LAS VEGAS -- Stabilize. Rebuild. Grow.
Those three words, in that order, outlined the Ensemble leadership team's strategy to re-energize the travel agency consortium after its acquisition by Range Group (formerly Navigatr Group) in 2022.
Now, four years into it, the company sits squarely within the "grow" part of that strategy, onboarding 50 agencies in the past year, president Michael Johnson said during Ensemble's 2026 Horizons conference, held this month at the Resorts World Las Vegas. He also touted another statistic: roughly 40% of attendees were at their first Horizons conference.
"That type of energy is contagious, and it's something that we've worked to nurture, and we're just so proud of our momentum," Johnson said during a press conference at the event. "What's interesting to note within all of that is that the No. 1 source of growth for Ensemble is referrals. That means not only are our members engaged, but they are out there acting as advocates on our behalf."
That speaks to one of Ensemble's goals, Johnson said: not to be the biggest consortium in the industry, "but to be the best"; referrals, he said, are a strong indicator it is meeting that goal for members.
In an interview after Horizons, Johnson reflected on Ensemble's recent history. Range Group's involvement started in the summer of 2021 with talks of an acquisition and "bringing discipline and a data-driven approach to many of its programs," he said.
In early 2021, several large agencies had left Ensemble, and like almost every other travel company, Ensemble was still dealing with the effects of the pandemic. This was the "stabilize" phase.
It never felt like the company wasn't viable, Johnson said, but it needed a "jump-start." With the membership's approval via a vote, Ensemble became a privately held company operating as a consortium instead of its previous member-owned co-operative structure.
Then began the rebuilding phase. Ensemble rebranded and consolidated its marketing program and also worked to install the right leadership, Johnson said. Then came technology and events.
"The most important thing to me was that we had a strong sense of culture, and that we were building trust and openly communicating where we were winning," he said. "We were being honest about where there was opportunity."
Early during Range's ownership, Ensemble didn't want to onboard new member agencies, instead focusing on stabilization and rebuilding. But the last 18 months have marked Ensemble's entry into the growth phase, which has ramped up over the past year, Johnson said.
In addition to onboarding 50 more agencies and 120 additional supplier partners, sales overall are up 11% year over year.
"There's a tremendous sense of optimism and excitement," he said.
Ensemble has a three-pillar approach to growth: first, helping advisors build more profitable businesses through things like profit-sharing and technology; second, building community through partnership and collaboration; and third, creating travel experiences to offer clients via its partner-relations team.
Asked to categorize where Ensemble sits among its competitors, Johnson called Ensemble "a modern consortium" with products for all types of agencies. While it has a strong luxury portfolio, he said Ensemble's sun-and-sand offerings are equally strong.
"Our focus is less about identifying a specific product category and more about offering a breadth of product to our membership, such that they can mix and match and sell what's most appropriate to their client," he said.
Johnson also sees opportunity in educating agency owners on how to run a better business. Earlier this year, the consortium introduced Fastrack, a program designed to support aspiring owners in building an agency from the ground up.
"Three or four years from now, Ensemble will be much bigger than it is today but will still remain true to its spirit, which is that every voice matters," Johnson said.