I have some exciting news to share: the Toronto Miles & Points Event is back for a 2019 edition!

Join myself, your fellow Prince of Travel readers, and the wider Toronto travel community on Sunday, April 7, 2019, from 5-7pm, at the Walrus Pub & Beer Hall for an evening of food, drinks, and lively discussion on the latest tips and tricks in the world of travelling on points.

The Walrus is located at 187 Bay St (at the corner of Wellington St W) in Downtown Toronto, a short walk from both Union and King TTC stations. We’ll be hosted in the Pong Bar, the Walrus’s signature event space on the basement level featuring a dedicated bar and a few ping pong tables.

The Event

I’ve hosted these events quite a few times now, and I’ve received plenty of feedback from those who attended our previous get-togethers.

The general theme from this feedback has been that people would like to hear more discussion of the “juicy stuff” at these events: stuff that doesn’t always get talked about online.

And I absolutely get where they’re coming from, because anyone can spend time reading the content that I’ve put out online, but if they’re paying money to attend an event like this, they’d obviously prefer to get some more out of it than what they’d learn from scouring blogs and forums.

In the past, I’ve given a short 20-minute talk at these events before opening up the floor to networking among the attendees, and the presentation was usually designed to cater to both beginners and more experienced folks.

This time around, I’ll be changing things up: the presentation will focus solely on the more advanced topics that don’t always get discussed online.

Now, if you consider yourself a beginner when it comes to Miles & Points, don’t let this discourage you from coming. There’s no better way to rapidly accelerate your learning process than attending in-person events like these, where you’re surrounded by an entire community of like-minded individuals with a wealth of experience for you to learn from.

After the presentation, I’ll also do a quick Q&A session with the audience, to address any questions you may have about the topics we’ve discussed, or really anything at all that you’d like to ask me.

Then it’ll be the usual networking session for the rest of the evening, allowing you to connect with your fellow points enthusiasts in Toronto, share your latest points-earning travails, and one-up each other on your upcoming trips on the horizon. I’m sure that the discussion on “hush-hush” topics like manufactured spending will be flowing freely as well.

As a bonus, I’m super excited for the event space itself. The Walrus will be providing some of its gourmet appetizers and light bites for you to enjoy as you catch up with old friends and make new ones, and you’ll also be able to order drinks from our event space’s dedicated bar.

Moreover, as part of the Pong Bar’s setup, most of the ping pong tables will be cleared to make way for attendees to mingle and chat, but there’ll be a couple of tables in case anyone wants to challenge me to a rally for a couple of MR points 😉

And if the event turns out like previous ones, there’ll most likely be a group of us who are happy to continue well past 7pm and keep the discussion flowing well into the night!

Sponsors + Prizes

I’m delighted to announce that WestJet will be a prize sponsor for this event, and has provided the following exciting prizes that will be drawn up in a raffle among attendees:

• One year of WestJet Rewards Gold status

• 100 WestJet Dollars

• 50 WestJet Dollars

• 50 WestJet Dollars

WestJet is Canada’s second-largest airline, and they have been making significant moves recently with their Boeing 787 Dreamliner launch and improvements to their loyalty program, so I’m very excited to have them onboard as a prize sponsor for the event.

Also, similar to last year’s Vancouver event, Plastiq has very generously provided 10 prizes of 1,000 Fee-Free Dollars (FFDs) each that will also be drawn in a raffle.

Plastiq is Canada’s favourite bill-paying service that allows you to pay large bills such as rent, tuition, and property tax using your rewards credit cards and rack up the points, and these FFDs allow you to pay $1,000 worth of bills using your credit card without having to pay the 2.5% transaction fees.

Why You Should Attend

Any regular reader can attest to the fact that Miles & Points gives you an incredible amount of freedom for yourself and your loved ones when it comes to travel.

For some, that freedom represents the opportunity to treat their loved ones to some unforgettable trips around the world and make new memories that’ll last a lifetime. Others might use that freedom to visit their family in faraway places more often, or cultivate a globetrotter’s lifestyle and fulfill their dreams of seeing the world at a reduced cost.

The idea is that getting involved with Miles & Points redefines what’s possible, leaving the choice of what to do with that added freedom – where to go, how to get there, how long to stay, etc. – in your hands.

Attending an in-person event like this accelerates your learning process by many orders of magnitude, because you get to learn firsthand from a large group of fellow practitioners. By connecting with other individuals who are just as passionate about travel, you’re able to absorb people’s experiences – both their success stories and their lessons learned – and pick up things a lot faster than by simply reading scattered anecdotes on blogs and forums.

On my part, I’m trying to put together as many of these events as possible in order to facilitate these conversations and get more people interested in the game. Along with our annual PointsU gatherings, 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.

Get Your Tickets Now

Tickets are $29 per person, and I’m confident that you’ll be getting excellent value for money given our focus on the “juicy stuff” this time around, and also the wealth of knowledge and experience that attendees typically share among each other.

Every time I’ve asked for feedback at events like these, attendees have said that the ticket cost pays for itself many times over thanks to the new nuggets of knowledge and friendships with other Miles & Points enthusiasts that they’ve gained.

If you’re interested in attending, please purchase your tickets using the Eventbrite below, or by following this link.

Space at the venue is limited, and some people were left disappointed at previous events when they left their ticket purchase to the last minute 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, by all means get in touch with me and introduce yourself. I’d love to answer any initial questions you may have, get to know your story, and figure out how I 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 email or by leaving a comment below.

See you at the Walrus on April 7!