This past week, Tern hosted an extraordinary webinar event to unveil our newest suite of features tailored specifically for group travel. With record-breaking attendance, the energy was palpable as travel advisors from around the globe gathered virtually to see how Tern is redefining group trip management. Here’s a look back at the highlights from our groups launch event—and what it means for the future of travel planning.
Watch the webinar here
2024 was Tern's Breakout Year
CEO and Co-Founder David Shull opened the webinar with a reflection on 2024—a year that saw Tern grow from a robust itinerary builder to a comprehensive platform for travel advisors.
“This time last year, Tern was primarily known for its itinerary and form builders,” David remarked. “In just 12 months, we’ve delivered groundbreaking features like credit card authorization, real-time push notifications, and the industry’s only dedicated AI assistant for travel advisors. Now, we’re taking it further with a fully integrated group travel experience.”
The transformative power of these updates has already been felt, with advisors reporting record-breaking sales and significant time savings. Walter Biscardi from Where’s Walter Travel added in the chat during the webinar:
“Our sales are 2.5x last year, a lot of that is due to Tern because we are so much more efficient.”
But the launch of Tern Groups promises to elevate the platform even further.
Reimagining Group Travel Management
At the heart of this launch is a simple yet powerful mission: to create an incredible end-to-end flow that saves advisors time and delivers a magical client experience. This vision shaped the foundation of Tern Groups, where the emphasis has been on leveraging technology to transform group trip management into a seamless and delightful process.
Brad, Tern's Head of Design explained,
“We envisioned a system that not only simplifies the advisor’s workload but also creates a sense of wonder and trust for the client. Every detail, from the landing pages to the signup flow, was designed to make travelers feel they were embarking on an extraordinary journey, even before their trip began.”
The Tern team delivered on this vision with a host of new tools, designed from the ground up based on extensive advisor feedback:
Centralized Group Trip Management
Advisors often juggle multiple moving parts when managing group trips. With Tern’s new centralized group trip management feature, advisors can now organize individual sub-trips within a master group folder. This streamlined approach allows for better planning and reporting. Whether it’s a destination wedding or a multi-city corporate retreat, this feature ensures all components are easily accessible and manageable in one place.
From sign up to itinerary in zero seconds flat.
Creating a personalized experience for each traveler used to mean hours of manual customization. Tern’s automated personalization changes that. Advisors can build a single group itinerary and instantly generate tailored versions for each traveler. These itineraries include traveler-specific room selections, payment schedules, and custom activities. It’s a revolutionary tool that saves time while delivering a top-tier client experience.
An all new way to present clients with room options
Room selection is often one of the trickiest parts of group travel planning. With Tern’s enhanced room options, advisors can convert lodging setups into fully customizable room blocks. Travelers can now select their room preferences directly from their itinerary, simplifying the booking process and ensuring accuracy in reservations. This feature is especially helpful for events like family reunions or conferences, where flexibility is key.
Self service sign up & trip creation
The integrated signup flow is a game-changer for both advisors and clients. This feature consolidates the entire registration process into one seamless experience. Travelers can provide their information, select room options, and authorize payments all within the same interface. This eliminates back-and-forth emails and manual data entry, saving advisors hours and ensuring clients have a frictionless booking experience.