‘Tis the season for conferences, including recent gatherings by Trevello, Ensemble, and TRAVELSAVERS Canada; TDC isn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth; plus, a “major victory” in the courts for Travel Leaders Group.
TRAVEL LEADERS GROUP
In what the organization is calling “a major victory,” Travel Leaders Group has won the right to use the Travel Leaders trademark in Canada, capping a six-year legal battle.
The Federal Court of Canada, in a decision handed down March 8, determined that the Travel Leaders trademark registration, owned by an Ontario numbered company since 2011, had been abandoned and should be cancelled.
As a result of the decision, Travel Leaders Group, a division of Internova Travel Group, has filed new applications in Canada for the Travel Leaders trademark and has a pending application for the Travel Leaders Network trademark.
However, Travel Leaders Group says that “out of an abundance of caution” it will not be adopting the trademark in Canada until the decision is final. The Ontario company has reportedly sought an extension of time to file an appeal but has failed to retain counsel and is unlikely to be allowed to proceed without counsel.
“We’re extremely gratified by the court’s decision,” said Roger E. Block, President, Travel Leaders Network. “This is a tremendous win for our company. Our brand is vitally important to us, and we’ve invested a great deal of time and energy defending it. We’ve already spoken to our Canadian members, and they’re excited to start using the full official Travel Leaders Network name.”
A further update will follow as soon as the appeal motion is resolved. Meanwhile, the ability to use the Travel Leaders brand name in Canada has been granted by the court in unequivocal terms.
Planning is underway to use the single Travel Leaders brand throughout North America in the future.
TRAVELSAVERS CANADA
TRAVELSAVERS CANADA, recently hosted its Owners’ Retreat conference (banner photo) in Montreal, with more than 170 affiliate owners and managers from Canada and the US in attendance. In addition to hearing the latest news about the organization, including upgrades to its OnlineXpress platform and enhancements to the TRAVELSAVERS Cruise Value Incentive Program, attendees heard about the latest positive projections and trends in the industry.
“We’re noticing an increasing amount of Canadians prioritizing travel with immersive experiences, luxury accommodations and guided adventures,” Sr. VP and GM Jane Clementino reported.
Other noted trends include a rise in cruise bookings; and travellers booking longer stays as they combine remote work and travel, with private home rentals for these lengthier trips growing as well. Also, growth in family travel is outpacing the market in general, with celebration and multigenerational trips strong.
TDC
Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) has a launched a gift card program for its Marlin Travel, TravelPlus, Transat Travel, Club Voyages and Voyages Transat branded agencies. The zaluna Gift Card program is available exclusively online with Karine Gagnon, GM of Transat Distribution Canada, observing, “41% of customers try a business for the first time after receiving a gift card. This represents a huge market, and this potential increase in sales to a new clientele gives our agency owners and travel professionals an incredible opportunity to demonstrate their great added value, possibly to a younger clientele, and to build loyalty afterwards.”
TREVELLO
With its Connex conference in Cancun successfully concluded, Trevello is already looking ahead to its next event “with great enthusiasm,” the host agency reports.
“We are incredibly proud of the tremendous success achieved at Connex,” said Zeina Gedeon CEO of Trevello (formerly TPI). “This conference served as a remarkable platform for our partners and travel advisors to forge strong connections, exchange valuable insights, and collectively celebrate their dedication to the industry.”
The event brought partners and travel advisors together from April 30 to May 5 at the Breathless Soul resort.
ENSEMBLE
In the first of a new series of annual events, Ensemble recently held its inaugural ‘Uncharted’ advisor-focused virtual forum. More than 1,000 advisors had the opportunity to learn about destinations and partners through virtual sessions that allowed them to take a deep dive into the experiences, destinations and trends that are top of mind for travellers.
The day’s agenda – including a live session broadcast from the Park Hyatt Toronto – also included one-on-one networking appointments, opportunities to virtually visit partner booths throughout the entire event, and discussion rooms where members could learn more about new Ensemble programs that have been introduced over the past several months. Among the virtual experiences featured were: Seabourn’s Maxine Gundermann shared what life is like onboard a Seabourn ship; Adventure Canada presented a journey into the Northwest Passage; and host hotel Park Hyatt Toronto shared a brief video tour of their fully renovated suites and introduced its food & beverage program.