Travelsavers Canada hosted its annual "Dine & Discover" event in Toronto on 17APR.
Open Jaw was among the 130 attendees at the GTA's "The Vue & Clubhouse EventSpace."
Over 95 travel advisors and owners from 27 local agencies were represented, with 23 preferred partners featured.
New partners included Expedia TAAP and Sandals, and preferred partners included Air Canada Vacations, Manulife Transat, TravelBrands, and WestJet Vacations.
The event hosted mini round-table training sessions, during which attendees learned about suppliers' latest product updates through interactive trivia.
In a speed-dating fashion, advisors were asked to choose six suppliers with whom they would like to spend five minutes discussing their products.
It was time to move to the next table when the music started.
Their knowledge was later tested over pre-dinner appetizers and cocktails via a mobile quiz. Susan Eliuk of Fronliners Travel Group won the top prize, a three-night stay at Secrets Bahia Mita.
Entering her second year as SVP and GM of Travelsavers Canada, Jane Clementino shared with Open Jaw that she continues to look for opportunities to support members and advisors.
Under her leadership, the Dine & Discover events, launched in 2023, aimed at fostering meaningful connections to drive industry success through collaboration.
"Travesavers has grown to 315 agencies," she said. "Travel is a prosperous business that is growing every single day."
"We are truly focused on supporting our member affiliates through every stage of their business, ultimately driving success through sales and revenue by delivering more solutions and services to reduce administration, increase B2C effectiveness, and provide tangible in-market offers that drive sales to our preferred suppliers," Clementino added.
Elizabeth Grundon, Business Analyst (BA) at Travelsavers Canada, shared the impact and results she and her colleagues strive to achieve with events like Dine and Discover.
Grudon, who's been with the company for 22 years, told Open Jaw, "Creating educational opportunities for our members to stay up-to-date with our preferred partners' latest product offerings, industry-leading tools and trends is integral to our affiliate's growth and success."
She added, "This event is a shining example of the Travelsavers' commitment to forming strong alliances between our members and partners, promoting industry success as a whole."
Clementino also shed light on the role of BAs within the company, saying that while Travelsavers Canada continues to grow its team of business analysts, "they seem to be the network's best-kept secret."
With the recent appointment of Daphne Sword as the newest BA, Travelsavers Canada continues to expand its support network.
"It's important to note that Travelsavers is always considering the health of their affiliates and partners in everything they do and creating new opportunities for organic sales," Clementino told Open Jaw.
She continued, "More advisors are working remotely than ever before, so the importance of these face-to-face events continues to increase in significance.
"The Dine & Discovers create the space and time for connection, education and revalidation that we as an industry, are all in this together.
"It's also an opportunity to reinstate the importance of our B2B member relationships. Based on feedback from past Dine & Discovers, we've modified the format to optimize this year's event effectiveness. The new round-table trivia night allows our affiliate advisors more time to connect with key supplier partners," she continued.
The evening concluded with Clementino addressing the room. She asked if the advisors enjoyed the event, and the room erupted with applause - a resounding "yes."
Referring to Travelsavers' KORE, an education program that aims to enhance the recruitment and training of new advisors, she shared that Travelsavers Canada had celebrated its first graduate earlier in the day.
There was another round of applause as Clementino explained that this student had completed the program in just five weeks and would soon be joining one of Travelsavers' agencies.
Clementino also shared that Travelsavers' Travel Market, which will take place 24-26SEP, 2024, will be held at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.
It's going to be exceptional," she exclaimed.
More details about Travel Market and information about other Canadian events will be released soon.
Stay tuned.
