PUNTA CANA — Hyatt Inclusive Collection closed out 2025 with a powerful show of appreciation for the travel trade, hosting its sixth annual Confidant Connect Live at Secrets Tides Punta Cana from Dec. 5-8. 

The event brought together the company’s top 100 producing advisors from across North America, including 25 Canadians, and underscored a year marked by rising engagement, expanded resources and strengthened collaboration between advisors and the Hyatt Inclusive Collection sales team. 

With advisor participation up across every major metric in 2025, the celebration doubled as both a recognition of top performers and a clear signal of how central the trade remains to the brand’s growth strategy.

For Carolina Bellina, Senior Director of Canada Sales, recognizing the top 100 advisors is especially meaningful because their success reflects the work of the sales team behind them. “I’m so proud of my team because they’re the ones who make this possible. These results are there because they’re out with advisors every day, promoting our hotels and supporting them. If they weren’t there, I wouldn’t be here,” she tells Travelweek.

ENGAGEMENT ON THE RISE

Advisor participation in Hyatt Inclusive Collection continued to climb in 2025, with overall engagement up 10% year over year. The company’s advisor reach has grown to 53,803, an increase of nearly 8.5%, supported by more than 4,200 sales calls and initiatives, including almost 1,700 conducted in person. 

Scott Radesi, Senior Manager, Host Accounts, says the host market had a banner year in 2025, delivering exceptional results. He credits the surge to strengthened collaboration and the addition of new team member Michael Heim, a former advisor himself. “Together we’re focused on increasing engagement in Confidant Collective and getting more advisors to complete our learning program. It builds confidence and helps them become the best advocates for their customers.”

Looking ahead, Radesi pointed to even more opportunity for host advisors within the Confidant Collective ecosystem. “Our biggest opportunity is to keep increasing engagement in our programs, rewards and all the resources we offer,” he adds. With a wide range of tools available on demand, he says the goal is simple: ensure more advisors are aware of and actively using them. “Hyatt Inclusive Collection really does offer something for every type of traveller, and when advisors understand the differentiators and have the tools they need at their fingertips, it helps set us apart from the competition.”

TOOLS, TRAINING AND SUPPORT THAT DRIVE RESULTS

At this year’s Confidant Connect Live, the focus on advisor success was front and centre as Hyatt Inclusive Collection detailed new tools, resources and enhancements designed to streamline the way advisors learn, sell and stay connected.

Christine Eichelman, Director Sales Support & Strategic Compliance, noted that the Inclusive Collection has grown in ways that continue to surprise even long-time team members. “Just when you think things can’t get bigger or better, this brand finds a way to raise the bar,” she said, adding that both the field BDMs and the inside sales support team operate as “one unit fully dedicated to helping advisors succeed.”

Eichelman highlighted the ongoing evolution of the Confidant Collective platform, which she described as a true one-stop shop for advisors. Key updates include the annual Confidant Learning refresher course, which goes live each December through January, along with expanded elective options and upcoming access to learning modules across Hyatt’s global portfolio of more than 1,300 hotels. “Education isn’t one size fits all, and being part of Hyatt opens up an entirely new world of learning,” she said.

Additional program upgrades include the ability to redeem Confidant Rewards points for World of Hyatt points, giving advisors more opportunities to experience hotels first-hand and bring that insight back to clients. A long-requested top 50 leaderboard will launch next year, and new turnkey B2B social media assets are in development to help advisors strengthen consumer engagement. “We’re grateful for your trust in us as a business and as a support team,” Eichelman said. “We’re here for you, and we’ll keep growing and learning together.”

Carol Ann Palutis, Manager Travel Advisor Sales & Loyalty Support, reinforced how essential the sales support team is to the advisor experience. With 120 years of collective travel industry experience, including 99 years with Hyatt, the group is deeply familiar with the realities of the trade. “It’s an amazing foundation to build on,” she said, adding that the team has already handled more than 350 advisor cases from conference attendees alone, responding on average in just 23 minutes.

Members of Hyatt Inclusive Collection’s U.S. sales team at Confidant Connect Live 2025 (from l-r): Mary Jo Salas, BDM – Southwest; Kelly Koehler, Regional Sales Manager – East; Matt Brightman, Regional Sales Manager – Midwest; and Tonya Joyce, Regional Sales Director – West

Palutis outlined several key priorities, including advanced training, fam participation and a focus on understanding not just what advisors need but why. “This helps us deliver smarter, more meaningful support that’s proactive instead of reactive,” she explained. Advisor feedback continues to drive platform improvements, such as adding wedding and event resources to product guides, updating FAQs in real time and simplifying commission processes with a direct booking link on Confidant Collective. Recent technology enhancements include faster resort updates, expanded Spanish-language resources and live alerts on the platform. “We know all advisor needs matter, and we work hard to prioritise strategically so everyone receives timely, high-quality support,” she said. “We’re grateful for your trust and honoured to support your success.”

Recognising how challenging it can be for advisors to stay on top of constant industry updates, the Inclusive Collection has also invested heavily in education. This year, the brand delivered a robust schedule of more than 56 live webinars, drawing over 11,000 registered participants. All webinars are now available on demand in the Confidant Learning library, giving advisors the flexibility to revisit sessions tied to specific resorts, niche markets or product updates.

New advisor webinars have also become a popular resource for those entering the industry or those seeking a deeper understanding of the Inclusive Collection. Delivered monthly as a three-week series, the program covers brand fundamentals, ideal client profiles, key selling points and the latest resort developments. 

BDMS THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND

Canada’s performance in 2025 is being fuelled not only by strong demand, but by the deeply personal support that Hyatt Inclusive Collection’s Business Development Managers provide across the country.

In Ontario, Brian Joseph, BDM of Toronto, Eastern Ontario & Niagara Regions, has seen a major shift in how advisors operate, particularly with the rapid growth of host agencies. With many advisors now working independently, he tells Travelweek that the old model of dropping into storefront agencies simply doesn’t reach today’s sellers. Instead, he has built new pathways – hosting events that bring advisors to him, travelling to towns big and small, and strengthening ties with host networks so he can meet advisors where they are. “Some of the best agents are in the most rural towns,” he says. “It would be foolish not to drive out there. Those 12 agents in a small market may be the strongest sellers in the entire region.”

Joseph’s approach is based on tailoring support to each advisor, he adds. He schedules training after hours when needed and prioritises one-to-one guidance so advisors can close sales confidently. He says new and experienced advisors alike often rely on him to help match clients to the right resort, especially with the Inclusive Collection’s multiple brands and dozens of properties. “I want them to come to me with their questions,” he says. “My job is to make sure they succeed and that the right client goes to the right resort.” 

That level of personal connection is echoed in Western Canada, where BDM Scott Reid says the surge in results reflects how strongly Canadian advisors respond to face-to-face learning. “Canadian advisors are absolutely loving the personalised support and energy behind our programs,” he tells Travelweek. After years of virtual interaction during the pandemic, Reid says advisors want to be in the room again – learning, networking and building relationships that feel real. “They’d rather learn in person and be social at the same time. Even though they’re competitors, they show up for each other and for us.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Reid says maintaining Canada’s momentum comes down to engagement – leaning into the buzz of new resorts, joining webinars and fam trips, and staying closely connected to the BDM team. And for advisors aiming for the Top 100, both BDMs say the formula is straightforward: stay engaged, keep learning and connect often. Reid sums it up simply: “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”

This is part 3 of 3 of our coverage of Confidant Connect Live 2025. To read part one, click here. To read part two, click here. 

Lead image caption: Hyatt Inclusive Collection’s Scott Reid (far left), BDM of Western Canada, Carolina Bellina, Senior Director of Canada Sales, and Brian Joseph, BDM of Toronto, Eastern Ontario & Niagara Regions