Happy February! With the number of daylight hours increasing and spring on the horizon, there are many exciting things happening at DT. Here are the latest updates.

2022 Employee Survey Results

DT staff were asked to participate in the End of Year 2022 Pulse Survey reflecting on elements of their work experience.

Cultures Remix: New Campaign Highlights Toronto’s Best Feature

DT’s Director of Creative Marketing, Audree Atendido gives the inside scoop on a new business events marketing campaign: Cultures Remix.

TAC Reciprocal Program

This program offers a wide range of opportunities for DT staff including free or discounted admission to more than 80 attractions citywide.

Getting to Know You

In each edition of PULSE, we’re asking 3 questions to 3 phenomenal DT team members. This month we spoke to Alice, Bonnie, and Lindsay.

Insights Wheel and Resources

The DT Team Insights Wheel has been posted on the intranet along with helpful resources. Now you can see your colleagues’ colours and learn about working styles, communication preferences and more.

WELCOME

Welcoming our newest Destination Toronto team member:

Anne van Belkom, Creative Lead, (she/her) Anne comes to us most recently from Hudson's Bay, where she led the art direction, creative strategy, production and execution of in-store visuals, and integrated campaigns for a holistic overall brand experience. The focus of Anne’s role will be to lead the creative direction for brand content and events in support of all lines of business. 

If you've not done so yet, feel free to send a note to say hi and introduce yourself!

CONGRATULATIONS!

The Global Sales & Service team has confirmed 2025 and 2026 to host Consensus by CoinDesk, the world's largest, longest running and most influential gathering of the many differing elements that make up the crypto, blockchain and Web3 community.  

Each year they signed for 15,000 attendees and in 2022 they had a little over 20,000 attendees.

They have asked us to keep this confidential for now and will announce Toronto at their 2024 Conference. 

DID YOU CATCH THE MOST RECENT CONTENT HUB ARTICLES?

Sharing a round-up of articles that you may have missed:

Research & Insights Terminal:

• 4 Hot topics from PCMA Convening Leaders 2023
• How 5 Industry Experts Plan to Innovate in 2023

Business Events: 

• 12 Group Activities that will Give Your Team New Perspectives
• 3 Ways the Event-Planning Industry Showed Creativity and Resilience in the Past Year
• 5 Ways the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Leading the Sustainable F&B Movement

Consumer Articles:

• Feast at These 7 Toronto Restaurants for Groups
• Where to Get the Best Ramen Around Toronto
• 6 Delicious Alternatives to Toronto MICHELIN-Recognized Restaurants
• Toronto's Best Restaurants for Plant-Forward Dining 
• 9 Black History Month Events to Check Out in Toronto

An at-a-glance look at the month ahead for the DT teams.

DEPARTMENT NEWS: WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH

GLOBAL SALES AND SERVICES 

• IAPCO Annual Meeting & General Assembly - February 6-9, 2023, Israel
• Destination Direct - February 6-7, 2023, Ottawa
• CSAE Tete A Tete - February 8, 2023, Ottawa
• San Francisco / Silicon Valley Sales Calls - February 8-10, 2023
• DC Client Event - Chalet Dinner at Bourbon Steak - February 16, 2023
• SITE Global Conference - February 17-20, 2023 - New York
• NY Canada Activation & NYSAE Meet NY - February 21-22, 2023 - New York
• The Meeting Space - Spring Forum - February 23-25, 2023 - Prague

DESTINATION SERVICES UPDATES

Planning Site Visits: 

• International Association of Movers - February 15-16, 2023
• ESports Travel Summit - February 15-17, 2023
• Marriott MicroFAM & Leafs Game - January 31- February 2
• Targeting 8-12 US Association & Corporate planners (director level) with events of 400-1400 attendees that can rotate to Canada. Visit is a brief but comprehensive Toronto experience featuring Marriott hotels, key city sites, and a Leafs game.

DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

• Preparing to restart membership: Membership provides a vital means by which we stay connected to the community and underpins our governance. After pausing membership dues and making the transformation to being destination-centric in how we reflect the destination, we are preparing to restart membership in the coming weeks. Watch for more information on what this means and how you can support the process shortly. 
• Toronto Inc London Mission: The first activation of 2023 for Toronto Inc. sees Destination Toronto and Toronto Global together in London with Mayor Tory and also Councillor Shelley Carrol, newly appointed Chair of Economic and Community Development. The delegation will conduct sales meetings both for future potential events (leads from our sales team) and also potential investments in Toronto (leads from Toronto Global). 
• Annual Market Performance Report 2022: This Business Intelligence report to be shared with the community in February provides highlights of the annual statistics of Toronto’s visitor economy in 2022. 

GLOBAL MARKETING

• Hosting US Ottawa Life for a Business Travel story, February 12-14.
• Drive Market Influencer Media visit in February, exact dates TBD.
• New articles live on the consumer site.
• Optimized template to drive clicks on the Stories from the 6ix monthly newsletter. 
• Kick-off of Crowdriff Localhood project.
• Updating 6ix Stack microsites with updated video content, including integrating the Culture Remixes video and updating Pass TO Savings content.  
• Confirming marketing commitments and buy-ins for BE partners, including PCMA, ASAE, MPI, and Conference Direct.

WORK WHERE YOU LIKE POLICY UPDATE

Destination Toronto has implemented an amendment to the Work Where You Like Policy. New expectations have been set for in-person attendance at certain meetings and events. The policy also outlines a new six week per year maximum for working outside the province of Ontario and is dependent upon approval. 

The latest HR policies can be found on the Intranet. 

CELEBRATING WORK ANNIVERSARIES!

Brian Graziano - thirty five year anniversary - (February 1, 1988)

Warren Yarde - thirty three year anniversary (February 20, 1990)

Farnaz Mirza -  eight year anniversary - (February 17, 2015)

Valerie Miller -  six year anniversary - (February 16, 2017) 

Sarah Jarvis - six year anniversary - (February 21, 2017)

ARE YOU FOLLOWING OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS?