Atlantic City, USA – Watching the unbridled enthusiasm of the travel agents at the two most recent Sandals and Beaches Ultra Resorts Convention in Atlantic City, United States and Toronto, Canada, it is hard not to conclude that the Sandals and Beaches brand has outgrown Jamaica, the Caribbean even.

“Tourism is the largest industry in the world, and for a little country like Jamaica to pull off conventions like these, shows the power of a brand,” says Armando ‘Mandy’ Chomat, betraying amazement even after a virtual lifetime in the industry.

Chomat is the senior vice-president of sales and marketing for Sandals and it was his job to stage the Atlantic City convention in the world-famous (Donald) Trump Taj Mahal next to Caesar’s Palace.

The travel agents came from all over the United States, and some of the English-speaking Caribbean countries sent official emissaries to the convention. In the one-day affair, nothing is spared to educate the people who sell Sandals/Beaches vacation through books, brochures, bulletins, buttons and booths. The organisers spend in the region of US$65,000 to make the day of training seminars and exhibitions as picture-perfect as possible.

Ordinarily, it should not be that easy to sell Sandals. “It is a high-end product. It is complex. It is the highest priced all-inclusive out there,” admits Sandals chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart. “It’s like comparing a Corolla to a Lexus.”

But that’s the catch. The Sandals/Beaches travel agent earns more than any other – an average of US$650 in commission per package sold. The average agent makes US$30,000 per year. And that amount is substantially increased for those who have made it their business to sell Sandals exclusively, says Stewart.

Sandals pays out over US$80 million a year in commissions to travel agents, disclosed Kevin Froemming, president of Unique Vacations, the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts and organiser of the ultra conventions.

Preston Bailey, celebrity weddings and events planner for 26 years, was one of the speakers at the convention and, like Stewart, was constantly surrounded by travel agents.

Also soaking in the heady atmosphere was Sandals Montego Bay general manager Horace Peterkin, who was in high demand for photographs with the travel agents.

“Our travel agents like to be part of a successful operation and Sandals does it for them,” Peterkin notes.

Penny Sheldon had a Sandals/Beaches logo tattooed on her lower back and was not shy about whipping up her blouse to show it off. Sheldon, who runs her own agency, has been a Sandals travel agent for the past 12 years.

“It’s Sandals till death do us part,” she proudly tells the Sunday Observer. “This is my life-long commitment.”

For being what is called an extreme agent, she was presented with one of a series of Honda Element motorcars painted over in Sandals/Beaches colours, which attracts attention wherever she goes.

A top-selling Sandals sales agent, Patti La Bella of Stanford, Connecticut got among the platinum class, for agents who do over 250 bookings a year. “I am the only travel agent who has a suite named after her – at the Sandals St Lucia Regency Golf and Spa,” she volunteers.

“Sandals is a top-notch, high-calibre product. There is nothing on the market to beat it,” adds La bella, who started her home-based travel agency at age 50 and specialises in honeymoons and family vacations exclusively with the Sandals hotel group, which also includes the Royal Plantation.

Lisa Baukman, who runs Travel By Design out of Maryland, attended the convention, with her daughter Akueelah in tow, to learn about selling Sandals.

“I have a family of seven and when we go on vacation, half of the battle is feeding and entertaining the family. It’s just too expensive and too difficult to find the right places. Sandals all-inclusive is great in that respect,” Baukman attests.

St Lucia’s North American director of marketing Lorine Jules doesn’t miss any of the Sandals conventions because of the opportunity to connect with the calibre of the travel agents who attend.

“These conventions are excellent tools in reaching travel agents to get instant reviews,” says Jules. “We want to build on our relationship with Sandals, to be part of the whole progress for growth of our industry.”

Her compatriot, Odile Devaux, inside sales manager of the St Lucia Tourist Board, notes that there are three Sandals hotels on her island. Through the convention, she was able to market St Lucia as a whole.

Karen Knowles, deputy director of tourism for Antigua-Barbuda, has similar sentiments. “Sandals is one of our better brands and we find the convention an excellent forum to put Antigua-Barbuda squarely in front of the travel agents. This is important to our business.”

“It is very difficult to get travel agents to leave their offices for a few hours, let alone up to 14 hours at a convention. This demonstrates that Sandals is very special,” adds Froemming.