Best practices mission brings the wow factor home while Canada steals the limelight at IMEX America
By CTC News Staff
The business travel marketplace offers a high-paced series of sales opportunities for the meetings, conventions and incentive travel (MC&IT) team at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). As soon as one conference door closes, another one opens in a different country.
CTC News is hot on the team’s heels to collect another round-up of what’s making news in the MC&IT world.
- Not quiet on the western front: a high-powered delegation of 17 Atlantic Canada MC&IT tourism professionals came to British Columbia last month for a best practices mission, led by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and assisted by CTC together with Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Victoria and Tourism Kelowna. The mission’s primary objectives Oct. 15-19 were to explore how the MC&IT sector can unite across Canada, sharing knowledge, wow factors and tips on partnerships, functions and opportunities in emerging markets. The mission blended informational presentations on how destinations can win businesses – including one by Michele Saran, CTC executive director, MC&IT, about CTC markets, strategies and partnerships – alongside visits to potential MC&IT sites and tourism experiences. Michele McKenzie, CTC president and CEO, also made a special trip to meet the group and welcome them to Vancouver.
- What happens in Vegas: Canada had a strong presence at IMEX America Oct. 9-11, in Las Vegas, NV. More than 50 Canadian tourism-industry partners teamed up with CTC at the pavilion, which hosted 13 hosted-buyer presentations to educate 140+ global planners about our country’s meeting products and services. In total, the pavilion had 766 completed appointments. Pavilion visitors enjoyed Canadian pancake breakfasts – with maple syrup, of course – each morning, while fresh popcorn and cold Canadian beer were served in the afternoon. More than 300 meeting pros also entered a contest to win one of 12 prize trips for two to Canada. CTC’s delegation was led by Michele Saran together with Robin Thompson, director, Meeting & Convention Sales Development, Susan Frei, director, International Meetings & Incentives, Heather Phelps, director, International MC&IT Partnerships and Melanie Kuranda, director Midwest Sales Development. America’s mega event for incentive travel, events and meetings built off its debut last year: more than 4,100 travel-trade attendees, including 2,400-plus hosted buyers, poured through the doors of the Sands Expo and Convention Center at The Venetian and The Palazzo.
- Trend-setters: Industry pros looking to stay abreast of the latest social-media trends affecting the MC&IT sphere should subscribe to Meetings Dot Canada Dot Travel. Steve Felahis, CTC director, Southeast MC&IT Sales Development, Convention & Incentive Travel Sales, curates this online newspaper, which has a special focus on Canada travel stories and news from the leisure, business and technology sectors.
