People with Passion
Christy Kuplic, Managing Director Private Luxury Events
Travel design is all about those special moments that you create for your valued clients. So why should the experience be any different at a trade show? That's what drives Christy Kuplic and her team at Private Luxury Events. The result: trade shows that focus on goosebump moments just as much as they do on business. Kuplic shares her thoughts on this delicate balancing act in this edition of LuxuryWise!
People with Passion
Christy Kuplic, Managing Director Private Luxury Events
Travel design is all about those special moments that you create for your valued clients. So why should the experience be any different at a trade show? That's what drives Christy Kuplic and her team at Private Luxury Events. The result: trade shows that focus on goosebump moments just as much as they do on business. Kuplic shares her thoughts on this delicate balancing act in this edition of LuxuryWise!
About PLE's Approach
"We started our business because we felt that something was missing in the B2B networking world – at many events, the attendees were merely a number. Our intention was to value people's time: the program needs to slow down so meaningful personal connections can be created. That's what still drives us today. And everyone needs time to reflect, take notes, or make a phone call. This balance is very important to us."
About the Human Touch "We keep the size of our events down on purpose and choose venues that radiate luxury. But our biggest USP is our team: they are so passionate and personally know their clients. It makes a huge difference when you walk into a trade show and see familiar faces who also introduce you to others. Being as personal as possible – that's pivotal to luxury travel. We treat our attendees like they treat their clients."
About the New Private Luxury Boutique
"This intimate event will take place for the first time from October 2-6 at the Pine Cliffs Hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort in the Algarve. It will focus on boutique hotels, featuring 100 buyers and 90 suppliers. We created it because, in our annual buyer survey, almost everyone said their clients are interested in 'small, privately-owned hotels that have a story to tell.' It can be quite hard for travel advisors to find those, as they don't normally attend larger trade shows. We have strict criteria for the suppliers; we really want to showcase those hidden gems."
About the Demand for More Trade Shows
"I still see a growing interest in trade shows. With new technology and more flexibility to work from home, people can travel a lot more – luxury travel is a mind-blowing 1.4 trillion USD business! All those hotels need to present themselves at travel trade shows – otherwise, they would get lost in a sea of Booking.com and similar platforms. We are continuing to grow our event portfolio and are adding a sixth event in 2025 to service this demand."
About the Source Markets
"The German-speaking market has always been one of the strongest for us. It's in their blood: when we started to create events around experiences, the DACH market was already all about experiential travel. It continues to have steady growth of about six percent. Most markets are growing at that rate now, apart from the UAE, which saw significant growth. Our shows are global, so we always have representation for the dominant markets including the U.S., UK, and Western Europe. For 2025, the majority of our events are going to be hosted in Europe; however, they will attract a global buyer market."
About Sustainability “I think this word is overused. We are very careful about marketing ourselves as a sustainable trade show. We're in the travel business, and unfortunately travel is very behind when it comes to sustainability. We all fly a lot, and we all need to be aware of the danger of greenwashing. However, we are responsible for our choices. So as a company, we do take steps that can have significant impact. For example, we choose locations that most people can reach with a short flight. We work with our hotel partners to create a program that has a positive impact and supports the local community. Our key message is to take the steps that can have the largest impact for the region.”
About TFest 2024 "TFest is dedicated to the high performers and influencers in the global luxury travel industry. Traditional trade shows usually reflect the nonstop environment. So, we created TFest to have moments where you stop, connect, challenge yourself, and do things you’ve never done before. Like having a session where you're silently looking into the eyes of a total stranger. It's those moments that people still talk about – because it's human and it's magic. This year, there will be new experiences, new 'Pathways' as we call them, centred around sound, herbology, nature, and longevity. These shared experiences, coupled with the networking format, ensures that business relationships and bonds reach a deeper level that continue to grow year on year."
About PLE's Approach
"We started our business because we felt that something was missing in the B2B networking world – at many events, the attendees were merely a number. Our intention was to value people's time: the program needs to slow down so meaningful personal connections can be created. That's what still drives us today. And everyone needs time to reflect, take notes, or make a phone call. This balance is very important to us."
About the Human Touch
"We keep the size of our events down on purpose and choose venues that radiate luxury. But our biggest USP is our team: they are so passionate and personally know their clients. It makes a huge difference when you walk into a trade show and see familiar faces who also introduce you to others. Being as personal as possible – that's pivotal to luxury travel. We treat our attendees like they treat their clients."
About the Demand for More Trade Shows
"I still see a growing interest in trade shows. With new technology and more flexibility to work from home, people can travel a lot more – luxury travel is a mind-blowing 1.4 trillion USD business! All those hotels need to present themselves at travel trade shows – otherwise, they would get lost in a sea of Booking.com and similar platforms. We are continuing to grow our event portfolio and are adding a sixth event in 2025 to service this demand."
About the New Private Luxury Boutique
"This intimate event will take place for the first time from October 2-6 at the Pine Cliffs Hotel, a Luxury Collection Resort in the Algarve. It will focus on boutique hotels, featuring 100 buyers and 90 suppliers. We created it because, in our annual buyer survey, almost everyone said their clients are interested in 'small, privately-owned hotels that have a story to tell.' It can be quite hard for travel advisors to find those, as they don't normally attend larger trade shows. We have strict criteria for the suppliers; we really want to showcase those hidden gems."
About the Source Markets
"The German-speaking market has always been one of the strongest for us. It's in their blood: when we started to create events around experiences, the DACH market was already all about experiential travel. It continues to have steady growth of about six percent. Most markets are growing at that rate now, apart from the UAE, which saw significant growth. Our shows are global, so we always have representation for the dominant markets including the U.S., UK, and Western Europe. For 2025, the majority of our events are going to be hosted in Europe; however, they will attract a global buyer market."