Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

14 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION E very year, residents of the Rocky Mountains area know to expect an onslaught of heavy rain during what some like to refer to as “monsoon June.” In the days leading up to June 19, 2013, however, something was different and record-breaking amounts of rain fell in the western Canadian province of Alberta, causing catastrophic flooding the likes of which had never been seen in the area before. When all was said and done, there were five casualties as a result of the flooding, and more than 100,000 people were displaced throughout the region. Business owners like Beth Gardner, a travel industry executive with more than 30 years of experience, had to shutter their doors as a state of emergency was declared and evacuations were enforced. Ever the resourceful planner, she had an in-house operation up and running within 12 hours after the devastation first began and continued working from home for the next nine weeks while her office was closed. This commitment to delivering gold-star service at all costs has been a hallmark of Ms. Gardner’s career and the reputation she’s built at the helm of Custom Travel Solutions Inc., which she established in 1995. Since obtaining her first corporate account with Intergraph Canada Ltd., a loyal customer to this day, Ms. Gardner has utilized her expertise in vacation and group planning to provide businesses with travel management services that meet their specific needs. Whether working with a small, privately run company or a multimillion dollar corporation, the CTS team is prepared to meet and exceed their clients’ expectations in a budget-conscious and time-effective manner. From carefully chosen account managers who help customers recognize and implement ideal programs to myriad options for safety, security and comfort, CTS provides a full suite of services aiming to make corporate travel easy and convenient. These include 24/7 emergency and after-hours services to accommodate travelers, comprehensive reporting to track and manage costs, and detailed analyses of workforce logistics that identify both core competencies and areas of improvement. They even offer recreational perks for customers’ employees through the corporate leisure program, helping to strengthen internal relationships while encouraging teamwork and positive affirmation. As technology evolves, so too have the ways in which businesses communicate, which is why Ms. Gardner recently implemented I-Logistics, a completely automated remote-camp logistics service that provides a single source for remote bookings, including commercial and BETH GARDNER PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Custom Travel Solutions Inc. Calgary, Alberta, Canada