Over 80 agents from 23 countries attended ILAC’s event-filled FAM Trip, where they participated in both educational and social events throughout beautiful British Columbia.
April’s week-long trip kicked off in Vancouver with a Higher Education Fair. Agents had the opportunity to meet with over 30 universities and colleges from across Canada and have one-on-one meetings with representatives to discover more about their schools and programs. The fair was then followed by tours of ILAC’s downtown Vancouver campuses.
Agents also attended presentations on topics such as How to Sell Canada, which included case studies, as well as participated in interactive educational training sessions.
Balancing out the numerous educational events were exciting social activities, including a networking dinner and party with a Casino Royal theme. College and university reps mingled with agents while overlooking the bright city lights at the Renaissance Hotel’s 360 degree SkyBar.
FAM participants then had the chance to visit the city of Kamloops, enjoying stunning scenery and a tour of Thompson Rivers University’s modern facilities. They were treated to authentic Aboriginal dances performed by university students and other local cultural experiences.
Finishing off the trip was an unforgettable two days in Whistler, BC. Agents explored the scenic village, skied and snowboarded – many for their first time – and enjoyed evening entertainment by famed Whistler rockgroup the Hairfarmers.
In addition, approximately 30 agents got to experience life in Canada as a student, taking a trial week at ILAC in Toronto and Vancouver before and after the FAM trip. They attended classes, participated in orientation and stayed with real homestay families. They were thrilled at this inside look at class and homestay environments and impressed with the quality of teaching and the many nationalities that make up the classroom.
Positive feedback from FAM participants has been overwhelming, with many agents expressing their sincere appreciation and thanks.
“I do not know if many agents will send you a thank-you note like this, but they all should have. I am safely home after something that should be called one of the most amazing trips in my life. I have organized several events in my life and I know how hard it is to keep everything working, to have the right people at the right place and how difficult it is to be well-timed all the time. The 2014 FAM Trip you organized was perfect and it was amazing how well everything went and what a great time we all had. I am sending a big THANK YOU for having me in Vancouver, for such a perfect organization and for the schedule that made us feel like flying through such beautiful experiences.”
– Martin Jiranek, EUFRAT Group
To top off the fun week, ILAC held a photo contest and encouraged agents to send in their best photos.
Congratulations to Zuzka Husikova who received 259 Likes on Facebook for her photo and to Thomas Perrett, whose photo received 21 Shares! Both Zuzka and Thomas have won a three-week scholarship to ILAC for one of their students!
ILAC had a great time hosting its partners from around the world and looks forward to next year’s FAM Trip.
