AIC Hotel Group brought more than 140 top-performing travel advisors, agencies and wholesale partners from the U.S. and Canada together on Sept. 14-17 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana for its 2026 Showstopper Awards.
The annual event combines recognition with firsthand product experience, giving qualifying travel partners an opportunity to connect with AIC Hotel Group executives, tour its properties and get updates on the company’s all-inclusive portfolio.
Unlike recognition programs based primarily on agency-wide production, the Showstopper Awards put individual advisor performance at the center. Advisors qualify by advancing beyond their previous year’s AIC sales status, with invitations generally going to those reaching Platinum status or above. The program also recognizes advisors in the Gold Plus category.
This year’s event included two advisors and eight agencies receiving the Black Diamond Award after booking more than 500 room nights across AIC Hotel Group’s all-inclusive properties in Mexico and the Caribbean.
A Four-Day Advisor Experience
Held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, the four-day program mixed business updates and property education with a lineup designed around the attending advisors.
“The Showstopper Awards have always been about celebrating our travel partners the AIC way: bigger, bolder and a little unexpected,” said Ash Tembe, VP of North American Sales for AIC Hotel Group, in a press statement. “These are the advisors who show up for our brands all year long, drive meaningful business across our portfolio and continue to raise the bar, so when it’s our turn to celebrate them, we want to make them feel like the true VIPs they are.
“Showstopper gives us the opportunity to recognize what they’ve accomplished while bringing them into our world firsthand, experiencing the hotels, the brands and the kind of energy we want their clients to experience,” continued Temble.
Building Advisor Relationships
Delta Vacations, Classic Vacations and Apple Leisure Group Vacations also supported the 2026 event through sponsorships, a wellness bar on presentation and a boat excursion along the Dominican Republic coast.
AIC executives were also present throughout the event, giving advisors opportunities to discuss the brands, share marketplace insights and build relationships directly with the company’s leadership team.
The Showstopper Awards are part of AIC Hotel Group’s broader advisor strategy, which includes education, sales resources, incentives and portfolio updates for travel professionals selling its brands.
The portfolio includes the Hard Rock Hotels All-Inclusive Collection, UNICO Hotel Collection, Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, AVA Resort Cancun and Eden Roc Miami Beach.
For advisors interested in qualifying for a future Showstopper Awards event, AIC Hotel Group directs travel professionals to AllInAgents.com to learn more about its advisor program and get started.
