MIAMI & MONTREAL — Canada is becoming the first international market for RDB Hospitality Group’s Keyholder host agency, with Montreal serving as the starting point for a broader Canadian expansion.

Speaking with Travelweek, RDB Founder and CEO Rob DelliBovi said the move was a natural next step given the company’s existing ties to the Canadian market, including a large client base and frequent business involving music tours and sports teams.

“It made sense to us because we have a ton of Canadian clients, plus all of our music tours and sports teams go to Canada and it’s a neighbour of our home nation,” DelliBovi told Travelweek.

Montreal-based concierge and travel advisor Anna Roma will lead the Canadian expansion as Lead Keyholder. In addition to serving her own clientele and specializing in Montreal, she will work with RDB to grow its network of independent advisors across the country.

“Our Canadian Keyholder, Anna, is considered one of the top concierges in the country and has great clients and relationships,” DelliBovi said. “We’re so happy to have our first Keyholder in Canada be a name that is trusted this highly by our clientele.”

RDB is targeting five Canadian Keyholders by the end of 2026 and 30 by the end of 2027. The company is also continuing to grow its U.S. network and exploring future international opportunities in Africa, France, Spain, China and Mexico.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOST AGENCY

RDB launched Keyholder in the U.S. in June 2026 with the premise that independent advisors need more than accreditation, booking technology and commission processing from a host agency.

DelliBovi told Travelweek that one of the gaps RDB sees in Canada is a lack of hands-on support.

“The Canadian host agency landscape lacks true support,” he said. “We hear from advisors who have that ‘small fish, big pond’ feeling, and that is why our Keyholder role is built to offer something different.”

The platform provides accreditation, supplier relationships, booking systems and training while allowing Keyholders to maintain ownership of their client relationships.

What RDB says sets the model apart is access to the company’s broader hospitality infrastructure, which includes travel, concierge and destination management services in-house.

“What differentiates RDB Hospitality is the level of support and infrastructure Keyholders have access to,” DelliBovi said. “RDB already has travel, concierge and DMC divisions in-house, which is something other host agencies don’t have. Instead of having to outsource those services, Keyholders can tap directly into our team.”

He added that advisors also have the opportunity to earn more from those services than they might through a third-party partner.

LEADS, REFERRALS AND BUSINESS GROWTH

RDB says Keyholders can receive leads from the company’s existing client base based on their specialties, as well as referrals and opportunities from other advisors across the network.

The company has already begun routing inbound business to Keyholders, including a recent music-tour opportunity that was directed to an advisor specializing in entertainment travel.

“We’re also focused on helping Keyholders actually grow their businesses,” DelliBovi told Travelweek. “They can receive leads from RDB Hospitality’s existing client base based on their specialties, as well as opportunities from one another across the network.”

He said Keyholder events will also be designed around introducing advisors to prospective clients rather than focusing solely on supplier networking.

“A big part of what we’re building is true support for advisors, and a network where individual expertise is valued,” he said.

RDB Hospitality Group operates a luxury and entertainment travel agency and concierge business and says it has served more than 1,000 celebrities, executives, productions and high-net-worth clients. The company has also ranked among the top 1% of Virtuoso producers for the past three years.

LOOKING FOR VARIETY

As it recruits more Canadian advisors, DelliBovi said RDB is not looking for one specific type of Keyholder.

“We want variety,” he told Travelweek. “Our ‘going global’ efforts are important because we need diversity in terms of location, expertise, types of clients and connections.”

Roma will help recruit a Canadian Keyholder team that spans the country, with RDB looking for advisors who bring distinct specialties, regional knowledge and client expertise.

“We’re looking for specialists with different backgrounds and areas of expertise who can bring something unique to the larger network,” DelliBovi said.

That includes advisors who may not currently specialize in luxury, entertainment or high-net-worth travel.

“A Keyholder who may not currently work in luxury, entertainment or high-net-worth travel can tap into the expertise and relationships we’ve built in those areas, while bringing their own specialty to the network,” he said. “The goal is for Keyholders to share opportunities and expertise across specialties and markets.”

Since opening Keyholder publicly, RDB says it is in various stages of discussions with approximately 100 prospective advisors. The company expects to reach 50 Keyholders by the end of 2026, with a longer-term goal of 500 affiliated advisors by the end of 2027.

Lead image caption: RDB Founder and CEO Rob DelliBovi