by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 9:10 PM ET, Thu July 31, 2025
ALG Vacations recently celebrated its annual Kindness Conference, an event focused on the theme "Kindness Carries On" and featuring a special keynote speech from television personality Hoda Kotb.
Now in its third year, the event brought together 130 participants, including 40 next-generation professionals and 40 seasoned advisors, alongside ALGV partners and staff and five returning “Kindness Coaches” from past events.
During the course of four days, advisors participated in personal development workshops, site inspections, and a hands-on community giveback initiative.
“The Kindness Events have become a movement,” said Jacki Marks, global head of trade brands at ALG Vacations. “They are a place where advisors don’t just come to network or grow professionally, but come to recharge, reflect, and make a difference. Every year I’m reminded how powerful this community is when we come together with purpose.”
Attendees participated in growth-focused sessions such as The Kindness Quotient, The Art of Listening, and The Lighthouse Effect.
Scott Zimmer delivered a keynote on communicating across generations, while motivational speaker and disability advocate Spencer West shared a DEI keynote.
The week concluded with a closing interview between ALGV’s Marks and renowned broadcast journalist and bestselling author, Hoda Kotb, who spoke about embracing joy, thinking differently, and finding strength in vulnerability.
“Having Hoda Kotb as our keynote was incredibly meaningful,” added Marks. “Her warmth, wisdom, and vulnerability aligned so beautifully with the heart of this event. Our attendees were deeply moved by her authenticity.”
This year’s giveback supported Escuela Auiles Peña, a school in the rural Los Guineos community of Miches, where poverty limits access to basic infrastructure. Attendees helped raise over $4,500 and worked onsite to support vital facility improvements including new doors, windows, bathroom repairs, painting, and kitchen upgrades.
The Kindness Events also spotlighted ALGV’s ongoing partnership with MudLove, a Dominican Republic-based social enterprise that provides sustainable employment for local women artisans. Each attendee received a custom “Travel Kind” bracelet, and many shopped the on-site MudLove pop-up and charm bar. Through this partnership, ALGV helped provide over 586 days of safe, dignified employment for MudLove’s artisan team.
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