Orange, early starts and a serious taste of luxury: our day at the easyJet holidays Orange Powwow

We were delighted to be invited by easyJet holidays to attend the event, travelling over from Belfast courtesy of easyJet holidays. It was an early start, a late arrival home and a properly full-on day, but absolutely worth every minute. From the moment we arrived, the whole event had that unmistakable Team Orange energy: warm, welcoming, busy, polished and full of people who genuinely love talking about holidays.

And honestly, what better way to spend a day than surrounded by sunshine destinations, luxury hotels, tourism boards, trade partners and people who spend their working lives helping create better holidays?

A day built around connection

One of the biggest things we took from the day was just how valuable it is to meet suppliers face to face.

As a travel agency, we can read about a hotel, look at images, check facilities, compare prices and review customer feedback. All of that matters. But there is something completely different about standing in front of the people behind the product, asking questions, hearing what makes a resort special and getting a real feel for the experience our customers can expect.

That is where days like the Orange Powwow really come into their own.

Across the day, we had the chance to meet and chat with a wide range of partners, including hotel groups, airport partners, tourist boards, support organisations and product teams. There were familiar names, new introductions and plenty of destinations that immediately had us thinking, “Yes, we need to tell our customers about this.”

We spoke with partners connected to brands and destinations including ABTA, AP Hotels, Constantinou Bros Hotels, Cyprotel, Domes Hotels, Dunas Hotels, El Gouna, Fairmont Taghazout Bay, Grecotel, Hilton Hotels, Lujo, Lopesan Hotels, Meliá Cape Verde, Palladium Hotels, Phoenicia Malta, Regnum Hotels, Rixos Hotels, Rosa Hotels, SENTIDO Aequora Lanzarote Suites, Sunrise Resorts and Wavemaker, alongside the easyJet holidays product and trade teams.

It was a brilliant reminder that behind every holiday booking there is a huge network of people working to make the experience better, smoother and more memorable.

Luxury was the word of the day

The main theme running through the event was luxury, which tied in perfectly with easyJet holidays’ recent push into the luxury holiday space.

For many people, easyJet holidays is already known for great-value beach breaks, city escapes and package holidays that make travelling simple. But the Luxury Collection adds a different layer to that. This is not just about a lovely hotel. It is about the whole journey feeling more elevated from start to finish.

Think hand-picked five-star hotels, higher-end service, private transfers, extra luggage, a smoother airport experience and those small touches that make a holiday feel less stressful and a lot more special.

What we loved most was that the luxury message still felt accessible. It was not stuffy. It was not intimidating. It was luxury with ease, which is exactly the type of experience a lot of our customers are starting to ask for.

People want the beautiful hotel, yes. But they also want the airport to feel easier. They want to know their transfers are sorted. They want the confidence that someone has thought through the details before they arrive. That is where this product really stands out.

From Belfast to Burton and back again

Being based in Northern Ireland, we are always keen to see how suppliers support customers travelling from Belfast.

So being invited to travel from Belfast for the event meant a lot to us. It showed that Northern Ireland agents are very much part of the conversation, and that matters.

Yes, it meant an early alarm. Yes, it meant a long day. And yes, by the time we got home, we were absolutely ready for a cup of tea and bed. But throughout the day, there was a real sense that the travel trade is alive, thriving and full of opportunity.

For Wherewegoing?, attending events like this is not just about collecting brochures or taking photos. It is about building relationships that help us serve our customers better.

When someone comes to us looking for a honeymoon, a special anniversary, a family escape, a luxury break or just a holiday that feels a little bit more special, we want to be able to recommend something with confidence. Meeting the people behind the brands helps us do exactly that.

Exclusive offers for Wherewegoing? customers

One of the most exciting parts of the day was hearing about the offers and added-value benefits available through our partners.

Wherewegoing? has been very lucky to secure access to a number of exclusive deals and extras, ranging from free board upgrades to discounted nights and added-value perks, depending on the destination, hotel and departure date.

These are the kinds of touches that can make a holiday feel even better. A board upgrade can turn a good deal into a fantastic one. A discounted night can make that dream hotel feel more achievable. An added extra can be the difference between “that looks nice” and “let’s book it.”

And because we work directly with our supplier partners, we can help customers understand what is genuinely good value, what is worth paying extra for and where the best fit might be.

That is what we mean when we say the best journeys are engineered, not just booked.

The people made the day

We also want to say a huge thank you to Nicola McCreadie, our Trade Distribution Manager, for the invitation and for making us feel so welcome.

A special thank you also goes to Natasha Marson, Head of Trade Commercial Partnerships at easyJet holidays, who is quite possibly one of the coolest cats in travel. The energy, passion and warmth from the easyJet holidays team really came through across the day, and it made the whole event feel less like a corporate showcase and more like a proper celebration of the trade.

That matters.

Because travel is a people business. Yes, it is flights, hotels, transfers, prices and availability. But at the heart of it, travel is about people helping people create memories.

That was the biggest takeaway from the day.

What this means for our customers

For our customers, days like this mean better conversations, better recommendations and better holidays.

It means when we suggest a hotel, we are not just pulling a name from a screen. We are bringing together supplier insight, destination knowledge, trade relationships and our own understanding of what makes a holiday work.

It means we can talk about the difference between a good-value break and a luxury escape. We can help compare board options, room types, resort styles and added extras. We can explain when a private transfer is worth it, when an upgrade makes sense and when a hotel is genuinely a strong fit for the type of trip you want.

And most importantly, it means we continue to build relationships with the people who help make our customers’ holidays happen.

Final thoughts

The easyJet holidays Orange Powwow was a brilliant day from start to finish.

It was busy, bright, informative, friendly and packed with inspiration. We left with new ideas, stronger supplier relationships and a long list of holiday options we cannot wait to share with our customers.

From Belfast to Burton and back again, it was a long day — but a very worthwhile one.

Thank you again to easyJet holidays, Nicola McCreadie, Natasha Marson,. the entire Team Orange and every supplier who took the time to speak with us.

We came home tired, but inspired.

And as always, already asking the most important question…

Where we going?