For the second year, Sandals hosted a FAM for home-based Canadian travel advisors. This year, the group of 20 spent their time listening, learning and taking a deep dive into Sandals’ “Caribbean-forward vision and innovative offerings” and how that translates into their sales success selling Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
Attendees enjoyed being together as much as the learning and first-hand experiences. “This was my first time personally experiencing the Sandals & Beaches brand and what an experience it was!” says Claudia Biegus from TravelOnly in Cambridge, Ontario. “The conference was invaluable. The sessions on ‘what’s new’ were incredibly exciting and reinforced my belief in the brand’s commitment to innovation. I am particularly enthusiastic about the car wrap program as a powerful way to promote my business by aligning with the strength of the Sandals brand, especially as a home-based advisor. Networking with other advisors was also a highlight as it provided new ideas and a sense of community.”
The four night event was hosted by Maureen Barnes-Smith, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Canada and Lorna Richards, National Training Manager. Annita Allen-Gordon, Financial Controller, Unique Vacations Canada was also in attendance during the conference. During their time together, the group enjoyed keynote presentations, intimate Q+A sessions, a closer look at the brand’s “Made of Caribbean” campaign, resort tours of host property Sandals South Coast – including the refurbished Blue Mahoe Overwater Butler Villas – and Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril. They also had the chance to explore beyond the resort with a tour of YS Falls, courtesy of the Jamaica Tourist Board and Island Routes, an experience advisors were enthusiastic about.
“Attending this conference at Sandals South Coast was such a rewarding experience. Not only did we enjoy the warm hospitality and stunning property, but we also had the opportunity to visit Sandals Negril, Beaches Negril, and the breathtaking YS Falls,” says Sonia Lawrence from The Travel Agent Next Door in Cambridge, Ontario. “Meeting and collaborating with other home-based travel advisors was both inspiring and productive. Sandals and Beaches Resorts truly showcase the best in luxury, family, and romance travel….and I am excited to share these experiences with my clients.”
Just in time for the start of the school year, the Canadian home-based advisors made a donation of much-needed (and much-appreciated) school supplies to the Sandals Foundation for distribution across local schools in Jamaica.
The conference underscores the importance of the home-based travel advisor community to Sandals Resorts, especially in the Canadian market, says Barnes-Smith. “We’ve witnessed the shift to the home-based/host agency model for several years now, even pre-pandemic. In fact, many of our top-producing advisors in Canada for Sandals and Beaches Resorts are home-based,” she says. “We had such an incredible group of passionate, eager-to-learn advisors at this year’s conference that I know this list will grow even longer in the near future.”
During the conference’s farewell dinner, with an appropriate red and white theme, advisors were surprised with an in-person address from Gary C. Sadler, Executive Vice President, Sales and Industry Relations, Unique Vacations Inc. (and fellow Canadian). Sadler reminded advisors that Sandals Resorts is fully committed to the Canadian market, having established and maintained a strong presence for over 30 years with its Toronto-based office and team across the country.
Advisors are going home with excitement for selling Sandals’ products. Nabila Hussain of TravQuest in Markham, Ontario says: “The Sandals Canadian Home-Based Travel Advisor Conference was fantastic, from start to finish. It was incredibly informative, providing valuable details about Jamaica in general and Sandals Resorts specifically. The tours of Sandals South Coast, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril were particularly insightful. ‘Seeing is believing’ and now having experienced these properties first-hand, it will definitely help me sell them more effectively.”
For more information on travel advisor support (both home-based and beyond), advisors can contact their local Sandals Business Development Manager or call Inside Sales at 1-800-545-8283.
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