CWT hosts 2nd annual Curling Bonspiel

Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s leisure supplier management and leadership teams hosted their second annual Curling Bonspiel yesterday (Jan. 19) to thank partners and colleagues for supporting the company’s ongoing efforts to grow in the leisure market.

“There’s a lot of golf tournaments in the summer time. From our perspective, this is our way at the beginning of the year to thank our preferred supply partners for their support,” Úna O'Leary, CWT’s senior director, marketing & supplier management, North American Leisure, said at the event, which was held on the curling rink at Scarboro Golf and Country Club.

Donning winter coats, running shoes and Pook toques complimentary of CWT, travel pros divided into teams, grabbed their brooms and glided for gold in a day-long curling tournament, which included a roast beef and pasta lunch.

Among the some 50 air reps, cruise agents and tour operators in attendance, many were trying the famous Canadian sport for the first time.

“It’s really social and brings people outside of their comfort zone,” O'Leary said. “It allows them to do something different and the key thing is they’re not alone.”

The event comes as CWT begins the new year with a renewed focus on its target audience combined with launching a new marketing campaign modelled around six lifestyle themes: relax and recharge, active and engaged, enrichment and education, milestones and occasions, culture and discovery and tailored and luxurious.

The campaign “speaks to lifestyles as opposed to destinations,” O'Leary said. “Travel is still a significant part of people’s lives. We want to speak to our customers through the channels they want to be spoken to in the manner they want to be spoken to.”

For more information visit cwtvacations.ca

Image (left to right): CWT's Michael Kulbak, senior director Finance, Americas; Jocelyne Faucher, MBA, director, associate program - Canada; Karen Salviato, manager, supplier relations North American leisure;  Anne Relph, CA director, program management; Tina De Luca-Festas, senior advertising specialist, marketing, North American leisure;  Sherry Saunders, senior vice president and general manager, CWT Canada and North American leisure; Úna O'Leary, senior director, marketing and supplier management, North American leisure; Christine Ufniak, director, marketing North American leisure; Meg Murgatroyd, director, supplier management North American leisure; Brie Angus, manager, digital & social media, North American leisure