Professional Education Society

What Professional Education Society does

Professional Education Society (PES) is a privately held, for-profit company founded in 1980 and headquartered in Pueblo, Colorado, that packages accredited continuing medical and continuing education (CME/CE) seminars with luxury cruise travel for healthcare professionals. Its customers are licensed practitioners across medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health who need to accumulate continuing education credits to maintain licensure; PES delivers these credits through 12-hour seminar programs held aboard chartered or partnered cruise itineraries, accredited by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), ADA CERP, and the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN, Provider CEP 5428). Friends and family accompany enrollees as paying traveling companions, and an Alumni Club and $150 Refer-a-Friend discount drive repeat bookings.

PES's core product is the CME/CE Cruise & Travel Seminar — a bundled offering combining stateroom accommodations (priced $4,999–$17,996 per person depending on category and occupancy), professional seminar fees ($695) or attendance-only certificates ($450), $250 port taxes, and ancillary services including pre/post-cruise land packages ($950–$2,940 per person) and optional Allianz travel insurance. Revenue is generated through three streams: cruise and travel package sales (transaction fees on stateroom bookings), CME/CE program fees (professional services pricing), and administrative/processing fees (a non-refundable $100 Global Tracks administration fee plus $100 airfare ticketing fee). The company does not operate proprietary technology platforms; bookings flow through Global Tracks, Inc. as the operational back office and are sold via pestravel.com, toll-free phone, and email, supplemented by membership in Signature Travel Network, ARC, ASTA, and IATAN for distribution and supplier access.

The business model is event-driven, multi-channel, and long-cycle. Programs are scheduled years in advance (the prominent upcoming program is the September 15–22, 2026 Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps sailing aboard AmaWaterways' AmaVenita) and marketed through the company website, email/newsletter, and a presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Pinterest. PES sources its cruise inventory through partnerships with nine operators (AmaWaterways, Windstar, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Uniworld, Ponant, Celebrity, Paul Gauguin, and Abercrombie & Kent), enabling worldwide geographic coverage spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, Oceania, and polar regions. Operating with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external funding, the company has maintained continuous operation for 46 years as an apparently owner-operated lifestyle education business.

Name

Professional Education Society

Legal name

Professional Education Society

Website

https://pestravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Professional Education Society packages accredited CME/CE seminars with luxury cruise travel for licensed healthcare professionals (medical, dental, nursing, allied health) and their companions, offering 12-credit-hour programs through multiple cruise-line partnerships since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pueblo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cruise and Travel Package Sales: PES generates revenue by packaging cruise accommodations with CME/CE seminars. Revenue comes from cruise fares (stateroom pricing ranging from $4,999 to $17,996 per person depending on stateroom type and occupancy), seminar fees ($695 professional CME/CE or $450 attendance fee), port taxes ($250 per person), and ancillary services including airfare booking ($100 ticketing fee), travel insurance, and pre/post-cruise land packages.
2. CME/CE Program Fees: The company charges professional seminar fees for continuing education credits. CME/CE Professional Seminar Fee is $695 per person, with Seminar Attendance Fee at $450 per person. These programs are accredited by AAFP, ADA CERP, and California BRN, providing recognized continuing education credits to healthcare professionals.
3. Administrative and Processing Fees: PES charges various administrative fees including a non-refundable Global Tracks administration fee of $100 per person, airfare ticketing fee of $100 per person, and requires deposits ($400 per person for cruise, $200 per person for seminar).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Professional Education Society packages accredited CME/CE continuing education seminars onto luxury cruise itineraries for medical, dental, nursing, and allied healthcare professionals, delivering 12 credit hours per program through a network of cruise partners (AmaWaterways, Windstar, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Uniworld, and others). Revenue is generated from combined cruise fares, seminar/attendance fees, port taxes, administrative and airfare ticketing fees, and ancillary services such as travel insurance and pre/post-cruise land packages.

Product overview

Professional Education Society offers a unified portfolio of accredited CME/CE cruise and travel programs for healthcare professionals. The core product is the CME/CE Cruise & Travel Seminar program, which combines luxury cruise travel with accredited continuing education. Programs feature diverse cruise partners (AmaWaterways, Windstar, Crystal, Regent, Uniworld, Ponant, Celebrity, Paul Gauguin) and international destinations. Supporting services include the Alumni Loyalty Club, Refer-a-Friend discount program, custom group bookings, leisure travel for companions, and optional Allianz travel insurance. The main upcoming program is the Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps 2026 on AmaWaterways featuring the Advancing Medical & Dental Patient Care and Prevention seminar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CME/CE Cruise & Travel Seminars Accredited continuing education cruise programs for medical, dental, nursing, and allied healthcare professionals combining luxury cruise travel with CME/CE credit hours on international itineraries, featuring professional symposia and in-country guest speakers.
• Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps on AmaWaterways Upcoming 7-night Rhine River cruise program aboard AmaWaterways' AmaVenita from Amsterdam to Basel, paired with CME/CE seminars and including shore excursions, dining, and cultural entertainment.
• Leisure Travel Companion travel services for friends and family of healthcare professionals who accompany registered participants on PES CME/CE cruise programs, sharing staterooms and itinerary experiences.
• Custom Groups Customized group CME/CE cruise travel arrangements for organizations (associations, practices, affinity groups) seeking tailored programs for their members or staff.
• Advancing Medical & Dental Patient Care and Prevention Seminar 12-hour CME/CE lecture seminar delivering AAFP, ADA CERP, and California BRN credits on European healthcare systems, oral health trends, dental care advancements, disease prevention, and travel medicine, paired with the Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps 2026 cruise.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 CME/CE Credit Hours per program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmaWaterwayscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary cruise partner providing luxury river ship experiences. PES offers multiple AmaWaterways programs annually including Rhine, Danube, Egypt/Nile, and Africa river cruises. The AmaVenita (162-guest river ship) is featured in upcoming 2026 Rhine Castles & Swiss Alps program. AmaWaterways provides included shore excursions, award-winning dining, fine wine, and cultural entertainment.
• Windstar CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner cruise line featuring sailing yachts and windjammer vessels. PES offers Windstar programs to destinations including Mediterranean, Tahiti, Caribbean, and Croatia. Programs feature medical/dental seminars and cultural excursions.
• Regent Seven Seas CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxury cruise partner for ocean voyages including South America, Southern Europe, Caribbean, and Panama Canal programs. Known for all-suite ships with included gratuities and shore excursions.
• Crystal CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium cruise partner offering luxury ocean and river voyages. Past programs include British Isles, Caribbean, Croatia, Danube, and Western Europe cruises featuring medical/dental symposia.
• Uniworld Boutique River CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoutique river cruise partner for land and river experiences. Programs include India Golden Triangle & Sacred Ganges, Southern France, and Egypt & Nile cruises.
• PonantminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench expedition cruise partner for polar and remote destinations including Iceland circumnavigation and Patagonia/Chilean Fjords programs.
• Celebrity CruisesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium cruise partner for Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific programs featuring modern ships and diverse itineraries.
• Paul Gauguin CruisesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized cruise partner for Tahiti and South Pacific destinations including Bora Bora and Society Islands programs.
• Abercrombie & KentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxury tour operator partner for land-based experiences including China, Tibet & Yangtze River tours and Antarctica expeditions.
• Signature Travel NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork affiliation providing PES with credibility, booking infrastructure, and access to preferred supplier relationships in the luxury travel segment.
• Global TrackscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTravel management company handling cruise reservations, payments, cancellations, airfare booking, and operational logistics for PES programs. Charges $100 per person administration fee.
• Allianz Travel InsuranceminorOthersOffered as optional travel insurance provider for PES travelers. Premiums vary based on age and trip cost. Purchase within 14 days of deposit for additional benefits.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• International Medical & Dental Education Corp. Provider of CME/CE conferences including cruise-based programs for medical, dental, and nursing professionals. Overlaps heavily with PES in content format, audience, and travel-delivered credit hour model.
• Continuing Education, Inc. University-affiliated CME/CE cruise and resort-based continuing education provider for medical, dental, and nursing professionals. Operates the same event-driven cruise seminar model with similar accreditation structures, making it a close functional peer.
• Sea Courses Cruises: A Canadian-based provider that organizes CME/CPD cruise conferences for physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals. Most directly comparable to PES — same customer base, same cruise-delivered continuing education model, similar itineraries and accreditation approach.
• University at Sea: CME-at-sea provider offering accredited continuing education seminars aboard cruise ships for healthcare professionals. Directly comparable in product, customer, and delivery — competing in the same niche for the same audience.

Broad incumbents

• Lindblad Expeditions: Expedition cruise company partnering with National Geographic on educational, expert-led voyages. Comparable on the cruise + expert-content + global destinations model, particularly overlapping with PES's Ponant expedition programs.
• Road Scholar: Not-for-profit educational travel provider for adults 50+ offering learning-intensive itineraries including cruise-based programs. Comparable on the 'experiential learning through travel' thesis, though broader in audience and not healthcare-specific.
• Tauck: Premium guided tour and river cruise operator with strong destination-education positioning. Comparable in luxury cruise-and-learn itineraries and affluent audience, though without the CME/CE accreditation specialization.
• Abercrombie & Kent: Established luxury tour operator offering culturally immersive group journeys worldwide with strong educational content. Already a PES partner for land extensions (China, Tibet, Antarctica) — broader in scope but overlaps on educational luxury travel positioning.

Others

• Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Luxury all-suite ocean cruise line partnered with PES for South America, Southern Europe, Caribbean, and Panama Canal programs. Functions as a supplier/distribution partner rather than a competitor, but benchmark for the premium cruise experience PES wraps education around.
• AmaWaterways: PES's primary river cruise partner (Rhine, Danube, Nile, Africa itineraries featured prominently on PES's upcoming 2026 program). Not a competitor — PES sells AmaWaterways inventory — but a key ecosystem relationship that defines PES's product quality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PES_Travel
• Facebookfacebook.com/PEStravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-education-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/pes_travel
• Pinterestpinterest.com/professionaleducationsociety

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Education Society