Air Canada is on a roll this year, with solid expansion and major awards coming their way. Air Canada Vacations is right there with them.

The folks at Air Canada Vacations hosted some 600 agents at a crowded event space in Woodbridge on Thursday night as part of their fourth annual ACV Product Launch Dream Makers’ event. Agents mingled with suppliers from Mexico, Hawaii and, of course, The Caribbean.

An enthusiastic group was greeted by a five-piece band outside the Chateau Le Jardin meeting hall. Inside, they nibbled on everything from rare roast beef to fresh-mixed pasta.

Air Canada Vacations’ Managing Director Nino Montagnese told TravelPulse Canada that it’s been a good year for ACV.

“The summer was a little difficult,” he conceded. “The Canadian dollar didn’t help, and with the hot weather a lot of folks wanted to stay home.

“But Europe went quite well,” he said. “Sun destinations slid a little but overall it’s been a very good year. And winter sales are off to a good start.”

Montagnese said events like the product launch are important so the company can keep its product in front of the agents who make so many so travel decisions.

ACV’s Dana Gain, Senior Director Sales, Groups and Partnerships, said her six months at the company have been a whirlwind.

“The first month I didn’t know which way was up,” she said in an interview. “But they’re such a nice group of people and I just love it.”

Gain said she established great relationships with the Canadian travel industry during her 13 years at Carnival Cruise Line and in the past three years at NCL. Still, Air Canada Vacations is a different animal.

“I don’t know you can keep track of so many different destinations and products,” she told the assembled agents.

Gain told TravelPulse Canada that one of her goals is to “broaden our relationships with the trade.”

“It’s really all about how we support our trade partners,” she said.

Gain also took pains to talk about ACV is no longer so focussed on sun destinations in the Caribbean. They’re still vital to the business, but ACV has been putting more of a focus on Europe, California, Las Vegas, Florida and Hawaii, she said.

Air Canada Vacations offers connecting flights from 64 Canadian cities, with more than 700 resorts and hotels to choose from.

Montagnese told agents that the three major business objectives of the company for this year are digital transformation, diversification (as per Gain’s comments) and project excellence.

The ACV website will be brand new and easier to navigate and to book flights on early next year, he said. He also said all Air Canada Vacations workers have now been trained by the folks at Disney, just as Air Canada rouge does with its flight attendants to build excellent service.

On the diversification front, Montagnese cited last year’s launch of a Canadian destination catalogue that allows customers to book incredible trips from coast to coast to coast.

Gain told agents that Air Canada Vacations is providing a ton of great benefits, including extra commissions on certain packages and special deals they can pass along to clients, such as their current savings of $500 per couple on Europe trips when hotel and flights are booked between now and Oct. 14.

Gain said more benefits for agents will be coming in the new year. She also said the ACV Cruise Promise provides customers with a variety of benefits, including 100 per cent refundable flights. Buyers also get the lowest air fare “or they fly for free.”

ACV officials say they’ve added a number of new destinations, including St. Vincent, Honolulu, Aruba, Kingston, Curacao, Cartagena and more.

Thursday night’s event featured Sandals Resorts and Bahia Principe as title sponsors.