Friesen Travel Group Celebrates Record Year at Annual Consultant Rally & Awards Gala
by Bruce Parkinson
Team Friesen celebrated a record year for its 18 Expedia Cruises locations.
Friesen Travel Group, operators of 18 Expedia Cruises locations across Ontario, had plenty to celebrate at its annual Consultant Rally and Awards Gala held last week in Hamilton, Ontario.
More than 300 consultants, managers, and supplier partners gathered for a full day of training and celebration, coming off a record-breaking year with $137 million in sales across a network of 548 vacation consultants.
The theme for the event was “The potential for growth is limitless,” and President and founder Shawn Friesen explained why.
“The shortage of trusted advisors and the demand for meaningful travel have created an abundant opportunity to make an impact by creating lifetime memories,” said Friesen.
“This event brings the best team in travel together to learn, connect, and celebrate. What happens here shapes our trajectory for the year ahead.”
The Training Day was designed to build skills and act as a networking opportunity with peers and trusted suppliers. More than 40 cruise, land, hotel, and technology partners participated during keynote sessions, roundtable discussions, and a tradeshow.
“This day reminds me of how important it is to support our consultants at every level and to remind them they are part of a much bigger and very special community,” said Roni Higham, Manager of the North Bay franchise.
The evening gala featured keynote presentations from Carmen Roig, Senior Vice President, Princess Cruises, and Matthew Eichhorst, President of Expedia Cruises.
Eichhorst noted that group in the room was larger than the entire Canadian network when he joined in 2007. He revealed upcoming technology innovations focused on simplifying complex bookings and improving business visibility. He also discussed new reporting capabilities, including Power BI tools, that will enable consultants and leaders to better identify performance trends and revenue opportunities within their business.
The awards celebration recognized excellence across the network. Consultant awards were based on threshold achievements in sales performance, while store awards recognized revenue achievement by location, celebrating both individual excellence and team leadership.
Through the President’s Circle program, 38 consultants achieved Diamond status in 2025, each surpassing $1 million in sales. The top individual honour was awarded to Leanne Lavoie of Expedia Cruises Sudbury, who achieved an exceptional Five Diamond in 2025. The top store recognition went to the Expedia Cruises Sudbury team for outstanding revenue performance. That stellar performance ranked 8th overall across the Expedia Cruises North America portfolio.
“As a newer Vacation Consultant, just six months in, I found the entire day incredibly valuable and energizing. Learning from travel partners, connecting with peers, and celebrating together made it clear how powerful this community truly is,” said consultant Kim Johnstone.
