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clients are celebrating an anniversary
in New Zealand, embarking on a
multigenerational safari in Africa,
or throwing a milestone birthday party
on a yacht in the Cyclades. Specialties:
destination celebrations, honeymoons;
and multigenerational family travel;
646-455-3101; barkley.hickox@local
foreigner.com.
Dan Ilves
Ilves’s passion for travel began when he
launched the student travel service at
the University of Southern California.
He spearheaded the cruise division at
the AARP Travel Service before serving as
the senior vice president of leisure sales
and marketing at TravelStore, where he
has worked as a cruise specialist for
more than 25 years. 310-752-9104;
dan.i@travel store.com.
Marc Kazlauskas
Kazlauskas, the president of Frosch’s
leisure division and U.S. branch
operations, has worked as an executive
at brands like Tauck, Trafalgar, and Orient
Lines. Today, he fosters relationships
with airlines, cruise lines, and railways to
ensure his team can create seamless
business and leisure trips. 212-404-
6300; [email protected].
Mark Lakin
Lakin cofounded Epic Road, a company
that connects curious travelers with
luxury experiences in the farthest
corners of the planet. He uses his deep
personal knowledge of all seven
continents to create itineraries to his
favorite destinations. Specialties: Japan
and southern and East Africa; 646-580-
3026; ml@epic road.com.
David Lowy
Lowy spends almost six months each
year exploring the best new places to
travel and establishing local contacts.
On Italy’s Amalfi Coast, he knows private
yacht captains and restaurant owners.
He and his team at Renshaw Travel can
deliver on private jets and hard-to-get
tee times at the best golf courses.
Specialty: over-the-top trips; 604-733-
1010; dlowy@renshaw travel.com.
Steve Orens
A veteran of the travel industry, Orens
serves on the boards of some of the
biggest luxury-hotel brands. He and his
agency, Plaza Travel, secure special
treatment for business, leisure, and
entertainment clients, including room
upgrades and resort credits. 818-990-
4053; steve@plaza travel.com.Shawna Huffman Owen
Huffman Owen, the president and CEO
of Huffman Travel, excels at planning
enriching family vacations and romantic
getaways around the world, especially in
her personal favorite destinations, Italy
and France. Her itineraries, tailored to
all ages, include visits to historic sites,
outdoor adventures, and many more
interactive experiences. 312-257-2988;
shawna@huffman travel.com.Julia Pirrung
Pirrung founded Jet Set World Travel
in 2005. She creates highly detailed
itineraries that allow her to showcase
the depth and breadth of her
knowledge. She has personally tested
numerous hotels, resorts, and villas with
her two children in tow. Specialties:
family travel, Africa, and Europe; 312-
574-1181; julia@jetset world travel.com.Becky Powell
As president of Protravel International,
Powell oversees almost 1,000 advisors
in 24 locations in the United States and
the U.K. She has developed training
programs for countless travel advisors,
arming both industry veterans and
novices with state-of-the-art trip-
planning tools. 212-651-2106; becky.
[email protected].Sandy Schadler
Schadler is the vice president of
marketing for Travelink, an American
Express Travel representative agency,
where she is responsible for a broad
range of corporate strategies. She
connects travelers with her extensive
network of advisors, who can provide
both the best rates and ideal vacation
packages. 615-367-4900; sandy.
[email protected].Anne Scully
Scully, an expert on hotels and cruise
lines, is the president of McCabe World
Travel and an advisor to Ritz-Carlton,
Viking Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas
Cruises. She shines at creating unique
itineraries and can connect travelers
with knowledgeable guides and localtastemakers. Specialties: Western
Europe and luxury cruises and
villas; 703-762-5055; anne@mccabe
world.com.Judy Stein
The founder and president of the Stein
Collective, an affiliate of Ovation, Stein
boasts a team that’s well-versed in the
global restaurant scene. They once
convinced a chef to open his Michelin-
starred restaurant for guests on a day it
was typically closed. 212-329-7396;
jstein@ovation travel.com.Jim Strong
Strong—who, together with his mother,
Nancy Strong, customizes European trips
that focus on five-star stays—is driven by
attention to detail and an unabashed
penchant for luxury. His itineraries are
filled with special experiences and
contacts for round-the-clock assistance.
Specialties: Italy, U.K., and France;
214-361-0027; jim@strong travel.com.Kendra Thornton
Thornton’s parents started Royal
Travel & Tours in 1972, and in 2015 she
took over the family business. In addition
to growing the agency and regularly
appearing on TV news as a travel expert,
she plans trips to France and Morocco.
Additional specialties: family travel and
honeymoons; 815-217-0608; kthornton@
royal-travel.com.Keith Waldon
Waldon is the founder of Departure
Lounge, a travel agency, as well as
Global CommUnity, a family-travel
company specializing in cultural
experiences. He surveys clients to get
to know their preferences, and can
provide upgrades and perks. Specialty:
family travel; minimum daily spend:
$1,500; 512-750-1012; kwaldon@
departure lounge.com.Kimberly Wilson Wetty
Wetty joined her mother’s firm, Valerie
Wilson Travel, in 1995. Now copresident,
she builds long-term relationships with
clients by keeping track of their travel
histories and passions. That enables her
to make informed trip suggestions.
Specialties: family and multigenerational
travel, Mexico, Eastern Europe, and the
Caribbean; 212-592-1218; kimberlyww@
vwti.com.