L-R Unique Vacations BDMs Michelle Lanoue Williams, Robert Smith, Giselle Williams with Director of Sales & Marketing Maureen Barnes-Smith.
Special guest David Latchimy, General Manager Sandals Negril.
Agents seated for dinner presentation at York Mills Gallery.
"Game Changer" was the call-out at last week's Sandals travel agent appreciation event at trendy York Mills Gallery in Toronto.
As images of before-and-after transformations of Jamaica, Grenada, and Barbados properties flashed across the screen, Maureen Barnes-Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing at Unique Vacations, encouraged agents to call out "game changer' when they saw any updates that impressed them.
Those updates included the results of a dramatic three-year top-to-bottom renovation of Sandals Negril, reimagined suites with luxurious spa-style bathrooms and swim-up patios at Sandals Montego Bay – and that property’s over-water bungalows.
Barnes-Smith told the top-selling attendees that continuous product improvements and new agent incentives and rewards are designed to motivate travel agents to sell more Sandals in the new year.
"We're loud, we're proud and we're passionate. We love what we do," said Barnes-Smith, who called Sandals a ‘super brand’ akin to Pepsi, Apple, and Google. She said the hotel group’s 19 resorts welcome more than a million visitors each year and over 40% return again.
Sandals Eastern Ontario BDM Robert Smith addressed the more than 90 top-selling agents in the room, a group he hand-picked along with Giselle Williams, BDM Central Ontario and Ottawa. He began by thanking everyone and saying he wished he could hand out an award to each of them. He went on to highlight individuals whose stories stood out for him, and presented a framed certificate each for their achievements.
TTAND host agency recognized for surpassing last year’s sales by 33%. TTAND
Sam Burgess, Penny Martin, Andrew Hau, and Alma Ortiz photographed with
UVI’s Maureen, Giselle and CJ Smith.
Karen Dahdah Columnist
An avid traveller, adventure seeker and travel expert for over 15 years, Karen has toured over 35 countries around the world. She shares her first-hand knowledge of unique and off the beaten path destinations including hidden gems in Asia, adrenaline-rushing African safaris, and the fascinating culture of French Polynesia.
