After many months of planning and preparation, I’m delighted to introduce you to our first in-person event of the new era: the Prince of Travel Signature Event, Vancouver 2021.
General admission tickets are now available for purchase as of Monday, August 23, so you can go ahead and grab your tickets now.
A New Generation of In-Person Events
It’s been a difficult time for the community over the past 18 months, as we’ve been physically separated without the possibility of getting together in person.
However, we’ve taken this time here at Prince of Travel to envision and map out a new generation of in-person events for the Miles & Points community once we get together again, and I’m beyond excited to kick things off with our 2021 event here in Vancouver.
Compared to past events that we’ve hosted, which have largely been quick two-hour affairs in the evenings, we’ve decided to take things to the next level with our relaunched event series.
We’ve pulled out all the stops to make this event and our future events as great as they can be.
You’ll find all the details at our official event page, and I’ll touch upon some of the highlights of the event below.
Welcome to Vancouver 2021
Our event will take place at 1pm on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver – one of my personal favourite hotels in the city, with whom I’m thrilled to be able to host our event.
Special Guests
We’re honoured to have the following special guest speakers at our event:
- Scott O’Leary, Vice President of Loyalty at Aeroplan
- Derek Whitworth, Managing Director of Marketing & Loyalty Optimization at Aeroplan
- Anshul Singh, Founder of Points Miles & Bling
The Agenda
We’ll kick things off with guest registration at 1pm, followed by opening remarks.
I’ll then be hosting a fireside chat discussion with Scott O’Leary and Derek Whitworth from Aeroplan, in which they’ll share some exciting details about what Aeroplan members can expect later in 2021 and going into 2022.
In addition to the questions that I’ll be posing to Scott and Derek, you’ll also have the opportunity to interact with our guests in a live audience Q&A session after the discussion.
After that, our first round of networking will begin, along with the open bar hosted by the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.
Compared to previous events, we’ll be adding more interactivity to the networking sessions this time, with an icebreaker game to help you connect with as many of your fellow Miles & Points enthusiasts as possible and some small prizes lined up for the winners here.
Next, Anshul and I will host a session on “The Journey to Miles & Points Mastery”, discussing the journey to levelling up one’s Miles & Points endeavours based on our experiences – once Scott and Derek depart to catch their flights in the afternoon, of course. 😉
Then, after a second round of networking, our grand prize draw will round out the evening.
The event formally comes to an end at 5:30pm, although I always encourage everyone to stay longer if at all possible, since we almost always take the action to a nearby venue and continue our discussions well into the night.
After all, while the afternoon networking sessions allow you to meet a wide range of people, the late-night gatherings over good food and drink is where attendees typically begin to make lasting friendships.
Open Bar
In kicking off a new generation of in-person events, we wanted to do things right.
And so, we’ll have a three-hour open bar for guests to enjoy as we celebrate our shared passion for travelling the world.
The open bar will include local beer, wine, basic cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages for guests’ enjoyment throughout the afternoon.
In addition, hotel staff will be passing around a series of light canapés for attendees to snack on as we mingle.
Prize Draw
We’re thrilled to offer two spectacular grand prizes at the event. Lucky attendees may walk away with each of the following:
- Sky Suite, JW Marriott Parq Vancouver: Win a complimentary one-night stay in the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver‘s Sky Suite, a two-bedroom presidential suite with world-class amenities and sweeping views of False Creek.
- Aeroplan Worldwide Business Priority Reward Voucher: Win a Worldwide Business Priority Reward voucher with Aeroplan, saving you 50% of the cost of a business class redemption – including round-the-world itineraries with up to 16 segments!
We’ll also have additional prizes to be announced later on and at the event itself.
Merchandise
Prince of Travel branded merchandise is something that our readers have been clamouring over for a long time, and we’ve been hard at work making this a reality over the past few months.
We’re very excited to be soft-launching our merchandise items at the Prince of Travel Event Vancouver 2021, allowing guests to be among the first to get their hands on Prince of Travel T-shirts, hoodies, and coffee mugs, among other items.
In addition, every guest will receive a dedicated amenity kit that serves as the “swag bag” for our event, complete with collectible items specific to our Vancouver 2021 event. We think you’ll love it!
Meet the Prince of Travel Team
Along with myself, our fellow Prince of Travel team members Josh, Jayce, T.J., Kirin, and Alex will also be attending the event.
Alas, Amy will be embarking on an Emirates First Class Extravaganza that evening, so she won’t be able to make it, but she’s promised to FaceTime in from onboard the A380.
Learn More
As mentioned above, you’ll find all the details that you need to know over at our official event page.
Why You Should Attend
I’ve always championed the notion that attending in-person Miles & Points events can accelerate your learning process by many orders of magnitude, as you get to learn firsthand from a large group of fellow practitioners who are all extremely eager to discuss our shared passion with other people who are just as passionate about the same thing.
By taking advantage of events like these to build your network and connect with everyone else, you’re able to absorb information and learn the tricks of the trade much faster than simply scouring for information online.
Over the past few years, I’ve witnessed many individuals going from an absolute beginner to a seasoned practitioner in very a short span of time.
All of these enthusiasts had recognized the value of in-person events at the beginning of their journey, taking the opportunity to meet others, make friends, set up group chats, and exchange knowledge over the long run in a mutually beneficial manner.
That’s the key to success in this game, if you ask me – and indeed, I myself had followed a similar path back in the day, having picked up a few bits and pieces of information here and there when I first started, but only significantly boosting my learning process upon attending an event in 2016.
And now, with the phenomenon of “revenge travel” just around the corner, it’s never been more important to meet and connect with like-minded individuals who can help you raise your game and avoid paying skyrocketing travel prices over the coming years.
On our part here at Prince of Travel, as in-person events become more feasible, we’re looking to put together as many of these events as possible across a wide range of event styles to facilitate these conversations and get more people interested in Miles & Points.
In doing so, I’m convinced that we can spread the joys of travel far and wide and help as many people as possible go on some amazing trips that they’d otherwise never get to experience.
COVID‑19 Precautions
Prince of Travel and the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver are fully committed to following all health and safety guidelines set forth by the federal and provincial governments. Our event will operate under the Province of British Columbia’s current guidelines for indoor events.
- To learn more about British Columbia’s provincial guidelines, please visit the Province of British Columbia website.
- To learn more about JW Marriott Parq Vancouver’s Commitment to Clean, please visit the hotel’s What to Expect page on the Marriott website.
We encourage attendees to stay home if they are experiencing any COVID‑19 symptoms or has come into contact with a confirmed case of COVID‑19.
In the unlikely situation that the event is unable to go ahead due to formal COVID‑19 regulations introduced by the Province of British Columbia, the event will be rescheduled for a future date. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled date, you may opt for a full refund of the ticket price and taxes.
Get Your Tickets Now
General admission tickets are priced at $239 (CAD) per person, and will be available for purchase starting Monday, August 23, at 9am Pacific Time.
Prince of Travel members receive discounts based on their membership tier:
- Royal Platinum members receive a $60 discount on their first ticket.
- Platinum members receive a $40 discount on their first ticket.
- Gold members receive a $20 discount on their first ticket.
Between the discussions of the more advanced topics in our space, the wealth of knowledge and experience among our special guests and fellow attendees, the opportunity to win one of two spectacular grand prizes, and of course the open bar to celebrate our shared pursuit after so long apart, I have no doubt that you’ll be getting excellent value for money.
If you’re interested in attending, you may view all the event details and purchase your tickets at the Prince of Travel Signature Event Vancouver 2021 official page. You’ll need to create a free Prince of Travel account to purchase general admission tickets.
Space at the venue is limited, and many were left disappointed at previous events when they hesitated on purchasing tickets and the event reached capacity. I would therefore recommend securing your tickets sooner rather than later!
As always, if you’re a newbie to this stuff and you’re interested in attending, feel free to get in touch with us via the contact form and introduce yourself. I’d love to answer any initial questions you may have, get to know your story, and figure out how we can best help you make your travel dreams a reality.
And if anyone has any questions about the event, don’t hesitate to reach out as well, either via the contact form or by leaving a comment below.
See you at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver on September 25!
I think the people complaining about the price have no idea what an open bar costs in Vancouver.
Note for Ricky – people are not complaining about the price. Rather people are wondering how to justify the razor thin value to cost
Open bar – $80
Aeroplan chat – $0 – public marketing
Chat with fellow travellers – $50
PoT Swag – $20
Value: $150 CAD
+ 60% mark up
Cost: $239 CAD
There will be non-drinkers and minors in attendance. Why would they have to pay for full?
Where can I book the Marriott Parq conference room for free? I’d sign up for that and get some free elite night credits.
It costs around $20-80 per person in a 3-hour reception🤪🤪🤪
All the haters on here should really go find some joy in their life somewhere. You don’t like the price? Then don’t come! The amount of content that is available on this blog for FREE is truly staggering and I’m sure you’ve all made use of it. (And if you haven’t, why are you here other than to rag on the work of others?) The choice remains yours whether you wish to sign up for pay to play memberships or attend extra events. I didn’t realize that Ricky personally owed you all something.
I say this as someone who is unlikely to pay to attend this event – I have attended PoT events previously and it was well worth it – but nevertheless I greatly value the time and effort – and obvious passion – that goes into this blog.
If Ricky and the PoT co. want to profit a bit from their hard work I say good on them. And if there’s no market for it as some of you say, then they’ll be forced to adapt or fail – like any business.
So dear haters, thanks for your sunshine and rainbows. Go do something that makes you happy cause apparently this blog is too triggering for you.
Not a hater here. Would love to come but can’t afford the full fees. Any work around? Do you offer discount to the less privileged group?
Ricky would there be any promo code for loyal fans vs. random walk in goer?
Looks like some people are upset because of the high price of the event. However considering that previous events were sold out, this one probably will be sold out as well. This is an exclusive event hosted at an expensive 5 star hotel in Vancouver. Prince of Travel provides a range of offerings with various price points including free blog. When a supply meets demand – the price is justified.
I got my ticket! I am really looking forward to meeting everyone! See you on the 25th!
There’s a great deal of short sightedness among the commenters here. Everytime I’ve gone to an event like this, the amount of new people I meet, and new ideas I pick up, is almost guaranteed to pay off. After so long without an event, I’m looking forward to this one, I just hope the 4th wave doesn’t get more serious in the buildup.
At least $80 of the tickets goes towards the good and drinks…Do you think it’s fair for people to cover the tab for “Frank the Tank” and the “Sumo Guy”. From my experience, there’s always a handful of those who eat and drink the whole town dry at the expense of others… Can we not make the open bar PYOB?
Ricky – I thought of some ideas to lower the price point to $99 to $125 pp and wonder if you and your team would consider these early bird special
-change the open bar to cash bar – save overhead
-ask the guest speakers to tell us something that are not known to the public , not some soon to be publicly available marketing spill
– set up informational workshop (e.g. MS, search optimization, travel wins) to make the event worthwhile
– make the prize draw to be everybody wins (e.g. everyone goes home happy with a small notional price – e.g. 15,000 aeroplan points instead of winners take all – could you check with Scott O’Leary to see if they would sponsor )
would you prefer 80 pp X $239 CAD or 160 pp X $125 CAD
Glad you finally decided to buy a ticket. 😉
I far prefer the current price and format, and the type of crowd it’ll draw.
So you want 15k Aeroplan points for $125 plus all the secret MS methods?? They’ll be losing money hosting events like this.
See you there Ricky, excited for this.
Seems like it’d be a fun event, especially for someone who’d run wild at the open bar. Having said that, I can’t seem to wrap my head around the explicit endorsement for churning from Aeroplan executives. After all, the majority of this is pushing the boundaries of terms and conditions and this community should be seen as a scourge to their operations.
The way I see it, it kind of goes both ways. Yes, we push the boundaries, but most of the time we’re operating within them. We also can’t help ourselves to be the extremely dedicated to the program, while evangelizing the program to those around us. I imagine Aeroplan sees more positives than negatives in engaging frequently with its most dedicated users.
Thanks for the reply and best of luck with the event!
Ricky – Good job in planning the event. Any chance to beef up the value content at the event? Perhaps more guest speakers? Maybe hold more workshop sessions in between (e.g. invite airline staff to share “sure-win” tricks to convince them to give out a free upgrade at the airport by smooth talking) or do a backroom tour of the restricted area of YVR airport? …The current line up seems extremely thin in my opinion. The audience would only come if there are new exclusive information being shared at the event. Aeroplan intro may be “too beginners” for many
I agree with you Mike— the content of the event is extremely thin and the price point seems too steep. Replace open bar with cash bar would bring down the ticket price to attract more audiences as many people don’t drink, so to speak.
Good luck with the event, Ricky.
Ricky – perhaps we can help to get a few sponsors to cover the overhead, turns the open bar to cash bar and lower the entrance fee to $80, more in line with the range of motivational speakers, stand up comedy, etc.
Look out for future events with sponsors in the mix.
Ricky – any chance to make the entry more affordable by changing the open bar to cash bar? I feel the non-drinking fans (95% of the population) are going to out number the drinkers and shouldn’t be penalized for the minority action… Afterall people are paying to come meet you (not really going there for the alcohol) That would help lower the price point to be more reasonable
Mike- $80 entrance fee sounds to be more reasonable price for the majority people. Turn off the open bar, more than enough to cover the overhead charges ( no need to get sponsors). I wonder there are any Remy Martin Louise XIII Cognac serving on the open bar — that would be awesome and for sure more people are paying to come meet Ricky and others 🤪🤪🤪
ricky’s been gaming bank’s for so long he knows what a good deal is, which is why all these prices are so scammy lmao
You ok there bud??
Those scammy binge drinkers are going to game us right back, I fear.
Looks interesting, but as others have mentioned, I’m struggling to see the value at that price point.
Then again, I’m in the literal opposite end of the country, so I wouldn’t attend any way you cut it :p
We’ll catch you at YYT 2022!
Good luck with the event, Ricky! I hope it’s a success. I’d agree with others that the price point seems too steep for the “value” that’s being offered, but again, I am more in Kirin camp than in Ricky camp when it comes to my rewards strategy.
Thanks for the encouragement, Dhiraj. Speaking of which, Kirin should definitely host a “Kirin’s Camp” in Networking Round 2. 😉
PointsU 2.0 YYZ was only $179 back in the day. Sure it didn’t include an open bar, but there was still drink tickets, breakfast, lunch, a whole day of seminars, a mix and mingle evening plus a WestJet hangaar tour. $229 less “membership discounts” is really pushing the value proposition.
Join the Party, comrade
We will be mobilizing onto the streets of Vancouvergrad after the event
That hangar tour was amazing, and we really hope to accomplish similar things with future events.
To your point, we certainly compared against previous events in setting our pricing. I believe you’re thinking of PointsU 4.0 YYZ with the hangar tour, which was $199 after the promo code (I checked the old article I had written). That event also reached capacity within a week or so of going on sale, with more than half coming from Jayce’s call to action at the Toronto Miles & Points Event 2018 that I had hosted earlier in the year, so we needed to account for that. And to the other commenter’s point, the community has grown a considerable amount since then too. I hope this helps explain some of the logic behind our pricing structure.
$50 extra including open bar/inflation?
followed this blog for a while, will be interesting to see the success of monetization. Ricky is marketing this as a high end product, but I am not sure if the audience is the right one. People who try to save on AF and other costs, probably won’t sign up for membership, especially with some many free competition. But kudos to Ricky for pushing the envelope!
Its unbelievable that Ricky is trying so hard to monetize a blog and a community that explicitly values cost cutting, saving and coupon clipping. Ricky bro, if you wanted to make a decent living why did you quit your full time job? You won’t ever make more money doing a points blog then you would be at a real job.
If Ricky is so confident in his ability to monetize i challenge him to show the community his earnings and revenue break outs, show us numbers, prove to everyone and motivate everyone to believe in the service proposition you provide. There is no way in hell id believe Ricky can break 6 figures in revenue, show us proof or stop trying to milk everyone in every article!
No one should be replying to Max the troll.
But this is also a significantly shorter event, no meals and no hanger tour!
I don’t think this event is for me, but I’m sure it’ll sell out anyways. There’s lots of people itching for a meetup. Just hard to ensure there’s some opportunities for everyone if almost everyone attending is a Prince of Travel member. Oh great, we can discuss everything shared on the Discord.
Looks amazing Ricky! Can’t wait to grab some tickets.
Wow! I’m glad you specified it’s in CAD! What a steal