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Staff newsletter
pulse
pulse

THE LATEST EVENT WINS FOR TORONTO:

  • Riot Games have confirmed they will host their international Esports tournament ‘League of Legends, World Championships Semi-Finals’ in Toronto October 28 – November 8, 2022.  This event will see 20,000 attendees visit Toronto next year!
  • Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals have awarded Toronto as their host destination for the 2023 annual meeting, ‘HITEC.’  Over the dates June 22-30, 2023, 5,500 attendees primarily from the US will visit Toronto and consume just under 10,000 hotel room nights.
  • The World Stroke Organization has confirmed they will host their 2023 meeting in Toronto. The ‘World Stroke Congress is an international meeting that will bring 2,750 attendees and 3,220 room nights to Toronto from October 9-14, 2023.

THANK YOU TO THE GOOGLE WORKSPACE MIGRATION TEAM: The Google Workspace migration has been a massive undertaking. Congratulations to the IT Task Force for a job well done and all of their efforts. 


CONGRATS ON THE JOY LIST LAUNCH: Congrats to the small army of team members on Global Marketing and throughout the organization on the launch of the Never Have I Ever TO Holiday Joy List campaign! Thanks for all of our dedication over the past few months in launching the next phase of NHIETO.


A JOB WELL DONE AT IMEX AMERICA: Congratulations to the DT team that represented the destination at IMEX America in Vegas!  Destination Toronto was well-represented by members of the GSS team and conducted 90 hosted buyer meetings and myriad walk-up appointments throughout the three day show. 


A SHOUT OUT TO THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK FORUM TEAM: It takes a village to put on a successful event, especially in a hybrid format. Well done to everyone who burned midnight oil making the event the success that it was.


ACCREDITATION ALL-STARS: Congrats to the staff who achieved their 2021 CRM target!: Monique, Valerie, Lindsay E., Andrew W., Heidi, Jeremy, Vanessa and Stan. 

Congratulations to everyone who returned in the latter half of the year and have already achieved certain levels: Kathryn and Stephanie (Level 2) and Brian, Indira, Lindsay C. and Farnaz (Level 1). 

And finally, congratulations to those that have achieved Level 1 since the last All Hands: Meredith, Vanessa, Heather, and Matt. 


Do you have a win or kudos you want included in next month's newsletter? Email us with your shout out! 

SHARE YOUR WIN
pulse check

CHECKING IN WITH SCORECARD GOALS THROUGH NOVEMBER 25

moving forward

An at a glance look at what’s on the horizon and how we can help support DT initiatives.

DT DEPARTMENT ROUND-UP

GLOBAL SALES & SERVICES

  • The Global Sales & Services team continues to drive our rebooking and new business strategy as we head towards the end of the calendar year. This include promoting the Show Love Get Love offer that expires on December 31.
  • The team is also planning a key in-market event this month – the Toronto Esports Lounge at the Esports Travel Summit in Pittsburgh. Toronto will play host to the Summit in 2023 and 2028!
  • Business development activities include 2 key events in Chicago – a 30 person client event on December 11, and a Holiday Showcase tradeshow activation from December 13-14.

GLOBAL MARKETING

  • Content marketing program: Global Marketing has launched a content marketing program, in partnership with DC’s Business Events and media partner The Economist. The program profiles Toronto in op-ed-style blog posts from notable business personalities from the city’s thriving sectors. These blog pieces provide the views and experiences of local ambassadors profiling what is unique about Toronto and how business events here open new opportunities for international businesses. Check out the content on Economist.com, where a dedicated mobile-first hub will refresh throughout the program as new content flows in. 
  • Global Marketing continues to work with media to help spread the message of giving a NHIE gift of joy this holiday season. The team is working on several broadcast opportunities, including local television personality Brandon Gonez for a Holiday Vlog Episode on December 4. A NHIE Holiday Segment on CTV Ottawa with Influencer Marilou Moles to air the week of December 5
  • NHIE Holiday Experience Round-Up: You can find our Holiday Experiences Round-Up media press release on the Content Hub featuring what’s new and noteworthy this holiday season for locals and visitors to discover (and re-discover).

DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

  • The DestinationNext survey is now active and more than 400 stakeholders have been directly invited to participate. The survey will remain open until mid-December, and we will receive a detailed report and analysis in late-January. 
  • New analysis prepared by the Business Intelligence team are now posted in the Terminal. Look for the new monthly Accommodations Market Performance Report as well as a new Market Readiness Index
  • The CRM Update process continues at full speed, with hundreds of accounts having been updated already with new contacts and information. With all the changes in companies and teams over the past two years, this process is essential in ensuring we have accurate data that enables us to communicate and engage directly with businesses and other organizations connected to the visitor economy.

FINANCE & ADMIN

  • A friendly reminder from F&A to submit any year-end transactions as soon as possible. if you have any questions, reach out to a member of the finance team for assistance. 
  • The EDI working group continues to meet with CCDI, with the next meeting taking place this Friday. The session is focusing on a vision strategy led by CCDI. We'll have more to share stemming from the ongoing sessions in the New Year. In the meantime, please find our EDI pillars that were shared with the team earlier this yeahere that Vanessa and Matt presented to the community at the Business Outlook Forum. 

KEY DATES

  • Dec 10: Destination Toronto’s staff event
  • Dec 13-14: GSS in Pittsburgh for the Holiday Showcase with 30 key clients
  • Dec 14: The final EDGE event of 2021 featuring Expedia. Register here
  • Dec 14-16: DT at the Esports Travel Summit in Pittsburgh
  • Dec 24: Office closes as of noon
  • Dec 27 & 28: Office closed for statutory holidays
  • Dec 29 & 30: Regular business hours
  • Dec 31: Office closes at noon

TRAVEL TRADE TAKES PART IN DC’S ‘CANADA CONNECT’

Some exciting activity to share from the Travel Trade team who took part in the Destination Canada led “Canada Connect” event, which virtually brought PMO and key airline partners together with High Value Travel (HVT) key accounts for destination/product training updates with UK, German and French trade clients. DT participated in collaboration with Destination Ontario to share newsworthy product and service updates to these clients. 

The sessions were followed by virtual presentation updates from key account operators participating in the DC-led joint marketing campaigns currently running in the UK, Germany and France to drive spring/summer 2022 bookings.  

Tour operators from these three markets continue to report strong booking patterns to Canada for spring/summer 2022 travellers. DT is working with partners to ensure Toronto is well represented in their product offerings.

show love get love

REMINDER - PERK ALERT:
20% OFF FOR BIKE SHARE TORONTO

Bike Share Toronto is offering Destination Toronto staff 20% off a new membership for their Annual 30 or Annual 45 membership which offers unlimited 30-minute and 45-minute rides, respectively. Register with your DT email to sign up! Click here for more details on how to get started.

major meetings

Due to pandemic cancellations, there are no major meetings in Toronto this month.

good reads

Grow your knowledge about the industry, destination, or visitor economy, and optimize your work life with these helpful resources in this month’s Good Reads. Found an article, podcast, or video you really enjoyed? Send it our way

GOOGLE RESOURCES:

SIMPLEVIEW RESOURCES:

 

VACCINE POLICY EFFECTIVE DEC 1: A reminder that our Vaccination Policy is in effect as of December 1.  If an employee for any portion of their job is required: to work in the office, travel, meet with clients, attend any meetings, conduct site visits and events on behalf of DT they must be fully vaccinated. 

If a staff member is unable to be vaccinated, due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, please contact HR to discuss whether any accommodations or exemptions are appropriate in the circumstances. 

If you have not yet sent your proof of vaccination to HR, please ensure you do so. Proof of vaccination can be a copy of your second dose receipt or your Ontario Vaccine Certificate.

getting to know

Each edition of PULSE, we’re asking 3 questions to 3 phenomenal DT team members. We’re willing to bet you’ll learn a few tidbits about some of our fave DT people. 

Annie Hopewell (they/them) 
Copywriter

What is the most unique thing you have within reach of your desk?
A tiny etch-a-sketch. Like the size of a match box tiny. It was a gift from my partner when we first started dating because they knew I had a collection of other tiny things. 

Tell us about your most memorable trip
Visiting my family in Trinidad and celebrating Carnival. Dancing in the streets with my aunties and meeting so many extended family members. 

What’s your favourite season in Toronto, and why?
Summer. I love the heat, I love the long warm nights, I miss going to the island for a beach day.

Lindsay Earle (she/her) 
CRM Engagement Lead

What destination is at the top of your 2022 travel list?
I was supposed to leave for Brazil with my MBA class the day Justin Trudeau said they were closing the border in March 2020, which originally was a trip to Vietnam (Ivey pivoted from Vietnam to Brazil because of case counts… which is funny looking back now considering the mess Brazil went through). I was also potentially planning a trip to India with my parents as a grad present since I’ve never been and it is where my mom was born and raised. However, saying all that, I’m not ready to go to those countries in particular, so perhaps Ireland in 2022.

What’s your favourite Toronto restaurant?
How do you pick just one when our city has such amazing multicultural food! I’m salivating just thinking about all the yummy options, however, a couple of my top picks are: Byblos, Figo and Baro

What’s something in Toronto that is at the top of your Never Have I Ever bucket list?
Without a doubt, CN Tower Edgewalk. SIGN.ME.UP. haha ;)

Scott Ventresca (he/him)
Sales Director

Are you an early bird or night owl?
I am both, LOL. I like to get to my desk for 7am and tend to work until I feel satisfied that all of our clients, colleagues, and partners are happy and looked after. Some people say I am nuts for answering emails at 11pm but as I like to say, GETTER DONE !!!

Tell us something about yourself we might find surprising
At age 21 I was hired to open the Arena for the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa and manage the private boxes right out of college. Other fun facts include: I wanted to be a lawyer, I love to cook, I used to be a lifeguard and taught kayaking and sailing. 

What is your favourite destination outside of Toronto?
London UK has to rank at the top of my list. I can’t get enough of that city. 

celebrations

BIRTHDAYS

Scott Ventresca (December 5) 
Audree Atendido (December 17) 
Regina Rink (December 25)
Matt McNama (December 26) 
Lindsay Cowell (December 28) 
Paula Port (December 30)

WORK ANNIVERSARIES 

Vinita Das (5 years on December 5) 
Roseanne Longo (37 years on December 10)

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207 Queens Quay West, Suite 405, Toronto, ON M5J 1A7, Canada
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