by Tahira Endean Who remembers that moment in time with no meetings or events, no air travel, no need to wear pants to work? For at least one full year, we met people online, learned how to work remotely and either fell in love with this or were desperate to return to the office, at least some of the time. We wore masks if we left the house, and we didn’t go to any events. There were no events…
Event and trade show marketing is a big investment for any business. To maximize your return, you’ll need to create a one of a kind display that engages show attendees and promotes your products or services. To make the most of your next trade show event, we’ve put together a list of six tips to attract more visitors to your booth. Pick the right booth location Some booth locations just naturally get more visitor traffic than others. Like booth…
By Angela Zaltsman Companies across the nation have seen employees transition from remote to hybrid to sometimes fully in-person work environments. Why? Because if the last three years have taught us anything, it is the value of being with one another. Work culture and building employee engagement are often pointed to as the motivation behind a push for in-office facetime, but studies have shown that team events are the true catalyst for meaningful employee-employer relationships. Team events offer not…
Event planners need to set boundaries with clients and workload limits to ensure they are giving their best and are at their best. As event planners, we consider ourselves problem solvers. No challenge too big, no hill too steep. There is always a solution to every problem, and with respect to events, a great event planner behind each solution. But with every great feat, there is likely a sacrifice. Many event professionals can likely attest to blurred lines between…
Writing great proposals is not rocket science. But too often we try to short cut the process. If you follow these four simple steps you will be successful with your proposals. 1) Understand the prospect’s needs. This means extensive discovery sessions. Before you can build a proposal, you need to know the prospect’s specific goals. Are they sales? Is it about building brand awareness? Is it a PR or GR move? Perhaps it is about employee engagement. Perhaps it…
As COVID-19 cases continue to decline across Canada and restrictions are eased, the meetings and events industry is eager to see the restart of corporate meetings, conferences and conventions. But a major barrier remains to fully welcoming back visitors and attendees. While the federal government took a step in the right direction by allowing the use of rapid antigen tests for pre-departure as of Feb. 28, it is still not enough, according to travel and tourism leaders. Bridgitte Anderson,…
As I sat down to think about how I wanted to excite and encourage you, my valued industry colleagues, I thought back to the phrase, ‘we’re all in this together.’ I feel compelled to remind everyone that this still holds true, and as we plan for our future, we must think about each other and our mutual success. Together is the way forward. Our relationships with our suppliers, team members, and industry are our most valuable assets. It’s these…
After thriving for decades, Vancouver’s tourism and hospitality industry has been predictably hit hard by the ongoing pandemic. According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, cruise and conference traffic is significant to the city, representing an estimated $2.2 billion in direct and indirect economic impact. Meanwhile, the meetings and conferences sector drives more than $1.6 billion in direct and indirect visitor spending. We ask Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, about what is happening and projections for how…
Businesses in Vancouver’s travel and tourism industry are bracing – yet again – for booking cancellations and delayed recovery this winter season. Vancouver welcomed more than 11 million overnight visitors in 2019, contributing $14 billion in total revenues to the Metro Vancouver economy and supporting over 104,000 full-time jobs. By comparison, revenues fell by 70 per cent in 2020. As the largest Canadian city located on the West Coast, Vancouver is Canada’s gateway to the Pacific and the Far East – a critical…
The Liberal government delivered its long-awaited budget last month, unveiling $101.4 billion in new spending. Supports were specifically promised to aid the recovery of Canada’s hard-hit tourism industry, which includes meetings and business events. It outlines $1 billion over three years for tourism, starting in 2021/2022; a $500-million Tourism Relief Fund to support investments by local tourism businesses in adapting to the pandemic; a $595-million Recovery Hiring Program to make it easier for businesses to hire back laid-off workers or…
