New travel advisors appointed to Travel Marketplace committee

Travel Marketplace has appointed 15 leading Canadian travel advisors to its Travel Marketplace Agent Advisory Committee. The conference is run with the support of the Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA), and will be held in Vancouver March, 1-2 and Toronto, April 5-6.

Dana Gain, national director of Canada sales for Norwegian Cruise Line, and Cynthia Perry, director of global sales for Marriott International, will co-chair the committee, providing supplier feedback and advice on how best to involve exhibitors and supplier participants in the conferences.

While a trade show has always been part of the conferences, the committee will discuss ways to improve and enhance the logistics and schedule of the trade show to make it as productive and engaging as possible with the ultimate goal of driving more sales to travel companies in attendance.

“A great deal of our success has been due to the input of ACTA, our co-host and a very involved agent community in Canada. The advisory board will advise on the most important issues they are facing today, plus provide feedback on education they feel is needed by travel professionals,” said Anne Marie Moebes, executive vice president, ACTA.

TMR selected agents to the board based on a number of criteria, including those who have attended past conferences, plus a cross section of agents who belong to ACTA, the major agency consortia and host agencies. This diversified group represents owners, managers and independent contractors combining new and veteran agents.

The following agents have been named to the committee:

• Diane Cook, Travel Professionals International
• Colleen Stephenson, Marlin Travel
• Hymie Lebowitz, YYZ Travel
• Heather McNamara, Destination Insights, T.P.I.
• Janna Guay, Travel Professionals International
• Louis Gardiner, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
• Coreen Doucett, The Travel Agent Next Door
• Tom Gerhels, Adventure Coordinators
• Dawn Barbieri, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
• Marie Odorizzi, Travelonly
• Brenda Iovanovic, Destination Anywhere Travel
• David Pierce, Callacutt Travel

Members of the committee were selected based on past participation and represent a cross section of travel segments, including hotel groups, cruise lines, tour operators, airlines, river and niche cruise lines, tourist boards and ancillary services such as travel insurance.