By Michael Baginski/ It was only natural that Goway would convene the inaugural gathering of its recently constituted Travel Advisory Board on one of the travel company’s most important days of the year: its annual exhibition cricket match gala with Air New Zealand at the Toronto Cricket Club.
But Goway maintains the launch of the advisory board, which includes 10 leading travel advisors and consortia heads from both Canada and the U.S., is no game – rather it underscores the Toronto-based company’s ongoing commitment to innovation and empowering travel advisors and their clients.
The creative insights from the board, combined with the feedback from Goway’s community of travel advisors and globetrotters, plays a significant role in the 55-year-old company’s ongoing innovation and development for the future, says Goway.
“We believe that listening to our travel advisor partners is essential to the growth of our business and the health of the travel industry as a whole,” says Renee Stanton-Defaria, Director of Sales for Goway Travel. “Our new Travel Advisory Board embodies our commitment to listening to and working with our partners to shape business strategies and deliver the most impact for our partners and their globetrotting clients.”
Goway reports that the inaugural session covered a wide range of high-level topics with the express purpose of identifying practical ways of removing barriers for travel advisors and creating a frictionless experience for them and their clients. The board also identified emerging trends and travel insights, opportunities for product and technological development, and some of the core challenges of travel in a rapidly evolving world.
Cricket
Meanwhile, with players and partners jetting in from as far away as Vancouver (and sometimes L.A.), the match-dinner event is a highlight on the calendar for staff and friends of Goway in attendance.
The 21st game in the series took place late last week and this year was won by the Air New Zealand team, led by airline account executive Mason Spencer.
But the winner was immaterial, insomuch as the gala networking event, which included well over 100 staff and travel trade partners, was an excuse to celebrate all things Goway – and to meet the advisory board.
They included Dana Empey (BST Vacations); Cathy Evans (Vista Travel); Adolfo Granadillo (Cruise Planners); Jason Hedrick (Ci Azumano Travel); Leila Lavaee (TTAND: Travel Design by Leila); Peg Mellen (Dream Vacations); Suzanne Pitt (Cruise and Tours Unlimited); Sherry Riggs (WorldVia Travel); Terry Vander Linden (AMA); Sandra Wesson (TDC).
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