The Personal Travel Agents – the homeworking division of The Midcounties Co-operative – will hold pop-up picnics for its 160+ agents to meet in person for the first time since the pandemic hit.
The ‘PTA Pop-Up Picnics’ will be “an informal reunion and celebration of the road back to normality”, it said.
The agents’ support team will provide the picnic and the agents can come along solo or with family members. Between 10 and 30 are expected to attend each picnic.
The first will take place in York on June 25; followed by Sheffield on June 30; Birmingham, July 1; Manchester, July 6; Exeter, July 7; and Tunbridge Wells on July 8.
Sheena Whittle, head of The Personal Travel Agents, said the picnics will take place after government restrictions have lifted, to ensure safety.
“There will be no business talk – just a beautiful park, sandwiches, sweet treats and a whole bunch of incredible Personal Travel Agents who have survived the toughest of years and who desperately want to see each other again,” she said.
“We’ve stayed close to how our agents are feeling about both their business and their personal wellbeing by conducting regular surveys, throughout the pandemic, and the one thing that came through loud and clear was that everyone really misses seeing each other.
“In a normal year we would have plenty of opportunities to see each other face to face with roadshows, training courses, informal cluster meetings and, of course, conferences and VIP trips.
“However, the pandemic has meant that everything has transferred online, which has been a wonderful way to keep in contact but doesn’t compare with face-to-face contact.
“We can’t wait to share a sandwich, a piece of cake and celebrate the achievements of the PTAs during the most challenging year the industry as ever faced.”