It was a full house at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle as Uniglobe Canada held its second post-lockdown convention over the weekend of 25OCT. Some 185 attendees, comprising agency owners/managers and staff plus 80 partners repping 60 suppliers, all showed up bright and early on the Saturday morning to take in opening remarks, the trade show and break out sessions.
“This is the largest conference, and largest trade show, we have ever had,” President Dean Dacko told the audience.
Calling the chain “One of the most successful and tenacious groups in the country,” Dacko emphasized Uniglobe’s history and gave a shout-out to some of its longest-standing members, including Uniglobe Sunburst (dating back to 1981), and Uniglobe The Premiere Travel Group (1983).
Big news for Uniglobe last year was the amalgamation of Western and Eastern Canada, with the West bringing expertise and buying power in leisure travel, while the East had been more focused and successful on the corporate travel side. Since then, 16 additional agencies have joined Uniglobe. Per-branch sales in Canada now typically ring up between $10 and $15 million, Dacko told Open Jaw – with projected sales for ’24 to total $890 million. “Giving us better contracts with suppliers, supports and rewards,” he said.
In his opening remarks he also spoke of trends in the industry, including the explosion of bleisure travel (corporate travellers not just wishing for but insisting on the perk of adding leisure travel extensions to business trips). “And, post covid, corporations have realized the importance of face-to-face meetings such as conferences – zoom calls aren’t enough.” Even more so now, he said, companies appreciate the value a travel agency provides – and are very willing to pay for it.
Dacko also addressed the evolution of leisure travel, with consumers appreciating the value and fewer crowds of off-season travel; the wish to support women-operated businesses; more spontaneous travel with very short booking windows; and “experiential” travel such as safaris and the Northern Lights. And when it comes to service fees in the leisure sector, post-lockdown every Uniglobe advisor charges them, he told Open Jaw.
What’s next? The group currently has a 70%-30% corporate-leisure mix of business, which Dacko is hoping to bring more to 50%-50%, particularly with their new focus on cruising. Watch for the 2025 conference, same time of year – staffers and managers are being polled as to where.
Plus, all being well, 2025 should bring a celebration of $1 billion in annual sales for Uniglobe Canada.
