As part of its commitment to enhance communication with members, Ensemble has announced the formation of a Member Advisory Council.

The council is made up of a select group of members who will work together to provide insight and feedback on the consortium’s programming and to share best practices that can be applied to the entire Ensemble community.

“We are very mindful that our members have gone through numerous changes over the past few years, including Ensemble’s acquisition last year,” said Ensemble Executive Chairman David Harris. He will also serve as Chairman of the Member Advisory Council.

“We also know that we have introduced many new programs in a relatively short period of time. And while members are excited about and have embraced these new offerings, we always want to ensure that we can take the pulse of how they are being received and if or where there are areas where we can refine them for maximum utilization and effectiveness,” Harris added.

The inaugural Member Advisory Council includes diverse appointees representing everything from large host agencies to individual agencies. The members are:

James Ferrera – Co-founder and President, InteleTravel

Jeff Oestreich – President, Goldrush Getaways

Laurie Keith – President, Romantic Planet Vacations

Marie-Pier Guilmette – Owner, Inspirations Voyage

Nadiya Makarenko – Senior Vice President, Travel Edge Network

Rick Gaudet – President, Fareconnect Travel & Cruise Centre

Ross Spalding – President, Crown Cruise Vacations

Sanjay Goel – President, Cruise Connections

“I am excited to be part of this group and look forward to meeting with my fellow members as we work together to ensure that Ensemble’s leadership and membership are always sharing insight, feedback and working to achieve our shared goals,” said Jeff Oestrich, President of Goldrush Getaways.

“If there is one thing that I think we’ve all learned to appreciate over the last few years is the value of being able to come together and focus on mutually shared objectives in order to move forward in a collaborative and productive way,” added Rick Gaudet, President, Fareconnect Travel & Cruise Centre.

The group will have its first meeting later this month with plans to speak regularly and meet formally on a quarterly basis.

The launch of the Member Advisory Council follows on the heels of several programs and initiatives that have been introduced in the past several months. This includes Ensemble’s new hotel and marketing programs, new FAM program, new print and digital publications, new training program and new branding including a series of annual events.