WHY IT RATES: Tern’s
inaugural user conference with real-time user feedback integration puts travel
advisors’ needs first and foremost by delivering new features on the spot. This
demonstrates a new level of collaboration and responsiveness that could
redefine the role travel tech plays in agents’ day-to-day success. — Laurie
Baratti, TravelPulse Assistant Editor
Tern has made
history as the first travel technology company to host a dedicated user
conference. The innovative travel technology platform for travel agencies
brought together 180+ travel advisors, agency owners, and industry leaders for
an unprecedented five-day inaugural Tern Users Conference featuring
professional development, product innovation, and real-time software
development aboard the Virgin Voyages sailing.
Live Product
Hackathon Delivers Real-Time Innovation
What truly set
this conference apart was Tern's unprecedented approach to product development.
Throughout the week, the company hosted continuous feedback sessions where
attendees shared their most pressing feature requests. Behind the scenes,
Tern's engineering team back home hosted a hackathon, developing and pushing
the most requested features while the conference was still happening.
"We turned
our users into active product collaborators," explained Brian Reath, CTO
and Co-Founder of Tern. "While advisors were learning and networking on
deck, our engineers were back home building the exact features they asked for.
It's unprecedented for this industry."
"We collected
feature requests all week, sent them directly to our engineering team, and by
the end of the conference, we had deployed the most requested features
live," said Molly Johnson, Head of Product at Tern. "Features our
users requested on Thursday were actually built and deployed by Sunday. We then
surprised attendees by debuting these brand-new features during our closing
keynote. Our users weren't just attending a conference, they were actively
shaping the future of their business tools."
All new features
developed during the conference will be officially announced at Tern's Sept
17th webinar. Register at https://www.tern.travel/lp/fall-event.
Breaking
Industry Barriers
"No travel
technology company has ever done this before," said David Shull, CEO and
Co-Founder of Tern. "While other industries have thriving user conference
ecosystems, the travel tech space has been missing this crucial
community-building element. We're changing that by creating the first tech
conference designed specifically for travel professionals."
Unlike traditional
trade shows focused on suppliers and vendors, this event centers entirely on
helping advisors and agency owners become experts in Tern and make more money
by using the platform, while building valuable peer networks among Tern's
6,000+ user community.
Conference
Scale & Industry Expertise
The conference
featured over 20 hours of high-impact education covering everything from
AI-powered automation to group travel mastery, delivered by top travel industry
professionals:
- Jenn Lee, President and CMO of Travel Planners
International
- Tom Carpenter, Principal Attorney at Carpenter Law
Group and Co-founder of Huckleberry Travel
- Korrine Johnson, Owner of Travel Biz Boss
- Walter Biscardi, Owner of Where's Walter Travel
- Justice Parker, Travel Social Media Expert and Owner
of The Explorers Group
- Plus 18 Tern team members leading
sessions, workshops, and 1:1 support sessions.
"This isn't
just a conference. It's a comprehensive business education about how to run
your company and make more money from using Tern," explained Grace Van
Hollebeke, Head of Marketing at Tern.
Business Impact
& Unique Experience
The shipboard
environment created an immersive experience where advisors networked, learned,
and experienced destinations they sell to clients. Attendees enjoyed the second
sailing of Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady, spent a day exploring Bermuda, and
participated in innovative conference elements like curated dine-around
dinners, hands-on implementation workshops, fun events throughout the week, and
dedicated one-on-one consultation time with Tern team members to optimize their
specific business needs.
Industry
Implications
"This sets a
new precedent for the entire travel tech industry," said Reath. "We're
proving that technology companies can and should be deeply invested in their
users' success beyond just providing software. Real-time development based on
user feedback takes that partnership to the next level."
The conference
demonstrates Tern's unique commitment to user-driven innovation and community
building, setting the company apart in the travel technology landscape serving
over 6,000 travel advisors and agencies worldwide.
SOURCE: Tern press release.
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