Incentive - November 2008 - (Page 40)

TRAVEL The Festival of Lights at the majestic Niagara Falls, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border health care company to Quebec Province for a fournight incentive split between Montreal and Quebec City in May. Fifty percent of the group was from the U.S. Midwest and West. In Quebec City, program highlights included a cooking class, a full-blown circus and a walking tour of the city. “You will hear French, more French than you do English in Quebec City,” says Pomerleau. “It’s a foreign destination— Europe without the jet lag.” Participants stayed at the Fairmont Frontenac for two nights, then headed to Montreal by train, three hours away. In Montreal, they stayed at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth near the train station, for “an easy arrival,” says Pomerleau. The challenge of this incentive was access, she says, as flights and seats are limited. Participants flew in from Boston, Newark or Detroit, for example, to either Toronto or Montreal, then flew 45 minutes to Quebec City. Useful Information American citizens traveling to Canada are not required to have a visa A passport is required when crossing the U.S.Canadian border, because Americans need one to get back into their country Hockey and Comedy Toronto, situated on Lake Ontario, also has an international flavor, but going beyond what Quebec evokes of France, Toronto’s multicultural influences include a Little Italy, a Greek area and Chinatown. The city ranks after New York and London as a live theater center, according to JPdL. It is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame and to professional hockey, baseball, football, basketball and soccer teams. Golf courses are abundant. Groups can spend time at the Royal Ontario Museum or watch a Dragon Boat Race in the port, enjoying a view of the city. Restaurants number more than 7,000, with cuisines from throughout the world. May through September temperatures are quite moderate. In addition, 60 percent of the U.S. population is within 90 minutes by nonstop flight to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, according to Grant Snider, president of JPdL Destination Management Company, Toronto. “It’s very easy to get to Toronto,” he says. Incentive trips can focus on Toronto or can be split between Toronto and the Niagara Region, known as the “Napa of the North” for its 70 wineries. For example, a group of 100 traveled in summer 2007to both, first to Niagara-on-the-Lake near the wineries, then by motor coach to Toronto, where they stayed at the Four Seasons. “They really like that mix of urban and the country,” says Snider. A six-night incentive including dinners, transportation, wine tastings and other entertainment can cost $2,000 to $3,000 per person, double occupancy, plus air. A special event can be a “blend your own wine and create your own label” activity. Other options for incentive trips in Toronto are a reception at the Hockey Hall of Fame, home of the Stanley Cup when it’s not traveling, tickets for the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays or Argonauts, or a reception in private boxes for as many as 100 people at a sporting event. Other venues are The Docks at the Toronto Harbor, the Canadian National Tower, or the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. “We’ve got something for everybody’s tastes,” says Snider. Overall, despite the potential for excitement with an eventbased incentive to Canada, consider the interests of your group. “Forget about the wow factor if [the event] doesn’t match the interests or the demographics of your audience,” says JoAnne Pusateri, director, Maritz Canada. Think about what will seem like cachet to your group, something that they already want, she says. Catered events, better tickets than are available to individuals and behind-the-scenes tours to meet some of the comedians at “Just for Laughs,” for example, lend sparkle to the incentive. “Build it around the destination or the event,” she says. “You still want to promote all the great things about the destination. Choose a property that suits your group. For example, for 50 people, a company might want to take over one of the smaller boutique hotels. “It depends on the culture of the company and the objectives and demographics of who’s participating in the program. [Attending] the event can be the biggest part of your budget,” says Pusateri. Send comments to feedback@incentivemag.com CANADA 40 | Incentive | November 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - November 2008

Incentive - November 2008 Editor’s Note Headlines Cover Story: Pop, Fizz! Incentive Interview Cracking the Recognition Code Primer Travel News Canada, City Style Potentials Here and Now Cameras: Picture of Innovation The Spirit of Giving Advertiser Index Last Word

Incentive - November 2008

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