Bus & Tour Operator Registration

Register Online Now

Downloadable Registration Form (fax form to 202-898-1575): Click Here

How Should I Register?

Bus and Tour Operators can register for Marketplace in a variety of ways, depending on their business needs.

Do you want to meet with suppliers of travel products to plan future charter and tours and make purchase decisions?

Then you want to register as a Buyer.

Do you want to sell your product (coach charter service, packaged tours, etc.) to other Tour and Bus Operators?

Then you would want to register as a Seller.

Do you want to have appointments with travel suppliers AND be able to sell your product/service to other operators?

Then you would want to register your company as a Buyer AND a Seller. Your company must have a minimum of 2 delegates attending Marketplace for this option.

Buyer Delegates

Appointment-taker Buyer:

Appointment-taker delegates make appointment requests, receive pre-scheduled appointments and conduct appointments during all business sessions.

A Qualified Buyer is an established for-profit organization that arranges tours/charters for the company they are representing. In order to attend ABA Marketplace, the organization must meet the following criteria:

Company is scheduling trips and purchasing product out of their business area.
Company has the ability to provide new business/customer base to ABA travel industry members.
Company makes buying decisions on travel components such as food and lodging for preformed groups.
Company representative attending Marketplace actually develops/plans the tours/charters.
Company annually produces a minimum of 24 tour or charter itineraries, or 2 tours/charters per month.
Company has been in business for at least 2 years.
Company must submit a brief company history as well as a company profile including a list of the organizations the company belongs to. This can include tour itineraries.
Company must submit their Federal ID # and copies of their errors and omissions insurance (minimum $1 million) or, if a motorcoach company, its federal motor carrier number.
Company is a reputable firm with a knowledgeable staff that Suppliers work with on a regular basis. Suppliers who recommend these organizations should be willing to stand as a referral for ABA membership.

Buyers have appointments in the following appointment sessions:

DMO/Receptive Operator Appointments: Sunday AM/Sunday PM
Lodging/Attraction/Receptive Operator/Associate Appointments: Monday AM/Tuesday PM and Monday PM/Tuesday AM

Rotation Buyer:

Rotation delegates alternate the Marketplace appointment responsibilities with the appointment-taker delegate. Buyers can send one rotation delegate for every appointment-taker delegate registered. Rotation delegates have the same privileges as appointment-taker delegates.

Number of People     Minimum Number of                   Maximum Number of
You Are Bringing       Appointment-taker Delegates    Rotation Delegates
         1                                          1                                                        0
         2                                          1                                                        1
         3                                          2                                                        1
         4                                          2                                                        2
         5                                          3                                                        2
         6                                          3                                                        3
         7                                          4                                                        3

Buyer Representative:

Buyers who wish to attend the entire Marketplace week without participation in the appointment-taking process. All buyer representatives must be approved by ABA.

Guest:

Guests attend Marketplace for the social and meal functions. Guests may not be employed by ABA member companies, but have the same privileges as other Buyer delegates.

Buyer Registration Fees

Appointment-taker Buyer

Buyer Early Bird Registration (until August 15 - invoice must be fully paid by August 15 or regular rate will apply): $250*
Buyer Regular Registration (starting August 16): $350*

Rotation Buyer

Buyer Early Bird Registration (until August 15- invoice must be fully paid by August 15 or regular rate will apply): $250
Buyer Regular Registration (starting August 16): $350

Buyer Representative

Buyer Representative: $700

Guest

Buyer Guest Registration: $250

*Buyers receive a $250 Rebate for appointment-taker delegates registered prior to December 13, 2011 who meet all Marketplace requirements.

Buyers will receive free registrations for next year's Marketplace for every appointment-taker and rotation delegate they bring to Marketplace who comply with all Marketplace expectations. No free registrations will be given for Buyer attendees or guests.

Seller Delegates

Appointment-taker Seller:

Appointment-taker delegates make appointment requests, receive pre-scheduled appointments and conduct appointments at Marketplace during their business session.

ABA members are eligible to have at least one appointment-taker delegate if registered before the session fills. Organizations attending for the first time and organizations that did not attend Marketplace in 2011 are eligible for only one appointment-taker seller delegate. ABA member organizations may register additional delegates as outlined below:

Organizations that had thirty-two (32) or more pre-scheduled buyer requests (not appointments) in 2011 will qualify for a second appointment-taker delegate if that delegate is registered before the session fills.
A third appointment-taker delegate will qualify if the organization had sixty-four (64) or more pre-scheduled buyer requests in 2011 and if that delegate is registered before the session fills.

Appointment-taking operator seller delegates will be able to select from the following business sessions:

DMO: Operators who wish to sell their product/service with the destination marketing organizations (DMOs).
- Appointment session: Sunday AM and Sunday PM
Attraction: Operators who wish to be scheduled with the attraction members. Sellers in these sessions will be pre-scheduled in one of the following.
- Appointment session: Monday AM/Tuesday PM*
- Appointment session: Monday PM/Tuesday AM*
*The appointment sessions will be automatically assigned by the system to maintain an equal number of appointment-takers in each time slot.

Business Floor Seller:

A registered Seller who not eligible for pre-scheduled appointments. Business Floor delegates may participate in all Marketplace activities, seminars and events. Business Floor delegates have access to the Marketplace Business Floor area. Business Floor delegates are not eligible for pre-scheduled or manually scheduled appointments.

Seller Representative:

This registration is good only for the assigned two days. The bearer will not have access to the Business Floor and cannot be on the sales and/or marketing staff for his/her company. The bearer must pick up the badge at registration on the morning of activation. The bearer is responsible for following all rules and regulations of Marketplace. All representatives must be approved by ABA.

Guest:

Guests attend Marketplace for the social and meal functions (i.e. spouses, family members). Guests may not be employed by ABA member companies or plan to conduct business at Marketplace. No single event tickets are available.

Seller Registration Fees

Appointment-taker Seller

Seller Early Bird Registration (until August 15- invoice must be fully paid by August 15 or regular rate will apply): $1250
Seller Regular Registration (starting August 16): $1295

Business Floor Seller

Seller Early Bird Registration (until August 15- invoice must be fully paid by August 15 or regular rate will apply): $1250
Seller Regular Registration (starting August 16): $1295

Seller Representative

Member: $475 (Sat/Sun OR Mon/Tues)
Non Member Day Pass: $575 (Sat/Sun OR Mon/Tues)