Fore-get the forecast: Rain halts play (but not the party) at ACTA golf event

It was a wet one, but a good one.

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors’ (ACTA’s) 36th annual golf tournament was cut short on Thursday (July 9) after a mid-afternoon thunderstorm swept over Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton, ON, sending roughly 150 golfers scrambling for their carts and racing back to the clubhouse.

The windy rain may have cut the round short, but it did little to dampen spirits.

Drenched attendees – familiar faces from across the travel industry, including travel advisors, tour ops, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, tourism boards, insurance partners, consortiums, technology providers and trade media – laughed it off as towels were tossed around to help everyone dry off.

If anything, the downpour simply accelerated happy hour, with an open bar starting early ahead of the evening's sit-down dinner, leaving the rain as little more than an afterthought.

Travel Industry's Got Talent

The skies may have won the final hole, but the shared camaraderie that day, as PAX observed, was the real hole-in-one.

The overcast morning, enhanced by colourful Bahamian carnival dancers, got underway with a 9:45 a.m. shotgun start, sending golfers across the course where supplier partners had transformed holes into lively activation stations.

The routine? Play a game, win a prize. But the unofficial outcome, in some spots, was an impromptu edition of Travel Industry's Got Talent.

READ MORE: On Location – Teeing up advocacy: ACTA’s annual golf tournament in full swing

With FIFA World Cup fever still in the air, Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations had a soccer ball kicking around.  

But it was Air Canada's Yazdan Bakhtiary – partner, regional sales – who stole the show, casually breaking into an impressive juggling kick routine that featured eye-popping foot-ball control, over-the-leg tricks and plenty of crowd-pleasing flair.

Bend It Like Beckham? No, Bend It Like Yazdan.

Not to be outdone, Maurizio Mazzola, business development manager at the Globus family of brands, stepped up at his station – where frozen grapes were keeping golfers cool – and proved he had some fancy footwork of his own.

After we showed him a video of Bakhtiary's skills, Mazzola picked up his own soccer ball – one that also happened to be nearby – and launched into a juggling display worthy of a highlight reel, bouncing it effortlessly between his feet and knees in a scissor-like sequence that left onlookers doing double takes.

But Mazzola had another ace up his sleeve.

Armed with a deck of Avalon-branded playing cards, he treated golfers to a series of magic tricks, turning shuffled decks into perfectly ordered cards in the blink of an eye.

Step aside, Copperfield.

Meanwhile, Beth Fleeton of CAA Niagara was on a mission to rally her foursome for her signature "flying golf club" photo – a classic illusion where everyone leaps at just the right moment to look as though they're soaring through the air on a broomstick.

(The trick shot is inspired by “Quidditch,” the flying sport played in the wizarding Harry Potter universe, which Fleeton used to promote, years back, when she represented Universal Orlando Resort).

But yesterday, after several spirited attempts, and as calf muscles began to ache, the shot didn’t quite take flight. Instead, PAX captured a delightfully chaotic series of mid-air fails, awkward landings and contagious laughter. 

Maybe next year the magic will happen.

Elsewhere on the 18-hole course, golfers cooled off at ice cream and mojito stations, grabbed refreshments from roaming beverage carts and kicked back at relaxation lounges, including one built by Hyatt's Inclusive Collection, which opened its own "Preferred Club” – an upgraded room tier at its resorts – right on the links.

Advocacy in the spotlight

Held each year in support of ACTA's Advocacy Fund, the tournament helps strengthen the association's voice on behalf of Canada's travel advisors and agencies while giving the industry a rare opportunity to come together away from boardrooms and conference halls.

For Suzanne Acton-Gervais, ACTA's president, this year's event was especially meaningful.

Almost exactly one year after taking the helm of the association, she's had a chance to pause and appreciate the community surrounding her.

“It's been a challenging year, no doubt about it,” she said, speaking with PAX yesterday. “But it's been an incredible year as well. Probably one of the most rewarding years of my career."

"I don't think there's any other industry like [travel]. It's an honour and a privilege to be representing ACTA and the collective voice of travel agencies and travel advisors."

Acton-Gervais highlighted several of ACTA’s key advocacy priorities, including efforts to remove barriers that complicate the sale of travel insurance across Canada.

And, despite continued uncertainty – from geopolitical events in the Middle East and Cuba to labour disruptions to rising fuel prices – she says Canadians haven't stopped booking trips.

“What we're hearing is that Canadians are shifting where they're going," said Acton-Gervais. “Safety is also a top priority, which demonstrates the value of working with a travel advisor or travel agency because they're able to advise Canadians on where to go, and how to protect their investment, during the entire journey.”

ACTA’s golf tournament also arrives amid another advocacy challenge: Air Canada's recent decision to reduce (and in some cases, eliminate) certain travel advisor commissions.

Calling the move "a surprise" and "devastating," Acton-Gervais said ACTA has pursued every avenue available – from government outreach to direct discussions with the airline.

"We're grateful to Air Canada as a partner,” she said. “We've been able to have discussions with them and will continue those discussions.”

"They stated that their decision is firm. We're disappointed, but we're hoping, as the industry improves with fuel, that they're able to revisit and reconsider."

"I do know that they value the travel trade. That's something they've made clear. That said, our members are absolutely concerned and devastated by it."

Building momentum

This year’s event was backed by several industry volunteers and supporters, including Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations serving as title sponsors; while Globus family of brands was a major sponsor, Manulife was a premier sponsor, and The Bahamas was a destination sponsor.

In the end, the tournament raised $5,720 for ACTA's Advocacy Fund.

It also builds on the momentum from last March, when the association held its inaugural ACTA Parliamentary Hill Day, bringing travel agency and advisor leaders from across Canada together with senators, MPs and federal officials to discuss how public policy can better support travel businesses.

The golf tournament, in a way, is designed to keep the conversations going.  

"This is where we're able to convene the industry,” Acton-Gervais explained, “and make sure our Advocacy Fund is strong and able to support all the work we need to do, which is probably more important than ever.”

"It's always been important, but we want to be impactful. We want to be strategic, and we want to be quicker."

ACTA is now gearing up for a major milestone next year: it’s 50th anniversary.

“Anniversaries are not simply about celebrating the past,” said Acton-Gervais in a speech before dinner, where she thanked all of the association’s supporters and partners. “They are about shaping the future.”

“The future will be shaped by organizations that move quickly, think more strategically and advocate for even greater impact. And that’s exactly where ACTA is headed.”

And the winners are...

Despite a shortened game, the day still produced many winners and prizes. See the list here!

Top Mixed Team (score of -7) - Sponsored by Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Gregory Luciani - TravelOnly Michael Dew - Clarke-Way Travel Sonia McKeon - Uniglobe Travel Mark Stubbert - Ensemble

Top Ladies Team (score of +4) - Sponsored by Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Dianne Jackson - TDC, Terri Brophy - TravelPlus

Brenda Chapman - Marlin Travel Leanne McKercher - Marlin Travel

Top Men’s Team (score of -9) - Sponsored by Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Ryan Rees – Ubitrak Mark Di Vito – OS Travel

James Barnard – Ubitrak Adam Normand – Normand Group

Most Honest Golf Team - Sponsored by Enterprise Mobility

Jennifer Bond – CIE Tours Stephanie Griffiths – TravelOnly

Diane Cook – Trevello Marianne Southall - Trevello

Ladies’ Closest to the Pin - Sponsored by Brand USA

Nancy Ekels – Park' N Fly

Men’s Closest to the Pin - Sponsored by Brand USA

Mike Seip – Enterprise Mobility

Ladies’ Longest Drive - Sponsored By Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Birdie Chavarria - NorthStar Travel

Men’s Longest Drive - Sponsored By Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Michael Degrace – Air Canada

Ladies’ Closest to the Keg - Sponsored by Brokerlink/ACTA Protect

Brigitte Gingerich – North Star Travel

Men’s Closest to the Keg - Sponsored by BrokerLink/ACTA Protect

Shahbaz Khan - Loyalty

Best Photo Award - Sponsored by Allianz Global Assistance

Dave Wright - Sunwing Lorraine Brisbois - Sunwing Sandra Lombardi - Luv to Travel Inc. Vicky Sorbara - Luv to Travel Inc.

Hole In One Competition - Sponsored by Sandals/Unique Vacations

No winner this year.

TOP GRAND PRIZES:

Two round-trip Flair Airlines tickets anywhere Flair flies - Compliments of Flair Airlines

Winner: Emmalay Serrano – Travel Addix

Three-night stay in Greater Palm Springs, with activities - Compliments of Greater Palm Springs

Winner: Rob Gerber – Expedia Cruises

Two round-trip Porter Airlines tickets anywhere Porter flies - Compliments of Porter Airlines

Winner: Khalid Ismail – PG Travel

Two round-trip Air Canada Economy Class tickets for Transatlantic travel - Compliments of Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Winner: Beth Fleeton – CAA Niagara

Two round-trip Air Canada Economy Class tickets for system wide travel - Compliments of Air Canada and Air Canada Vacations

Winner: Greg Salazar – Dragonfly Travel Inc

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