning was kicked off with an elective fitness session lead by Selina Wank, our Corporate Wellness Host, followed by a healthy breakfast preparing everyone for the day’s open question and answer period with Rudi, Gary and me. This was followed by short General Session presentations led by our department heads before breaking into small group workshops covering 15 different subjects including IT, Product Training, Sales and Social Media Best Practices. To facilitate communication and better understanding between all the different teams working in the United States, Canada, UK, Switzerland and on board the ships, different dining partners and restaurants were assigned every evening. Even after a full day of discussions and workshops, the excellent wine, wonderful cuisine and remarkable service from the AmaMagna crew ensured that stimulating conversation flowed at every table in every restaurant.
So many wonderful ideas came forward involving new destinations to explore, new guest experiences to create and even a mission statement reflecting everyone’s commitment to respecting the environment and creating cherished memories for our guests. Here are some brief takeaways from these four days proving that together, we are better!
- 2019 was an excellent year. Three beautiful new ships were christened; Mother Nature was kind; sales and revenue reached new heights; many new team members were welcomed all around the world; a new reservations center was opened in Texas; and we humbly accepted more than 50 awards from travel partners, guests and media acknowledging the appreciation of the river cruise experience that our teams proudly and consistently deliver.
- 2020 and 2021 will be exciting years with continued growth. AmaSiena (2020) and AmaLucia (2021) will join the European fleet while AmaDahlia (2021) will relaunch our remarkable voyages on the Nile. Our teams are focused on bringing together the people, processes and technology that we need in order to continue to deliver the warm and genuine service and personalized experiences that set us apart from the competition.
- We have a clear vision of the future – and that involves innovative new ships, new destinations and a strong commitment to sustainable tourism on board and onshore. We will also provide continued support to our valued travel advisors and introduce new experiences that will continue to surprise and delight our new guests as well as our loyal, returning guests.
I would love to share this video with some of my favorite moments from 2020 Global Summit.
As we start a new year, Rudi and I are in Africa and I am once again reminded of the incredible sights and remarkable people we encounter when we venture into the world. Travel encourages understanding, provides a different perspective, breaks down barriers and creates cherished memories with family and friends that last a lifetime. Your AmaFamily is waiting to welcome you on board in 2020 and beyond to help you discover our world, one river at a time.