Next Travel is a family of travel companies based in Michigan and Indiana. With travel offerings ranging from Vacations and honeymoons to incentive groups and corporate travel, Next Travel has grown to become one of the largest travel agencies in the Midwest.
Charlie co-founded Next Travel in 2018 with Chris Conlin (former owner of Conlin Travel). With over 60 years of combined experience, they aimed to become Michigan's largest leisure travel agency. In January 2020, Next Travel acquired Suburban Travel and Classic Travel. By March 2022, Next Travel expanded into Indiana by acquiring Menno Travel, incorporating corporate travel services. In April 2022, Charlie became the sole owner after purchasing Chris’ interest in Next Travel. Today, Next Travel has over 35 employees, 5 office locations in Michigan & Indiana, and is rapidly growing into one of the Midwest's largest travel agencies.
Colleen graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Marketing. She began her journey at Next Travel in 2016 and currently serves as our Vice President of Operations. Colleen oversees a wide range of critical functions essential to the agency's success. She is responsible for implementing new business acquisitions, streamlining operations, and maximizing efficiency. Additionally, she plays a key role in managing vendor relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the highest standards of service delivery to all clientele. Colleen is very passionate about exploring the world and seizes every opportunity to hop on a plane and discover new destinations.
Contact Colleen Romanauski
Kendal Sommers joined Menno Travel in 1994 as a corporate travel advisor. As Chief Information Officer, Kendal is responsible for all technology in our office including the airline reservation system, QC software, and corporate reporting. In addition, he manages staff training relating to all automation systems. Kendal’s travels have taken him to England, Hawaii, Canada, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic and India.
Contact Kendal Sommers
Nate became a valued member of Conlin Travel in 2016 serving as the VP of Finance and seamlessly transitioned to Next Travel upon their acquisition of Conlin Travel Leisure in 2022. Holding a CPA designation, Nate now serves as our Chief Financial Officer, bringing expertise and strategic financial guidance to our team.
Kathy joined Next Travel with a deep-rooted passion for travel and extensive experience in the industry. Her career began in sales and marketing with leading international airlines, including Alitalia Airlines and Air France. She went on to drive corporate travel business development for 14 years. Her role focuses on accelerating our business growth with a focus on corporate, group, meeting and incentive travel.
Contact Kathy Myers.png)
Michelle joined the travel industry in 1999, creating bespoke itineraries spanning the globe. Beyond crafting unforgettable experiences for her clientele, she actively fosters her love for the travel industry by sharing her knowledge and expertise with others. Michelle spearheads comprehensive training programs for new hires and continuing education initiatives for our sales team, ensuring they remain at the forefront of excellence in customer service and travel expertise.
Contact Michelle Finch
Next Travel now has four office locations in Michigan, one in Indiana, and over 40 employees, and is quickly growing to be one of the largest travel agencies in the Midwest.
Chris Conlin and Charlie O’Neill brought their leisure travel companies together to form one entity. They began to grow their group and leisure business, striving to be the largest leisure travel agency in Michigan.
Next Travel adds Suburban Travel of Rochester Hills, MI to its family of brands in January 2021.
Next Travel adds Classic Travel of Okemos, MI to its family of brands in January 2021, gaining Next Travel's second brick and mortar location in Okemos, MI.
Next Travel adds Menno Travel of Goshen, IN to its family of brands in March 2022, gaining Next Travel's third brick and mortar location in Goshen, IN. With this acquisition, Next Travel expanded its reach into Indiana and added corporate travel into its business mix.
In April 2022, Charlie O’Neill purchased Chris Conlin’s interest in Next Travel to become the majority stakeholder in the company.
In January 2023, Charlie brought Colleen Romanauski in as a minority owner. Together, they have continued to grow the business acquiring several more travel companies.
Next Travel adds Frankenmuth Travel of Frankenmuth, MI to it’s family of brands in March 2023, gaining Next Travel's fourth brick and mortar location in the heart of downtown Frankenmuth, MI.
Next Travel adds Grand Hill Travel of Grand Blanc, MI to it’s family of brands in March 2023, gaining Next Travel's fifth brick and mortar location in Grand Blanc, MI.
Next Travel adds Livonia Travel to it’s family of brands in January 2023.
