Transat Distribution Canada hosts Leaders Forum
Transat Distribution Canada’s (TDC) English Canada owners, managers, preferred partners, and leadership team were in Richmond, British Columbia, at the River Rock Casino Resort for a strategic retreat this week (April 15 to April 17).
The agenda included a keynote speaker, executive coach, entrepreneur, and author Cloé Caron; a workshop on equity, diversity, and inclusion; an extensive round-table session to promote the exchange of best practices among members; an update on the TDC network’s strategic priorities; and much more.
Owners and managers of franchised and affiliated agencies in Quebec attended a similar event at the Club Med, in Charlevoix, Quebec from April 8 to 10.
Karine Gagnon, General Manager of Transat Distribution Canada, said: “This Leaders Forum, a gathering for reflection, in addition to our National Leadership Conference, another event held every two years, are important, high-level meetings, that are all aimed at our franchise and affiliate owners and managers. Indeed, we need to offer these entrepreneurs places to meet and exchange, during which they can really reflect, and take a step back with the entire TDC leadership team, preferred partners, and speakers. It’s one of the ways we bring value to our network.”
Gagnon continued: “Once again, we presented a rich agenda, focused on the realities these entrepreneurs face daily. I’m particularly pleased with the impact of the presentation by Cloé Caron, an experienced speaker because the feedback I received from the owners was that her content hit the nail on the head.”
She noted that: “Each member present was able to reflect on his or her Unique Strategic Contribution (USC), a concept developed by Cloé Caron. Everyone asked themselves what their highest strategic level is, i.e. what only they can achieve in their team. This is a fundamental element that leaders must focus on if they are to create the influence they wish to have on their organization.”
Gagnon said that “the other highlight of the Forum was our round-table discussions, a two-hour session during which we were all in reflection and sharing mode, and where members of our leadership team were in active listening mode. Because offering our members this forum to ask for their feedback on TDC’s role in the success of their business is essential for us.”
Marc Pelletier, Senior Director, Marketing, Communications, and Events, said: “For me, the agenda we’ve put together perfectly embodies what the TDC network is all about, its key strengths and its values. One of the strengths of the TDC network is that it’s a one-stop shop for the Canadian travel industry; we’re the only network to offer all business models, including franchised and affiliated agencies and an agent@home program for independent contractors, in addition to our own agencies.”
Pelletier said that “these meetings allow us to reflect and plan for the medium term, but it’s also the ideal time to take stock of progress on the organization’s strategic priorities, to review our programs, and ensure that our members get the most out of them, according to their own needs and realities.”
The 2024 TDC Leaders Forum also provided an opportunity to share data from a recent Canada-wide study commissioned by TDC from IPSOS, showing an interesting trend in the use of travel professionals.
Pelletier pointed out that: “The survey reveals that 31% of Canadians have used the services of a travel professional in the last 12 months. A higher proportion (40% of Canadians) intend to use their services within the next year. This data sparked some interesting discussions, and clearly demonstrated that the trend of travellers using travel professionals is strong and firmly established.”
Preferred partners at the Leaders Forum, included Transat as the presenting sponsor. Other major sponsors in attendance were Manulife, Air Canada Vacations, TravelBrands, and WestJet Vacations..
