Air Canada, Travel Alberta, Rocky Mountaineer and VIA Rail joined forces in Sydney on Wednesday night for an exclusive trade dinner designed to build agent confidence in selling Canada’s most iconic province.
Around 70 agents from across NSW descended on Watersedge’s Hickson Room in The Rocks for the Discover Alberta: From Runway to Railway event, where they were welcomed with Calgary’s own ‘Angry Canadian’ cocktail before sitting down to a three-course dinner.
Speakers on the night included Air Canada NSW/ACT sales account manager Denise Uribe, in-market representative, Banff-Lake Louise, Jasper and Calgary (Alberta) Lizzie Doyle, Rocky Mountaineer NSW/ACT business development manager Christine Gardiner, and VIA Rail’s Ray Lane. Each presenter delivered product updates and destination knowledge, with a particular focus on seamless travel into Calgary and Edmonton and the diverse rail itineraries available across the region.
The four co-hosting brands offered a united front across air, rail and destination marketing, with presentations covering integrated travel experiences through Alberta – including Banff-Lake Louise, Jasper and gateway city Calgary.
The evening wrapped up with three prize draws. One lucky agent took home a return Air Canada economy ticket paired with a Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf seat and a Banff & Lake Louise VIP Experience Pass for Two. A second winner received a return Air Canada economy ticket, a VIA Rail Sleeper Plus Class ticket on either the Snow Train or The Canadian, and a Tourism Jasper VIP Pass. A third prize of three nights in Calgary for two, courtesy of Tourism Calgary, rounded out the giveaways.
Feedback on the night was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees highlighting the strong content, collaborative partner presence and the informative nature of the presentations.
