An event beyond high expectations!
Toronto, September 20, 2011
Over 350 consultants and managers from Marlin Travel, TravelPlus and other affiliate agencies from the Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) network attended the 2011 “We weren’t born to follow” Ontario and Atlantic Canada Regional Conference from September 16 to 18, 2011 in Toronto. The event was an overwhelming success.
“We are very proud of our team of franchisees, affiliates and company-owned offices that provides our customers with great service in all the communities in which our network is present,” said Yves Lalumière, President of TDC. “This event was a great opportunity for our members to exchange with their peers, share their knowledge and successes and be inspired to lead the way in all aspects of their professional lives. A wide array of topics was explored in order to enhance our competitive advantage and enable our members to lead customers to the best vacations ever.”
During the conference, several presentations and workshops allowed participants to enhance their knowledge and develop their skills; topics covered included industry trends; marketing and product strategies; travel currency exchange; customer-retention marketing; the TDC customized insurance program and the luxury cruise segment.
This year’s keynote speaker, Nolan W. Burris, author and motivator, did a presentation entitled "Born to lead", a perfect fit with the annual conference theme. A member of the Transat A.T. Inc. executive team, Allen B. Graham, President of Transat Canada and Chief Executive Officer of Air Transat, was pleased to draw a picture of the airline company to the participants and to discuss the future projects of the business unit. Yves Lalumière, for his part, spoke to the audience about the issue of child sex tourism, one of the most crucial challenges facing the industry, and the role that travel consultants can play in helping to combat this scourge. Online training on the subject is in the works for all TDC network members. Furthermore, Susan Bowman, Vice President, Marketing and Industry Relations at TDC gave a presentation to agency owners and managers on the tour operator’s new identity platform and explained its brand strategy.
The special evening on Saturday, highlighted by the theme “End of Summer Tropical Disco Party”, was a colourful event. The evening was also a time to salute outstanding efforts by members of the TDC network who have the knack for doing things differently and custom-tailoring vacations for clients.
“We have a transparent and regular dialogue with our members; through our constant communications to and from them, we are able to create programs, initiatives and unique value propositions that directly meet their needs and the needs of their clients,” concluded Rita Polegri, Director, Operations & Member Services, Ontario and Atlantic Canada Region.
This event came full circle in a series of three conferences organized by the TDC network in Canada for consultants and managers. The two other conferences took place from August 19 to 21 in Montreal and from September 9 to 11 in Vancouver.
About Transat Distribution Canada
Transat Distribution Canada is Canada’s leading retail distributor of holiday travel, with approximately 500 outlets. The distribution network, which is affiliated with Transat A.T. Inc., includes the Marlin Travel, TravelPlus, Club Voyages and Voyages en Liberté banners as well as other affiliate members. Transat A.T. Inc. is an integrated international tour operator with more than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries.