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Here’s TREXpress!
TREX is shorthand for Travel Exchange, and TREXpress is the conference newsletter filled with announcements, instructions, and reminders, all aimed at keeping the NTA community on track for the big event, Nov. 9–12 in Ottawa.
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How to fare in Ottawa
Dine-around nights at Travel Exchange ’25 in Ottawa are Monday, Nov. 10, and Tuesday, Nov. 11. What do we mean when we talk about Dine-around? You can think of it as a free night to have dinner at a local restaurant, but it’s also an opportunity to make more connections!
New this year are Pre-book Dine-around Experiences, crafted by our friends at Ottawa Tourism. These full-flavor outings, happening on Tuesday, Nov. 11, are another way to get to know the Travel Exchange host city. Participants can choose their own adventure while connecting with other TREX delegates—as you now know that's what Dine-around is for! Here's a look at the new experiences, which include special rates for TREX-goers and must be booked in advance:
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🍺 Brew Donkey: Explore how beer helped shape Ottawa on this guided evening tour of two local breweries. (Don't worry—there will be a sit-down meal to go with those drinks!)
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🍽️ C’est bon Ottawa: Tour the ByWard Market (pictured above) on a dinner crawl at three loved-by-locals restaurants, plus hear stories about the diverse historical neighborhood.
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👻 Haunted Walk: Cloaked storytellers will recount the area’s spine-tingling tales at Ottawa’s most haunted places, like Grant House, the Fairmont Château Laurier, and the city’s infamous haunted high school.
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🍁 Oh Canada Eh!?: Canada's longest-running dinner musical offers an interactive experience where the cast also serves your dinner, a hearty, all-Canadian meal served family-style.
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🎮 FunHaven: Experience two hours of non-stop fun with the exclusive NTA TREX Package of unlimited arcade play. Laser tag, bowling, and bumper cars are sure to work up an appetite!
Space is limited, so book now and your Tuesday night in Ottawa is planned!
| If you’re not hosting or attending an evening gathering at TREX, you can organize a dinner of your own with friends, colleagues, and current and prospective clients. Watch for sign-ups for other organized dinners in Ottawa, including the International Dinner and First-timer Dinner on Monday. Click below to view a list of suggested restaurants from Ottawa Tourism. | | |
Sunday driving in Ottawa
Sunday afternoon at Travel Exchange ’25 is reserved for authentic Ottawa experiences, and the choice is yours! Our host city partners have lined up seven sightseeing tours that are sure to get TREX attendees in the Ottawa spirit—and show you why this city is one of North America’s most popular packaged travel destinations.
Before getting down to business in Ottawa, see the TREX host city through the lense of one of these experiences:
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👻 Hidden Secrets of Ottawa
Highlights: Quirky history with Hidden InSite, ghost stories with The Haunted Walk, ByTown Museum (also haunted), Beyond the Pale Brewing Company
Highlights: Bank of Canada Museum, Royal Canadian Mint, National Gallery of Canada, Byward Market, BeaverTails
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🍺 Canadiana Eh! Beer and Poutine
Highlights: Drinks and behind-the-scenes looks with Brew Donkey Tours, poutine at St-Albert Cheese Co-Op
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🪶 Discover Indigenous Culture in Ottawa
Highlights: Canadian Museum of History, Mādahòkì Farm, interactions with Indigenous tourism operators like Makatew Workshops and Indigenous Walks
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🌱 Discover Our True Nature
Highlights: Quebec's Outaouais region, village of Chelsea in Gatineau Park, samplings at Distillerie du Square
Highlights: Lessons in Ottawa’s destination-wide food recovery program, À la Carte by Tablée des Chefs; Just Food Farm
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🎮 War & Peace—And the Games People Play
Highlights: Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum; and Fun Haven, an indoor amusement center
Space is limited, so click below to reserve your spot!
Above photo credits listed on Sightseeing Tours page
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When you register …
When you sign up for Travel Exchange, you’re asked if you have any “special meal requests,” and you can select from a list that includes vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and gluten-free meals. At the top of the list is the most popular option: none. In another line of the registration form, you have the option to report any food allergies or intolerances. Please answer these questions carefully and thoroughly. Our convention caterer will prepare enough special meals to meet all the requests and will minimize food waste by not preparing extras. If a delegate who didn’t request special meals asks for one, that means a person who made a request when registering will not get their meal. So please … make your preference known when you register!
Image: ©Shamsun/Adobe Stock
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There are new features to be enjoyed at Travel Exchange, including Learning Lab, which will provide targeted education and thought-provoking content geared toward small groups and one-to-one development. We'll have more details on Learning Lab soon, and below, we'll share more about some of the experts who will lead education sessions in Ottawa and Sunday's Best Pitch presentations.
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Alex Goryachev
Alex Goryachev is a globally recognized expert on AI-driven workplace transformation and a highly sought-after keynote speaker. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author and frequent contributor to Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazine, Alex helps organizations of all sizes leverage AI for strategic advantage. As the former managing director of global innovation at Cisco, he spearheaded early AI development. A key contributor to the global ISO Standard on Innovation, Alex combines deep business expertise with practical technical insight. With senior leadership roles at renowned global brands like Dell, IBM, Cisco, and Pfizer, he excels at making AI and digital transformation accessible, empowering leaders and learners alike to implement impactful strategies for growth and success.
Alex's Travel Exchange sessions will be "A.I. and the World of Travel: Where We Are, and Where We're Going" and "A.I. Unleashed: Using Actionable Strategies to Leverage A.I. for Your Business."
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Heather Davis
Heather Davis is a board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health counselor based in Indianapolis. In addition to her private practice, she leverages her many years of military service, private sector leadership experience, and almost a decade of working in the mental health field to offer professional development in a consultation capacity. Through speaking engagements, workplace training, and one-on-one consultations, Heather has spent the last four years consulting with travel industry professionals on how to bring mental health awareness into the workplace, prevent burnout, and communicate effectively.
At Travel Exchange, Heather will lead "Strategies for Preventing, Recognizing, and Recovering from Burnout."
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International Destination Best Pitch presentations
International destinations are the focus of this informational session, when DMOs and receptive operators from outside North America will present five-minute pitches to a group of tour operators, detailing travel ideas and opportunities in their country of expertise. Come learn all the reasons you should start taking groups (or continue to take groups) to these destinations during Best Pitch on Sunday, Nov. 9, at TREX ’25.
| | Read more about upcoming education on NTAtravelexchange.com. | | |
Tour operators attending Travel Exchange in Ottawa can make the most of their time in the region by participating in a familiarization tour sponsored by Ottawa Tourism. You have two pre-conference Fams to choose from:
- Natural Wonders & Culinary Delights of Ottawa, Nov. 5–8
- Historic Journeys in Canada’s Capital, Nov. 6–8
You and a group of NTA colleagues can discover how Ottawa can be all or part of an intriguing itinerary. Find descriptions of the Fams here, with details of each trip’s activities, experiences, and destinations. Both Fams will be based from a single hotel, and both have limited seating. Applying for a spot on a Fam is one more reason to register today for Travel Exchange ’25! Click below to learn more.
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Or ... Fam it up after TREX!
Following four days in Ottawa for Travel Exchange, operators can unwind—and glean more itinerary ideas—during the Post-TREX Fam in Niagara Falls and Toronto, Nov. 13–17.
VIA Rail Canada will journey participants through the Ontario landscape to the first destination and a must-see natural wonder, the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls. You can witness the breathtaking power of the falls from every angle, with unforgettable experiences by land, water, and air. From scenic viewpoints and thrilling attractions, Niagara Falls is an iconic bucket-list destination.
Just two hours away, the vibrant city of Toronto awaits. With its striking skyline, world-class museums and galleries, diverse cuisine, and lively arts and nightlife scenes, Toronto offers something for every traveler. During your two-night stay, you’ll explore a mix of iconic landmarks and new attractions. You’ll also enjoy a taste of Toronto’s multicultural food scene and take in the festive charm of the Distillery District’s Winter Village—one of the city’s beloved annual events.
Note: This Fam is limited to eight participants.
Click below for more details and to sign up.
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Get the NTA Events app!
We kicked off our brand-new mobile app at Contact ’25 on Mackinac Island, where attendees explored features that we'll roll out at Travel Exchange in Ottawa. During Contact, those attending used the app to scan badges of other attendees to create a log of connections. They played the Claim to Fame Game, where they matched interesting facts to their rightful owners to get to know their NTA colleagues. The Contact app experience was loaded with useful info about the event, including a full schedule, announcements, and lists of sponsors and delegates. We plan to have all of this and more for the mobile app for Travel Exchange in November, sponsored by Wyoming Office of Tourism.
If you haven't downloaded it yet, get the new NTA Events app! First, please delete last year's app, then head over to the App store and download the new app to your device, also titled NTA Events; this will be the official mobile hub for both Contact and Travel Exchange. And be sure to turn on your notifications!
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The Sales Mission plan for TREX ’25
Tour operators who work in person with NTA-member destinations gain many benefits, and you can hear from DMO representatives directly during Sales Missions at Travel Exchange. Sales Missions feature groups of DMOs describing their state, province, or region to groups of buyers, and they will cover multiple North American places on Monday, Nov. 10, at TREX ’25 in Ottawa. During each 20-minute session, DMOs will share their latest updates with tour operators and travel advisors, giving them local highlights and discussing how best to package travel to their area. Sales Missions are formed and led by state or provincial DMOs, or, in the absence of a state or provincial leader, one DMO will head up that area’s Sales Mission.
Buyers will request specific Sales Missions when the Direct Request Appointment System opens. Each group of DMOs makes one presentation, and each buyer attends five sessions. Get answers to all your questions on the webpage devoted to Sales Missions on NTAtravelexchange.com. Just click below:
| | Grab a discount through Via Rail Canada | | VIA Rail Canada will offer discounted ground transportation for Travel Exchange. Here are the details: | | | VALID: | Nov. 3, 2025–Nov. 20, 2025 | | TERRITORY: | From all stations throughout the VIA system to Ottawa and return | | RESTRICTIONS: | Fare applies to a maximum of two passengers per booking. | | DISCOUNT: | 10% off the best available fare in Economy, Economy Plus, Business, Business Plus, Sleeper class.
Subject to the conditions and restrictions of the fare plan to which the additional discount is being applied. | | EXCEPTION: | Discount does not apply in any Escape fares and Prestige Class. | | IDENTIFICATION: | Participants must enter the event’s VIA convention discount code 15833 as a corporate code. | | | |
Travel Exchange first-timer? No worries! Check out our Newbie Notes page on the TREX website! The page is loaded with bites of basic info, answering some of the most often-asked questions we get at NTA Headquarters about terms like Sales Mission, Best Pitch, and Dine-around—and giving tips on what to know between now and go-time.
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