About Us
Meet Moniker.
We are an Award-Winning "Corporate Culture" Agency, focused on helping companies connect with their teams through imaginative Corporate Retreats, Incentive Trips, and engaging Virtual Experiences around the globe.
Our Mission is Simple: Help our clients create and operate memorable experiences that allow them to brainstorm, celebrate achievements, or kick back and bond. All while making the process as easy-peasy as possible in a fun, transparent, and collaborative way. And we’re bloody good at it too.
Over 10 years in, we've helped more than a thousand companies do just that.
So far, so good.
What We're All About
Be a Good Human
We value kindness, mutual respect, and treating others the way we would want to be treated. We pride ourselves on having assembled a group of genuinely amazing people distributed around the world, but united by our shared appreciation of what it means to be a good human.
Do Your Best
Give it your best effort, and we’ll collectively push the bar higher every time. We value people who take initiative, aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and dig in, and consistently strive to do their best work to deliver the ‘above and beyond’ results our clients have come to expect.
Care Deeply
Caring about our work, our clients, and each other is a big part of our culture. As a company, we do our best to support our team in any ways we can, and understand that relationships are a two-way street. If you genuinely care about your work, it shows up in everything you do.
Transparency
Just like we're 100% transparent with our clients - we're also open internally, sharing the numbers and everything else. This includes constant feedback, and a willingness to be open and honest with each other. It’s led to an immense trust in one another, and shared respect and buy-in for what we're building.
Be a Team Player
We value helpfulness and collaboration, and are on the hunt for people who will go the extra mile for each other. Everyone at Moniker has an eagerness to support each other while still holding each other accountable, which is a big part of why our small team swings well above its weight.
Have Fun!
Most importantly, we have fun doing it. Life's too short to take work too seriously. We have (arguably) the best job in the world, creating timeless memories for others. What’s the point if we’re not having fun along the way? We invest a ton of time (and money) to ensure our day-job is a source of joy.
What We Can Help With
Registration & Data Management
Getting everyone's RSVPs is seamless with our custom -built registrationplatform. We'll track every detail like travel plans, dietary needs, excursion sign-ups, flights and any other special requests that come our way.
Attendee Communication
Our team will be active in Slack as well as set up and manage a dedicated inbox and toll-free 1-800 number to serve as the main point of contact for guests with questions about the trip, flight change requests, or anything else that may come up.
Budget & Expense Tracking
You'll have 24/7 access to your trip's budget and see updates every step of the way, along with all the back-ups and vendor invoices/contracts in a shared folder on the cloud.
Meetings & A/V Production
We'll work with your team to contract, negotiate, and organize A/V for all your meeting and business centre needs, and be there for all the rehearsals and sound-checks to ensure everything goes off without a hitch!
Custom Trip Websites
With an in-house web designer, Moniker can design a that will manage registration, agenda details, flight bookings, and FAQ's. We'll even include a packing list to take all the stress out of the process!
Graphic Design
Moniker has an in-house graphics team that can design and ensure consistent branding across all communication mediums and in-hand collateral. From the initial reveal and registration, to the on-site branding and signage.
Event & Dine-Around Management
From the welcome reception and dine arounds to the closing dinner, Moniker can help you with theme, venue sourcing, menu selections, vendor bookings and all logistics for both onsite and offsite dinners - adding thoughtful touches that will make each event feel like something special.
Room Drops & Gifting
Moniker will assist with the sourcing and design of unique and functional swag and/or gifting for your attendees both before or during the trip. And most importantly, ensure room drops are delivered to the correct room, with the right sizes, and no mistakes!
Video Production
Capture the memories with a professionally produced trip video, filmed throughout the entire event capturing all the memories and shared experiences.
Meet the Crew
Sean Hoff
Legend has it Sean started out his career in Finance, but cast off to start Moniker after attending on a number of "President Club' trips and believing he could do it better. Fast forward over a decade, with some amazing adventures around the globe with his trusty sidekick Winston, and here we are.
Sean plays the role of creative devil's advocate, always asking "what more" and figuring out ways to squeeze in that little extra personality to create truly bucket-list worthy programs for our clients.
Alex Handa
Alex and Sean met many moons ago, when Sean joined him as employee #8 in helping build out a new division for his Youth Travel company. 15+ years later, with over 200 employees and steering the helm of one of Canada's fastest growing companies, it's safe to say that Alex knows the travel industry inside out.
Alex advises on the strategy and growth of Moniker, ensuring the lessons and experience he's learned in his journey are instilled in Moniker's core - a commitment to focusing on the guest experience, and always striving to surprise and delight.
Sydney Penman
A native of Simcoe, Ontario, Sydney brings some serious operational chops to the Moniker team from almost a decade managing hundreds of high-school & university programs across North America with our sister companies, I Love Travel & Breakaway Tours.
Her eye for detail and logistics make her a perfect fit for coordinating all the behind-the-scenes planning that go into our programs, ensuring no detail is overlooked and on-site execution is flawless. Known for her dry-wit and love of Bud Light, in her free time Sydney enjoys Karaoke and impressing the world with her Celine Dion impersonation.
Steph Harper
As Head of Marketing and People, Steph wears many hats at Moniker. She's a straight West Coast'er, and her laid back demeanour makes the whole team feel at ease. A nomad at heart, she’s working her way through Central and South America while working hard to ensure that our company culture continues to thrive.
Steph oversees our efforts to share the joy (and wisdom) with companies around the world, as well as see through the design and execution of all the hare-brained ideas the rest of the group comes up with. Custom-themed agendas? No problem. Travel-Themed Adult Colouring books for our clients? Now we're talkin'!
Tracey Pictor
From Johannesburg, South Africa, Tracey joins the Moniker crew by heading up the Research & Proposals Team. She helps us keep on top of our destination research and pulls together all of our travel proposals!
Her experience in corporate events and wedding planning makes her a great fit to plan adventures for our clients, while her first-hand experience traveling extensively through Asia and Africa brings another dimension to the research team.
A self-professed "crazy cat lady" and hopeless chocoholic, Tracey enjoys the more peaceful side of things in her spare time, reading, whittling away on arts and crafts, painting, or finding new ways to avoid vegetables in her vegetarian diet.
Amanda LeGresley
Amanda brings her keen eye for travel and event planning to our Operations Team, bolstered by over a decade of experience managing events for the Toronto Film Festival and other swanky clientele across Canada (she's fancy like that).
Her passion for creating memorable experiences (particularly around a great meal) makes her the perfect fit as an Operations Manager, planning awe-inspiring events for our clients.
In her spare time, Amanda loves exploring the great outdoors either on the road with the sunroof down, or on the ATV trails near her hometown of Keswick, Ontario. Indoors, she's known for being a bit of a 'sushi savant', and kicking back on the couch with the latest Reality TV with her dog, Rebel.
Andrew Hercus
Our resident "Mountain Man", if there's a job in the wild, chances are Andrew's had it. Ski Patrol? Check. Whitewater Kayak Instructor? Check. Spartan Race Medic? Somehow, even that too. To say he's big on the great outdoors (and every Canadian cliche) is an understatement. Andrew lives, breathes, and (literally) eats the wilderness.
Andrew joins the Moniker team from his home within the Rocky Mountains, in Canmore, AB, leading the Trip Planning & Operations team where he brings his talents to coordinating gobs of detail and data into seamless execution of our retreats. He's also a licensed Medic which comes in handy when our guests have a little too much fun on destination!
Casey Cogan
Hailing from the nation's capital, Casey joins us as an Operations Manager to ensure every Moniker program is perfectly planned.
With a keen eye for the details, and a self-proclaimed overachieving perfectionist, we're lucky to have her on our team. Casey's got a sweet tooth and a soft spot for unique handbags, and is always on the hunt to add to her collection during her travels around the globe.
Ninah Del Rosario
Cruising into our office after almost 4 years at sea with Royal Caribbean, Ninah joins us as an Operations Manager, helping put together and flawlessly execute our clients retreats and incentives.
Her background as the Entertainment Coordinator aboard cruises made for a swift transition to the operations team, where she now oversees the logistics and minutia of tasks that go into each and every one of our programs.
In her spare time, Ninah readily admits to enjoying Hallmark Movies and teaching her dog Jameson, a shih-poo (we don't know either), how to speak her native tongue Tagalog from her time growing up in the Philippines.
Amanda Di Sabatino
Amanda joins us from Toronto after living in Whistler, BC for two years. With her extensive travel experience, she lends her talents to the Trip Planning team while also chipping in as an Account Manager with our virtual sales team when needed.
Her positive attitude, witty personality and endless creativity make her an excellent trip-planner. Not only can she solve any problem on-the-go, but she makes being onsite a wonderful experience for her team with her amazing sense of humour.
In her spare time, Amanda creates charcuterie boards that are the envy of Instagram, snowboarding the slopes of Whistler any chance she gets, and cozying up with her sweet pup Aspen and a good book.
Erin Hunt
As a self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast who is always up for an adventure, it's only fitting that Erin joins us from the Rocky Mountain town of Canmore, Alberta!
With over a decade of experience managing unforgettable travel experiences for thousands of guests with an outdoor adventure outfitter in the mountains, Erin now uses her expertise on the Trip Planning & Operations team to plan inspiring retreat experiences for all of our clients.
When she's not slacklining [?!], snowboarding, or baking fresh Aussie Meat Pies, Erin can be found exploring the peaks and valleys within her own backyard. She once summitted 4 different mountains in one day while running a total of 51km between them (we're amazed–and confused–too!).
Krista Pearson
From Alberta Beach, AB, Krista joins us with extensive experience in all things accounting, bookkeeping, event-planning and travel. Truly a numbers whiz, Krista lends her talents as our Program Controller. A seasoned traveler who loves immersing herself in the local culture, Krista loves spending her time outdoors, either hiking, cross country skiing, kayaking or even doing some gardening and farming in her tractor.
A country girl through and through! When she’s not outside she loves spending time with her husband and two daughters, or her giant goofy bull mastiff Oscar. As if that wasn’t enough, she also loves painting. We can barely keep up!
Teagan Burke
Joining the team after a 10+ year career managing mega-sized youth travel programs, Teagan knows what it takes to deliver amazing customer service with a can-do attitude toward solving problems!
Teagan has played a unique role in managing our Virtual Experiences division for the last two years. Now joining our Trip Planning team, she is eager to jump back into her travel planning roots and help create seamless on-site experiences for our guests.
When she's not behind the screen, she's usually found out on the volleyball court, on a hike with her dog Fozzie, or taking a long road trip somewhere.
Jessica Galbraith
Jessica joins the Moniker team from a previous role at BCD Travel where she was a 'maestro of manifests', helping coordinate thousands of flights for clients all over the world. Her eye for detail and knack for spreadsheets makes her an ideal fit for our Trip Planning & Operations team, helping ensure our clients programs are seamlessly run.
When she's not deftly overseeing all the minutia that go into planning the perfect trips, you can find her at her country home in Norfolk County, Ontario along with her three horses, er, Great Danes Waylon, Walter & Willy, likely refinishing old record players she found at local antique stores in her spare time. Favourite destinations involve Scottish Castles, Auctions and Estate Sales, and Dark Rooms developing photographs.
Holly Hatashita
Originally from Ottawa, now based in Toronto, Holly followed her passion for travel and planning by taking a career leap from her previous life as an Occupational Therapist to joining Moniker in the pursuit of creating memorable events for our clients as a Trip Planning Coordinator. Her dedication to the job and commitment to leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of the extraordinary make her a valuable member of the Travel Operations team, and a big contributor to our morning huddles with her constant smile and positive energy.
In her free time, you can find her baking a batch of her famous banana chocolate chip muffins, perusing the aisles of her favourite shops as she travels around the world, or exploring the coral reefs underwater as an open-water certified diver.
Jo Kendall
Originally from Yorkshire, Northern England, Jo grew up on a farm picking potatoes, riding horses, and living the quintessential country life. Looking for new pastures and a fresh adventure, she made the jump across the pond landing in Vancouver, BC where she has called home for over 6 years. Prior to joining Moniker, she had worked in events for the last 10 years and was even a part of the team that successfully launched the Tour de France in Yorkshire (fancy that!).
Jo’s a true English gal, who loves a good cuppa (though it has to Yorkshire Tea or else it’s rubbish!) She even won a year’s supply before! When she’s not hard at work planning trips, you’ll find her training for a marathon, writing silly poems for friends, and spending time visiting the local craft breweries during her travels.
Ashley Standen
Ashley, a seasoned event planner with over a decade of experience, joins the Moniker team from our nation’s capital of Ottawa. With nearly eight years dedicated to wedding planning, she brings a meticulous eye for detail, ensuring every event is flawlessly executed.
When she’s not orchestrating stunning events, Ashley can score goals on the soccer field or spend time with her two cats. Off the field, she indulges her culinary passion, experimenting with new recipes and working her way through Matty Matheson’s latest cookbook.
Devon Hauth
A Toronto native that has recently made the cross-country move to Vancouver, Devon is a seasoned traveler. She has backpacked extensively through South-East Asia, Japan, New Zealand, and South America, blogging about her adventures throughout the journey.
Now a part of our Research & Proposal team, Devon uses her research focused travel brain to find the hidden gems for our clients. She’s always ready to take on the challenge of creating a bucket-list worthy experience, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of the perfect getaway.
Outside of work, you can find Devon teaching exercise classes, acting, dancing or hiking through the BC mountains. She's also known for her relentless efforts trying to convince us that ice cream is its own food group!
Molly Raymond
Hailing from Canmore, AB, Molly joins our team with a background in marketing, communications and creative writing. Her extensive travel experience, including appearing on a National Geographic kids show that took her and her brother all around the world, makes her a perfect addition to our Research and Proposals Team!
When she’s not digging through research and finding the perfect fit for our clients, she loves spending time in the great outdoors. You can find her hiking, skiing, camping, biking or just simply curling up with a good book lakeside.
She’s a massive Leafs fan and if she could, she’d put pickles on any food. We truly love her enthusiasm and energy but maybe not her weird food obsession.
Amanda Belcourt
Based in Edmonton, Alberta and with a background ranging from beauty school to corporate travel, Amanda brings her diverse career experience to Moniker’s Research & Proposals Team!
A world traveller, Amanda has even conquered Kilimanjaro and is fueled by a genuine passion for exploration. She is always on the lookout for the next hidden gem or trending travel destination. When she's not immersed in research, she’s captivating audiences with her dance moves or, like a true Canadian, you'll find her cheering on her favourite hockey team, the Oilers.
Winston The Pug
The origins of Winston’s arrival at Moniker are surrounded by intrigue and mystery. Some say he was raised in the African Savanna by a pack of well-traveled spotted hyenas, others tell tales of being rescued by Sean as a pup in the back alleys of Paris's 14th arrondissement.
Either way, Winston proudly wears the mantle of our Chief of Research, globetrotting the world and scouting out new locations and hidden gems of hotels for our clients. You can usually keep track of his whereabouts by following his adventures on our instagram page, or likely poking in to the nearest fromagerie of your local neighbourhood.
Learn About Our Service-First Philosophy
Moniker prides itself on having dedicated teams of 3 full-time staff assigned to each program we operate, meaning our clients can expect top-notch service and consistent white-glove support throughout the process, year after year.
Meet The Travel Planning Pods
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