What excites you about being Tourism Vancouver’s new Sales Manager, Meetings & Conventions, Canadian and International? I’m thrilled to represent Vancouver, one of Canada’s premiere destinations, and to be part of Tourism Vancouver, a tier-1 DMO. We have everything needed for a successful event, and I’m excited to share information about these assets with potential visitors. I feel like I just made it to the major leagues! What’s the most exciting part of working in a DMO? Not only do we get to showcase the best that our destination can offer, we can help develop the destination tourism infrastructure. In addition, we all love being destination ambassadors and local experts, and thrive on helping clients/visitors get the information they need to make their visit the best it can be. In returning to Vancouver, what are you looking forward to most? Kayaking, hiking, skiing, golfing, dining, West Coast living, feeling the salt water in the air, visiting all the cool neighbourhoods, taking the harbour ferry, flying out of YVR, biking around Stanley Park, the seafood, visiting friends on Vancouver Island…how much space do I have? The list goes on and on… What trends are you seeing in the industry? With many accommodation options available for delegates, clients want to lessen their financial commitments with lower room blocks. Although a safe practice on one hand, popular Canadian destinations are experiencing compression like never before, thus creating the threat of unavailability and inflated accommodation rates found outside of the negotiated block rate. Learn about the destinations trends, play it safe and keep everyone together. What has your experience been working in the Canadian market specifically? I love working with Canadian clients; like all of us, they want to show the best our country has to offer. Although we all have budgets, when it comes to finding the “wow” for their delegates, Canadians see the value in considering the price-to-experience ratio. Consistently striving for something new for their next event, Canadians love to learn about something they did not know was available... in any region of the country. In which industry associations are you most active? I’m active with MPI, SITE and PCMA — they have their fingers on the pulse of our industry and include a nice mix of buyers, suppliers, educators and mentors. What are your favourite Vancouver attractions and venues? The Vancouver Aquarium is a place that celebrates both Vancouver’s marine life and the city’s pride in environmental sustainability. As an off-site venue, it’s the perfect introduction or farewell to our destination. Equally as impressive is our beloved Stanley Park. A short walk from our urban core, visitors come face-to-face with the Pacific Northwest’s temperate rainforest, including massive tress, lush undergrowth, and a lovely accessible path that allows visitors to circumnavigate the entire park. Have you worked with Ignite in the past? I’ve worked with Ignite for many years — congratulations on your milestone, and here’s to ten more wonderful years! Tourism Vancouver’s new Sales Manager, Meetings & Conventions, Canadian and International. Visit tourismvancouver.com/meetings to start planning your best meeting yet. ADVERTISING FEATURE VANCOUVER WELCOMES MARK ZANETTI
