Quite An Extravaganza

If you had any doubts that travel agents were hungry for education, you can put them aside right now.
Transat rolled into Toronto last night (Sept. 17) to welcome just over 450 agents to its cross-Canada product showcases that featured on going workshops, a trade show, lots of networking and, of course, food and drink.

Dan Prior, sales manager for Ontario & Atlantic Canada for Transat, took some time out of his busy schedule at the Toronto event to chat with Press Today, telling PT that talking to agents about the events, Transat had discovered that the show format – with lots of education – was just want they wanted.

In fact, he said: “Agents told us that it was time to change it up.”

And that’s exactly what Transat did, offering workshops with a number of its suppliers – Palladium, Decameron, Karisma, Melia, AMResorts, Excellence Group, Iberostar and Air Transat – as well as sessions on Transat’s own product, including groups and some tips and tricks to help agents to be more efficient.

The evening’s agenda saw agents moving from breakout session to trade show to breakout session and back to the trade show (which featured 60 suppliers) and on it went until each agent had attended each session and had a chance to work their way through the trade show, with Prior neatly wrapping things up to close out the evening’s activities.

As for the response to the format, well Prior told PT, it has been “fantastic,” observing: “The best way to learn is to hear from our supplier partners” and that’s exactly what Transat put on offer last night (Sept. 17).

All in all, it was quite an extravaganza.