Exclusive: Questex Travel Group VP Shares the Scoop on The Portfolio’s RebrandExclusive: Questex Travel Group VP Shares the Scoop on The Portfolio’s Rebrand
Questex Travel VP Jill Birkett reveals how the company's strategic portfolio rebrand unifies its luxury travel and MICE brands to capitalize on the $11.7 trillion global tourism boom.
July 9, 2025
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As the global travel sector continues to surge post-pandemic, Questex Travel Group has seized the moment for a strategic rebrand as international visitor spending is forecast to break all previous records this year, according to a May 2025 report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The decision comes in the midst of momentum marked by remarkable industry growth, as discussed during our recent interview with Questex Travel VP Market Leader Jill Birkett.
In fact, the global travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute $11.7 trillion to the global economy, accounting for 10.3% of global GDP, according to the WTTC At the same time, the luxury travel market is expected to grow to $2053.68 billion in 2029 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6%, according to a report by The Business Research Company.
Questex Travel Group VP Jill Birkett (left) and the Questex team unveil the portfolio's new branding.
“Those numbers have gone anywhere from 7 to 11% a year in terms of growth ever since the end of the pandemic,” said Birkett, who has personally witnessed that growth since she joined Questex’s travel and meetings events group in 2014. “And expectations from pretty much all sources continue to suggest that will grow even further down the line.”
Last month, Questex unveiled the portfolio rebrand, and we caught up with Birkett to do a deeper dive into the strategic realignment of its media and event brands in the travel sector. Read highlights from our conversation or watch the full interview.
In 2025, Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit, which was co-located with GMITE, was held May 5-7 at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, Ga.
In May, Chateau Elan Winery & Resort hosted the first co-location of Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit and the Global Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (GMITE), both produced by Questex.
Context: Snapshot of Questex’s Travel Group Portfolio
Luxury Travel Advisor: Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, the media brand is dedicated to educating luxury-focused sellers of travel via detailed coverage of travel’s finest hotels and resorts, destinations, exclusive features, cruise insights, event coverage, and industry influencers.
Travel Agent Central: A travel trade website dedicated to informing travel advisors on up-to-the-minute coverage of the industry’s most pressing topics.
Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit: An in-person event with one-to-one appointments between luxury travel suppliers and luxury agency owners/managers.
Meeting Spotlight: Serves as a hub for the latest MICE industry news and destination content for buyers and sellers of meeting and incentive travel.
Global Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (GMITE): An in-person event that connects pre-qualified, North American high-volume meeting and incentive buyers with global suppliers.
Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (CMITE): The in-person event—which takes place August 25-28 in Nassau, Bahamas—connects pre-qualified, North American high-volume meeting and incentive buyers with Caribbean and Mexico-based suppliers.
Navigating Your Travel Business: Bi-monthly virtual events, free for travel advisors to attend.
Selling Luxury: Bimonthly virtual events focused on luxury travel, free for advisors to attend.
Luxury Travel Advisor celebrated its 20th anniversary with a rebrand.
Realigning for the Future
"One of the things we tried to do here was align our brands to better take advantage of that growing economy,” said Birkett. “We’ve had many disparate products across the travel and the meetings industry, and so we thought, why not take an opportunity to realign?"
A Unified Vision
"What instigated the conversation was our publication's 20-year anniversary," said Birkett, referring to Luxury Travel Advisor that was founded in 2005. Questex not only sought to refresh their aesthetic with a clean, fresh look for Luxury Travel Advisor, but also to unify their diverse media brands and event platforms. For Questex, it was essential to create a cohesive identity that resonates with their core values and vision, she said.
Expansion and Connectivity
One of Questex’s goals: Connecting disparate events, Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit, GMITE, and CMITE, and media brands under one umbrella. "We did feel it was important to bring them together more cohesively," she said. The rebrand aimed at providing this unity was not only about aesthetics but also about seamlessly integrating the experiences and opportunities offered across Questex's platforms, she added.
Riding the Waves of Change
Amid this rebranding effort, global growth remains a focal point. Which segments of the travel sector are expanding? "Cruise travel is an example of something that's grown explosively," Birkett said. Such trends underscore the imperative to connect more suppliers and buyers worldwide across platforms. Questex’s rebranding initiative endeavors to showcase these brands while fostering more engagement with travel suppliers, she said.
ULTRA Summit attendees networked while making charcuterie boards.
A session at ULTRA Summit
Fostering Year-Round Engagement
Exploring the evolving landscape of trade shows, we probed into how Questex is nurturing continuous relationships beyond event days. Birkett told us that content strategy and virtual events under their 'Selling Luxury' series are designed to support year-round engagement and thought leadership within the travel advisor community. In January, Questex hired Cameron Sperance as the group’s new content/editorial director. Most recently, Sperance served as senior hotel reporter for The Points Guy.
Unveiling the Sleek and Strategic
Describing the rebrand, Birkett said, "We've developed a look that’s sleek, unified, and should help build trust and strengthen collaboration." Furthermore, she added, the rebrand's success will be measured not only by awareness but also by cohesive engagement across various platforms.
Looking ahead
“ We are looking at some expansion next year, which I can't get completely into at this point,” she said. “ With the growth that we talked about earlier. It just makes sense.”
Questex Travel Group VP addressed the audience from the main stage at this year's ULTRA Summit.
In January, Questex hired Cameron Sperance as the group’s new content/editorial director.
