Travel MarketPlace Returns to Toronto For A Second Year of Must-Have Agent Education

Travel MarketPlace will return to Toronto for its second year this June, doubling-down on its success last year as the preeminent event dedicated to boosting the profitability of Canada’s retail travel professionals and suppliers.

Last year’s debut conference met—and exceeded—its goal of filling a gap in the Canadian travel industry by bringing the agency community together for agent-focused education, presentations by industry thought leaders, supplier updates, and relationship-building networking.

This year’s two-day conference, co-sponsored by Travel Market Report and the Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA), will be held June 16 and 17 at the International Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Toronto.

Conference attendance is open to members of all travel agency groups. Early-bird registration, available until March 31, costs $69 CAD for travel agents and $59 CAD for ACTA members.

A unique conference
Travel MarketPlace’s non-partisan status makes it a unique conference, aimed at addressing the critical issues and concerns facing all of Canada’s agents.

The program is designed to complement the offerings of agency groups while providing a solution for unaffiliated agencies.  The conference is also designed for frontline travel sellers as well as agency owners and managers.

“Travel MarketPlace is a travel agent educational event that brings the agency community together in an environment that fosters discussion on critical issues—those that affect both agents in Canada as well as the agency community-at-large,” said Anne Marie Moebes, executive vice president of Acclaim Meetings and co-publisher of Travel Market Report.

“Agents work together to address key issues that affect all of them, while gaining the kind of hands-on knowledge they can apply to their own businesses.

“Travel MarketPlace co-sponsors—ACTA and Travel Market Report—are dedicated to being the Voice and Advocate of the travel professional,” Moebes added.

David McCaig, ACTA president and COO called Travel MarketPlace, “The only Canadian conference of its kind today that offers travel suppliers a unique opportunity to meet a large variety of top producing travel agents looking outside of the box to learn more.

“ACTA stands behind this event and encourages the industry to join us in one of the best conferences of the year!,” he said.

The agenda
Just some of the topics on this year’s agenda include:

• Tune Up Your Sales – The ultimate approach to sales success from Scott Koepf, senior vice president of sales for Avoya Travel.
• Social Media – Now is the time to take your social media know-how to the next level. Here’s how from an expert, Ron Cates, Constant Contact, international director of digital marketing education.
• Selecting and Mastering a Travel Specialty . . . or Help! – Everyone claims to be a specialist these days. But are they . . . really? Steve Gillick, Talking Travel, divulges the five key tips to choosing a specialty.
• Saying ‘I Do’ to Destination Weddings – Everyone loves a wedding . . . and travel agents should learn to love a destination wedding. It’s a growing and lucrative market. Lisa Sheldon, executive director of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association (DWHSA) tells agents how to tap into the market.

The trade show
Travel MarketPlace will also include a not-to-be-missed trade show – and lunch – on June 16.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with some of the world’s most accomplished suppliers from hotels and tour operators to airlines and destination CVBs and more.

The exhibitor roster is fast filling up and those who have yet to register would do well to sign on now for what promises to be an extraordinary opportunity—for both agents and suppliers.