Registration

If you would like to be considered as a Buyer participant for Atlantic Canada Showcase, please first take a moment and review the Buyer Criteria below. Please note there are a limited number of seats available, and all applications may not be accepted.

A Buyer is a business or entity that sells groups, F.I.T. or specialty travel and has an interest in or currently sells Atlantic Canada as a destination.  Atlantic Canada Showcase (ACS) is an opportunity to experience tourism products and services from all four Atlantic Provinces.

Buyer Criteria

Buyers attending Atlantic Canada Showcase will have an interest in Atlantic Canada: to expand an existing tour to include additional provinces, and/or to update existing tours to include new Atlantic Canada products.

• All buyers must qualify for attendance; qualification is determined by the information provided during the registration process.
• All buyers must comply with the regulations which apply to them in the region where they are domiciled.
• New buyers must participate in a brief onsite orientation session.
• All buyers agree to complete a periodic, confidential survey regarding their product purchases attributed to participation at ACS Marketplace.
• All buyers must agree to adhere to the rules and regulations of ACS.
• Online Travel Agency buyers must be in business for 3 years specializing in online reservations for tourism products before being considered.
• Second delegates: More than one representative per buyer organization may be allowed to attend ACS provided the second representative is a qualified buyer and an explanation is provided for review and approval by ACS. Where two delegates are accepted, each buyer delegate from that organization will be required to take their own set of appointments.
• Priority will be given to buyers from Atlantic Canada’s primary markets, North America, United Kingdom, and Germany.   Buyers from secondary markets may still apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the buyer’s compliance with other criterion and space.

Buyer Information

The schedule includes three days of meetings, networking events and sessions. ACS will also include Atlantic Canada Night, an evening that will provide you with one lasting impression of all four Atlantic Provinces.  New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island await you on Atlantic Canada’s beautiful coast.

The Buyer registration fee is $650 CDN plus HST (currently 15%) and includes business sessions, accommodations, transportation, all ACS hosted meals, functions, activity tours and pre/post FAM tours.

Buyers are responsible for booking flights to and from Atlantic Canada Showcase and fam tours (if applicable).  All travel itineraries must be pre-approved by ACS prior to booking to receive airfare reimbursement and to confirm routing. Please email a copy of your itinerary to registration@atlanticcanadashowcase.com for pre-approval indicating if reimbursement should be made payable to you or your company.

Please note airfare is included to a maximum of $800 CDN and for buyers participating in pre or post FAMS the maximum is $1200 CDN.

Buyers are reminded to ensure their passports are up-to-date and their airline ticket matches the name on their passport.

Most travellers need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport.  Who needs an eTA to travel to Canada?

Reimbursement for airfare will be paid onsite on the final day of ACS after confirmation of full participation.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds will be issued minus a $100 administrative fee per delegate until July 12, 2023. After that date, no refunds will be issued.

First Time Buyers
Indicate you are a first-time buyer during the registration process, and you will be matched with a buddy. Your buddy will be well versed in ACS and able to provide you helpful hints prior to the event including but not limited to; how to request appointments, how best to research sellers, how to prepare for appointments and what to bring.

There will be onsite Orientation Sessions on Monday, October 2, for any buyers or sellers who would like to meet with a veteran to ask questions, tour the marketplace floor and the convention facility.  Schedule will be posted one month prior to ACS.

SELLER INFORMATION

ACS is a Buyer-seated marketplace designed especially for the group tour, F.I.T. and specialty travel industry. The marketplace is developed and organized to provide a selling environment for private and public sector tourism operators to:

• Showcase their products to tour operators (group tour, F.I.T. and specialty travel) with a clear objective to sell product onsite and build relationships for future sales
• Meet with key tour operators at a reasonable cost
• Participate in educational sessions relative to the activity of ACS which informs, motivates, and encourages professional development and travel trade market readiness.

If you would like to be considered as a Seller participant for the 2023 Atlantic Canada Showcase, please first take a moment and review the Seller Criteria below. Please note there are a limited number of spaces available, and all applications may not be accepted.

• Sellers must meet the provincial criteria of their home province and be based in one of the four Atlantic Provinces, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.
• All sellers will be qualified based on information provided on their registration and profile form, while adhering to the Buyer/Seller ratio of two sellers for every one buyer registered.
• Seller organizations must be currently targeting and/or doing business with tour operators. Priority will be given to those who have made previous investments in marketing to this segment.
• Sellers agree to indicate, through a confidential survey issued periodically, the level of product sales attributed to their participation in ACS.
• New sellers must participate in an orientation session and any educational sessions offered during ACS.
• Sellers who do business in two or more provinces qualify for inclusion in the regional category.
• Sellers must have a proven ability in the travel trade sector. Reference letters from tour operator clients may be required to approve a new seller registration.
• Attractions must have on-site tour guides and/or a group services coordinator available.
• Destination marketing organizations representing industry partners must adhere to the above guidelines and be able to provide appropriate information pertinent to the tour industry, i.e., permit regulations, taxes, licensing, etc.
• The Provinces and Tourism Industry Associations reserve the right to review an individual organization’s participation.
• All sellers must adhere to the rules and regulations of ACS.

Export Ready Guidelines
Atlantic Canada Showcase provides Atlantic Canadian tourism operators with the following export ready guidelines. Please note that meeting all criteria does not confirm participation at ACS.

• The seller must be in operation for at least one year with a history of providing professional services.
• The seller must carry adequate liability insurance.
• The seller’s business must possess and maintain valid licenses, permits and all other regulatory requirements to operate.
• The seller must be able to accept reservations and deal with inquiries and can communicate and receive messages from customers by telephone, email, and an online presence; and at a minimum, accept credit and/or debit card payment and respond to inquiries on a daily basis  on a year-round basis. The seller must be able to provide confirmation of booking arrangements within 24 hours.

Seller Pricing
If working with tour operators the seller should be willing to provide contracted wholesale rates. Suggested rates are as follows:

• 15% off the retail price for day activities and transportation
• 20-30% off retail pricing for accommodations
• Contracted wholesale rates and conditions must be honoured, and sellers must refrain from raising prices and changing conditions before the expiry of the agreement. The seller should have a solid understanding of the laws that affect/impact their clients in each market.
• It is the responsibility of the seller to set up billing arrangements with the operator, agency, or receptive tour operator.
• Invoicing operator for payment to be remitted within 30 days is the standard. It is not feasible for an international operator to provide separate deposits and/or payment for each booking.

Seller Information

The registration fee for Sellers is $950 plus HST (currently 15%), this includes business sessions, all ACS hosted meals, functions, and scheduled meetings with Buyers.  An organization can send two delegates; however, only one set of appointments per organization will be provided.  Fees for a Second Seller delegate are $650 plus HST and includes business sessions, all ACS hosted meals, and functions. Maximum number of delegates per seller company is two.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds will be issued minus a $100 administrative fee per delegate until July 12, 2023. After that date, no refunds will be issued.

First Time Sellers
Indicate you are a first-time seller during the registration process, and you will be matched with a buddy. Your buddy will be well versed in ACS and able to provide you helpful hints prior to the event including but not limited to; how to request appointments, how best to research buyers, how to prepare for appointments and what to bring.

There will be onsite Orientation Sessions on Monday, October 2, for any sellers or buyers who would like to meet with a veteran to ask questions, tour the marketplace floor and the convention facility.  Schedule will be posted one month prior to ACS.

Contact Us for any inquiries or questions about the event, sponsorship opportunities, or general information.