Across five very different journeys in 2026, our Cadence Elite and Trailblazer advisors discovered that the most meaningful part of extraordinary travel is simply having the time to share it.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate a great year. But at Cadence, our highest-performing travel advisors earn something a little harder to gift-wrap: time together.

Cadence Elite honors the highest-performing advisors in our community. These are the top 10% of our advisor network: the people who consistently deliver exceptional results, elevate the travel experience and use their expertise and global connections to create journeys their clients could not easily create on their own.

In 2026, we had so many honorees that we took the celebration on the road for three distinct journeys: from Athens through the Aegean to Istanbul aboard Ponant’s Le Boréal, through the wilds of British Columbia and Alaska aboard The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s Luminara, and along a classic route from London to Paris and Baden-Baden with Oetker Hotels.

The destinations were extraordinary. So were the yachts, the meals, and the experiences waiting at every stop. But somewhere between the cocktails, bike rides, and spontaneous detours, a deeper kind of luxury emerged: the rare gift of having nowhere else to be. As Michelle Oh, Account Director at Cadence explains, “There’s something about traveling together and having that uninterrupted time. You get to know people on a much deeper level.”

The Best Moments Aren’t Always on the Itinerary

Our Ponant journey began at One&Only Aesthesis in Athens, with a little pampering at the Guerlain Spa before setting sail on Le Boréal. We moved through the Greek Isles and Turkey before arriving in Istanbul to explore the Grand Bazaar and the Bosphorus.

Our unplanned night in Kusadasi turned into a trip highlight, with plenty of laughs, a few "why nots," and Veuve Clicquot on a deserted beach.

On paper, it was a remarkable itinerary. In practice, some of the best moments happened when the plan changed. When the ship couldn’t dock at Mykonos, the group arrived in Kusadasi a night early. Instead of a disappointment, it became an unexpected evening of shopping, laughter, and great food. The ship had the port almost entirely to itself, giving the group a chance to wander together without the usual crowds. Later, an impromptu Zodiac excursion led to champagne on a deserted beach, turning an itinerary change into one of those stories that gets better every time it’s told.

The schedule matters. The memories happen in the margins.

The Ponant trip also gave advisors a fresh lens on history, thanks to an archaeologist who brought ancient ruins to life. For many, the learning was just as meaningful as the scenery. And then there was simply the lovely rhythm of being together.

Room to Slow Down

Another group of Elite advisors started in Whistler at the Four Seasons before boarding the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's Luminara. After an e-bike adventure and a visit to the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Center, we sailed north. This journey offered a different luxury: space.

The mountains gave way to the vast Inside Passage, and the yacht became a home base where everyone could settle in. For advisors accustomed to moving quickly from one client, meeting, and destination to the next, simply having room to slow down felt like its own kind of indulgence.

We also got a peek behind the curtain, exploring the bridge and the systems that make the magic happen. Advisors who had never sailed with the collection left with a brand-new perspective on luxury cruising. And then there was the unplanned cold plunge. It wasn't on the original schedule, but it definitely became a highlight. And that's a recurring theme of Elite. The experiences are thoughtfully planned, but the best memories usually follow their own path.

When Luxury Lets You Be A Little Silly

While the yacht journeys were about discovery and movement, our Oetker journey was a different kind of fun. It began at The Lanesborough in London with a Bridgerton-inspired tea, then moved to Le Bristol Paris for shopping and a girls' night featuring pajamas and La Mer facials. We finished at Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden with yoga, vineyard picnics and plenty of spa time.

A little late-night celebration in our finest pajamas at Le Bristol Paris.

It was luxurious, yes. But it was also allowed to be a little silly.

Carlee Todd of TravelWealth loved the group bike ride through Baden-Baden. There was no grand production, just a group of advisors riding bikes, laughing, and for a few hours, not rushing anywhere. "There was something so joyful about seeing every person in our group become a kid again. We were all smiling, laughing, taking in the beautiful surroundings, and simply enjoying the moment," she said.

Then came the karaoke. Advisors Michelle Oh and Carlee Todd performed “Shallow” from A Star Is Born. It may not have been Grammy material, but the group sing-along certainly was.

Those are the moments that make a trip linger long after everyone is home: the pajama parties, the bike rides, the birthday karaoke and the simple freedom to be a little less polished for a while.

Matthias Ohresser of Oetker Hotels reflected: “What started as a FAM [familiarization trip] quickly became something so much more: a collection of unforgettable moments, genuine connections, and the kind of memories that quietly stay with us.”

When the Workday Disappears

Flower crowns on, phones down. Good food, good drinks, and even better company.

For travel advisors, connection is part of the job. But connection looks different when no one is checking the clock. One advisor shared how much she valued sitting down with peers to swap ideas and best practices. These weren't formal meetings. They were unhurried conversations over drinks. The kind that happen when there is nowhere else to be.

And across all three journeys, that was what stood out to Wendy most. “Every moment I am with them, I reconfirm why we do this. The bonding, the laughter, the closeness and the connection are what I remember most.”

It captures something central to the Elite community: advisors with a wealth of knowledge, celebrating each other's successes and sharing the perspectives that help all of their businesses grow. The trips create room for those conversations to happen naturally. A drink after dinner becomes a conversation about business. A bike ride becomes a shared joke. An unexpected change in plans becomes a story everyone tells when they get home. The experiences may be different, but the thread running through them is the same: people making time for people.

The Celebration Continues

That same spirit of connection carried into our Trailblazer experiences in 2026, with gatherings at two special Cadence partner properties: Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe and Edgewood Tahoe in Lake Tahoe. Trailblazer celebrates the creative thinkers, early adopters and trendsetters who inspire change across our community. And just as with Elite, some of the most memorable parts of the experience had little to do with the itinerary.

At Bishop’s Lodge, horseback rides and conversations over cocktails gave everyone a chance to get to know one another outside the usual workday. Then, on the final evening, a thunderstorm threatened to put a damper on dinner. Instead, everyone moved indoors, left the doors open to watch the rain, and made the most of the evening. Before long, dinner turned into impromptu karaoke, with plenty of laughter along the way.

For Naomi Rose, Account Director at Cadence, those are the moments that made the trip so meaningful. Being surrounded by people who understand the work, the challenges and the joys of building a travel business made the time together feel like something special. You get to be around people who understand what you do, without rushing, and that turns into relationships that last well past the trip.

Naomi joined the Trailblazers at Edgewood Tahoe, too, where a sunny day on the water brought its own share of laughter, stories and unexpected moments. At the final dinner, conversations wandered beyond business into the lives that brought everyone to travel in the first place. There were stories of career changes, time spent abroad and the kind of love story that stays with you: Nancy and Les Burger, high-school sweethearts still sharing the adventure.

At Bishop’s Lodge, Katie Brown, Account Director at Cadence, found that some of the best connections happened in the spaces between planned activities, when there was finally time to settle in, talk and simply enjoy one another’s company. “Nobody schedules those in-between moments, but that’s where a lot of the real connection happened.”

Two destinations, two very different experiences, and plenty of memories to take home. From a dinner saved by a storm to stories shared around the table, the moments that stayed with everyone were often the simplest ones: laughing together, learning something new about one another, and spending time with people who just get it.

Recognition That Becomes an Experience

Across our Elite and Trailblazer celebrations, one thing became clear. The most meaningful recognition is the kind that gives people the chance to experience something extraordinary together. The hotels and yachts provide the setting. The destinations provide the adventure. But the people give the experience its meaning.

There is something different about sitting across a table from someone, sharing a drink, exploring somewhere new, and experiencing something together. As Wendy puts it, “The most authentic, sincere way you can connect is in person, creating and living through incredible experiences together.”

For our Elite and Trailblazers, perhaps the greatest luxury of all is having the time to slow down, look around, and enjoy the people beside them.

With Gratitude to Our Hosts

None of these experiences happen without the people who welcome our advisors, open doors, and bring every detail to life. We’re deeply grateful to the partners who helped make our 2026 Elite and Trailblazer journeys so memorable.

OUR ELITE HOSTS

Ponant

David Schoenberg
One&Only Aesthesis, Athens
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Bonnie Newman
Four Seasons Resort Whistler

Oetker Hotels

Matthias Ohresser
The Lanesborough London
Le Bristol Paris
Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa, Baden-Baden

OUR TRAILBLAZER HOSTS

Bishop’s Lodge

Jonathan Hamel-De Lara
Kelsey Perone & Team

Edgewood Tahoe

Lindsey Graff
Lauren Epstein & Team

Thank you for welcoming our advisors so warmly, and for putting so much thought into every detail. We’re grateful for the time, care and hospitality you brought to each of these experiences.

The Luxury of Being Together