Sundance Vacations
Company: Sundance Vacations
Company Description: Sundance Vacations provides discount vacations and wholesale travel options. Sundance Vacations was founded in 1991 to provide quality discount vacations at a fraction of the retail rate. Wholesale travel choices are endless in this destination-based program that enables customers to enjoy discount vacations in many popular resort areas
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Employer of the Year
Nomination Title: Sundance Vacations
Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated company during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
Sundance Vacations is an employer that is dedicated to its employees. Realizing
that communication is such an integral part in employee and upper management
relations, Tina Dowd initiated the development of Sunspace. Sunspace is the
company’s internal social media platform that connects all 600+ employees with
each other very much like Facebook. Not only was this done to connect employees
but it was also done in order to stay true to the “open door” policy that was
first put in place 19 years ago when the company first opened. Tina feels it is
necessary to allow employees and managers to discuss in a private and open
forum. With the internal social media platform, Tina and other managers can see
and interact with employees on a level that was not possible before in
discussion rooms and walls or threads. Tina encourages employees to share their
stories about on and off the job successes. Tina now knows and can recognize all
the great things her employees are doing across the country instantly.
With the development of Sunspace, Sundance Vacations now encourages its
employees to become brand ambassadors in the social media landscape and
blogosphere. Employees can go outside their normal job requirements by writing
blogs for the company. This gives the marketers and other employees the chance
to grow their skills as writers and online marketers. Sundance Vacations even
offered social media and blogging training to all managers. The managers then
trained their employees on “best web practices.”
As a part of growing skills and training employees on new trends, Sundance
Vacations also developed a formal orientation program called Sundance
University. Sundance University is an 8 hour introduction to the company, the
company’s products and organizational structure. Employees also take part in the
orientation program by offering employee stories, testimonials and they even
take part in presenting different parts of the program.
To continue the development of our employees, Sundance Vacations runs monthly
contests for our employees based on the company’s core values. Each month a new
topic or core value is chosen for the contest and employees can submit a small
essay on what that core value means to them at the company. One winner is picked
each month and awarded a prize that can total up to $1000. Some of the prizes
that were awarded include white water rafting, pizza party and baseball tickets.
Because of all these great programs that have been initiated, Sundance Vacations
was awarded the “Best Places to work in Illinois” this spring. The company
placed 9th this year, which is up from the 17th spot the company placed last year.
Sundance Vacations is and will always stay committed to improving employee
relations and staying on top of trends so employees get the best experience and
education on the job.
List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
http://www.sundancevacationsnews.com/
Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the nominated organization (up to 100 words):
Tina Dowd, Founder of Sundance Vacations, co-founded Sundance Vacations in 1991
with her partner and husband John Dowd. In her 18 years with the company, Tina
grew Sundance Vacations from a small start-up telemarketing office where she
began by answering phones to a leading provider of affordable wholesale
vacations, with over 700 employees and over 80,000 travelers nationwide.
Tina is a graduate from Kutztown University with a BS in Education. Mrs. Dowd is
very instrumental in the technological growth of the company and also enjoys the
communications side of Sundance Vacations.
Choose one (even if both apply):
At least 50% of the shares in this company are owned by women.