About Us
@EliteTravelGal
The founding Editorial Director of Elite Traveler Magazine, Stacy Small is an award-winning, luxury travel expert. Prior to launching Elite Travel International in January 2005, Small spent 15 years traveling on assignment to hundreds of destinations worldwide, visiting hotels, sampling cruises, reviewing airlines, previewing new spas, and interviewing travel industry executives about new properties, emerging destinations and the latest, greatest trends in luxury travel.
Small's unique background led to the formation of Elite Travel International in response to the growing demand for a unique type of luxury travel firm -- one run by a new generation of luxury travel consultants who specialize in evaluating, personalizing, and planning clients' travel experiences based on their own personal knowledge & understanding of luxury travel.
Often found on Twitter @elitetravelgal, Small has written about travel trends for Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Haute Living, the New York Times T Magazine and Agent@Home. She has also been quoted as an expert source on luxury travel in Smart Money, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Cigar Aficionado & the NY Times Style Magazine, and is regularly tapped as a speaker on topics from luxury travel to social media success.
Elite Travel International is the official West Coast affiliate of SmartFlyer, a NY-based VIRTUOSO agency.
@EliteTravelKara
A Los Angeles native, Kara Slater brings a passion for travel and more than 10 years of sales & marketing experience to the Elite Travel International team. A top performing advertising executive for such prestigious publications as Woman’s Wear Daily and Angeleno Magazine, Kara graduated from The George Washington University with a BA in psychology, and has traveled far and wide in search of the best possible experiences to share with her clients. Recent travels have taken Kara to spots around the globe including Angola, Argentina, Spain, France, Greece, Norway, Thailand, Bali, Mexico, Milan, Hawaii, Dubai, Paris, London & Costa Rica.
@LuxTravelErika
Erika Neto, formerly a hotelier for the most prestigious luxury hotels in the world; Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Starwood’s Luxury Collection has joined Elite Travel International based out of Palm Beach, Florida. Born in Peru but daughter of an American father and Brazilian mother, Erika has been exposed to many different cultures and lived amongst them. Places she has traveled and lived in include but are not limited to Rome, Milan, Formentera, Nairobi, Lisbon, Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Cusco, Kauai, New York, Miami, DC. She is fluent in three languages and is all about creating memorable experiences and luxury travel clients for life.
@EliteTravelVelo
A Chicago native who now calls Los Angeles home, Robert Velo graduated from the University of Southern California and has worked for Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, and Sony Pictures. As the newly appointed Vice Chairman for Elite Travel International, Velo has 10+ years of experience in the entertainment/production world and is overseeing this fast-growing division of the LA-based travel firm. Velo is also currently a partner in USB Studios and co-founder of MDG Entertainment Finance.
@BethLovesTravel
Beth Friedman’s passion for seeing the world goes back to her first trip abroad studying in London when she was 18 years old. Since then, travel has been a huge influence in her life and has taken her all over Europe, the US, Mexico, South America, the South Pacific and beyond. Her interest in travel flourished into a love affair with all things culinary and is an ambassador of experiencing different cultures through food. Beth has had her hands in the travel industry for 15+ years, spending many years wearing a suit in the world of publishing. Her impressive resume includes top luxury and travel magazines like Elite Traveler and Robb Report, along with several print and online media related to the industry. She shed her corporate attire and partnered with Elite Travel International so that she could share her love of travel with clients sending them off to have fantastic vacations and adventures around the globe. Check out www.YourJourneybyBeth.wordpress.com to learn more about Beth's journeys - plus ideas and opinions about everything from hotel and sightseeing options to restaurant recommendations.
@EliteTravelTris
Tris Tiffany combines a passion for travel with a joy in discovering the local culture indigenous to the places that she visits. In her travels you may find her appreciating the architecture of the city, visiting museums, examining ancient relics and modern art, or perhaps attending a local street fare. Tris is a foodie and oenophile, taking pride in scouting out off-the-beaten-path restaurants, haute cuisine, vineyards, and local homes offering an authentic meal. Her previous experience in the fashion industry drives her to scour boutiques and designer ateliers, observing the style, quality and craftsmanship along the way. Tris has a B.S. in International Business from Barry University in Miami, Fla. Before living in Miami, she was raised on a horse farm in Charlottesville, Va., and worked in the family real estate business. After college, she moved to New York City and became a successful fashion stylist and fashion editor. She has traveled extensively in Europe, lived briefly in Madrid, Spain, and has extensive knowledge of North America and the Caribbean. Her travels have also taken her to Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, and most recently on a safari to Kenya. Her specialty is finding high-end boutique hotels and insider excursions that deliver unique experiences to her clients.
@GetLostTraveler
Taegan Walker hails from The Queen City of the West - Helena, Montana, but presently resides in Lander, Wyoming. She was fortunate enough to have been bitten by the travel bug as a young child during month long family vacations to Hawaii, California, and Mexico, as well as all over the U.S.A. and Canada. Taegan studied communications and public relations at The University of Wyoming, and has more than 10 years’ experience in sales and marketing. She currently owns and operates “GET LOST Travel” in Lander, where she books Destination Weddings and Honeymoons as well as leisure or luxury travel packages and cruises. Her strong love of family has also driven her to become a “Family Travel Category Specialist” amongst many other industry accreditations. Taegan lives with her husband Ty and their three year old son, Kash.
@CrankyFlier
Brett Snyder, a Southern California native, is an air travel expert and the founder of Cranky Concierge air travel assistance. After working in pricing, marketing, and strategy for several airlines, Brett went on to create a travel search site for PriceGrabber.com. Today, besides running Cranky Concierge, he is the author of the award-winning air travel blog, The Cranky Flier (crankyflier.com). Cranky Concierge provides air travel planning and assistance to all travelers and is proud to be affiliated with Elite Travel International. Brett graduated from The George Washington University with his Bachelors in business in 1999 and from Stanford University with his MBA in 2004.
@LuxTravelAndrea
Andrea Novick has 15 years of experience in arranging travel for executives in the financial industry. Her personal love of travel now brings her to the leisure and luxury side of the business. She has visited 42 of the 50 United States, and with a trip to Australia in October, 2011, will have visited all 7 continents. She has opened our first office in Boston, MA. An avid cruiser, Andrea has been on over 30 cruises and is working toward her Accredited Cruise Counsellor certification with CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association.
@SoloTravelGal
Alyson Nash brings more than 20 years experience in marketing, event planning and promotions to Elite Travel International. An outdoor enthusiast with strong sense of adventure, recent travels satisfying curiosity about destinations around the world have taken her to the glaciers in Iceland, surfing in Nicaragua, hiking, biking (and eating) through Argentina, exploring and camping remote areas in Chile; trekking (and fighting altitude sickness) through Peru; visiting the rainforest, beaches and casinos of Puerto Rico, salmon fishing in Alaska; navigating the jungle and diving in Belize, sightseeing (and shopping) through Sydney, and relaxing in Fiji.