Welcome! Thanks for joining me today. I’m Dana Williams with Williams Travel and Cruises and today we will be talking about the 2011 Essence Music Festival! We will get started in just a few moments so if you would like to grab a paper and pen to take some notes, go ahead and get it because I’m going to give you a lot of good information. And hopefully answer all your questions about Essence. Again, we will begin in just a moment. (PAUSE FOR A FEW SECONDS) If you’re just joining us, I want to welcome you to the webinar. My name is Dana Williams and I’m with Williams Travel and Cruises. I’ll be your presenter today while we talk about the 2011 Essence Music Festival. I’m happy that you decided to join me for this webinar and I hope you get all your questions answered. If you have not already done so, grab a pen and paper to take some notes because I will be giving you a lot of information. So let’s get started!

Like I mentioned before, my name is Dana Williams. The name of my travel agency is Williams Travel and Cruises and we are located in Dallas, Texas. I’ve been in the travel business since 2007 and last year I teamed up with Premier Travel One of Atlanta, Georgia, to offer pre-packaged tours and cruises such as Essence Music Festival, Mardi Gras, Spring Break, Super Bowl and more. And yes we offer payment plans! I wanted to do this webinar because I wanted to let you know more about me and more about my agency. Many of you may have seen me on Facebook or Twitter or you may have just found me through Google or something. So I wanted to let you know that “yes” I am a real person and “yes” this is a real travel agency  So you don’t have to worry, you’re in good hands.

I hope you’re taking notes. Because today we will cover:

So let’s talk about Essence. If you have never attended the Essence Music Festival you are literally missing out on one of the biggest events of the year! Last year they had Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, and Alicia Keys headlining the show. Over 72,000 people attended. Which was more than they ever had before. So I know that 2011 is going to be as big or bigger because people are really excited about the show even though they haven’t announced the line up yet.

The Essence Music Festival is always held the first weekend in July. This year it will be held Friday, July 1st through Sunday, July 3rd. It has always been held in New Orleans, except in 2006 when it was held in Houston due to the damage from Hurricane Katrina. People from all over the country attend the festival and even people from other countries attend. I had someone from Japan contact me about a package.

So what does it cost to go? That will depend on a few factors. First of transportation: Most people either drive, take the bus, or fly. Just depends on how far you’re coming from and your personal preference. Hotel: All the events will take place in the French Quarter. So the closer you are to the French Quarter, the better off you’ll be. Hotels in the French Quarter will run you around $200 a night because it is a special event and a holiday weekend. Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com. As a matter of fact, they are already on sale. So make sure you check that out.

We have two hotel packages available. One includes tickets and the other one does not. To find out more about these two hotel packages, visit www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com

If you’re looking for a complete travel package, we have bus transportation and flight transportation from some cities. Again, visit www.WilliamsTravelandCruises.com to learn more about these two travel packages.

I’m going to answer the top 3 questions that I keep getting from people. Do we have payment plans? The answer is yes. We offer payment plans on all our packages for the Essence Music Festival. Once you make your deposit, you make monthly payments and have until the end of April to pay it off. If I don’t live in one of the cities listed on the website, can I still book with you? The answer is yes. If your city is not listed, you can book one of our hotel packages and book your own flight. What happens if I start making payments, but can’t go? If that happens, you can do one of two things. You can either find someone to go in your place and we change the name on your ticket. Or you can purchase travel insurance and file a claim with the insurance company. I highly recommend travel insurance because anything could come up between now and July. Some of our packages are non refundable so it’s better to be safe than sorry. I had a client book a cruise and then about two weeks before she was to sail, she had a death in her family. At that point, it was too late to get a refund from the cruiseline. But because she had purchased travel insurance, she was able to get all her money back. Travel insurance is not expensive. You can contact me for a quote.

If you have questions that I did not cover in this webinar, please enter your question in the box and I will answer you via email. I want to thank you again for taking the time to join me today. And remember, time is running out to book your Essence Music Festival travel package. If you want to be able to get a nice hotel in the French Quarter where all the events will happening, then go to my website and make your deposit today. Thanks again for joining me today. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Presented by: Dana Williams Williams Travel and Cruises Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Essence Music Festival

Dana Williams Owner of Williams Travel and Cruises Affiliate of Premier Travel One “I make travel affordable for people on a budget. I help my clients go on fabulous vacations without spending a lot of money upfront and allow them to make affordable monthly payments towards their vacation”.

What we will cover today:

The Essence Music Festival is the largest African-American gathering in the United States.

Friday, July 1st through Sunday, July 3rd

Cost Transportation Varies depending on how far and method of transportation Hotel Event rates for French Quarter hotels range from $200 per night and up Tickets Weekend passes are on sale now for $163.80 and up at www.TicketMaster.com

Hotel Packages **Rates above are Early Bird Rates. Prices may increase at any time.**

Complete Packages **Rates above are Early Bird Rates. Prices may increase at any time.**

Question and Answer

Book Your Essence Music Festival Travel Packages at www.WilliamsTravelAndCruises.com Don’t miss our Early Bird Specials!