Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1383107
YES! Winnipeg impact The pandemic affected our top-line numbers in 2020, as expansion and investment projects were cancelled or postponed. Opportunities emerged later in the year, putting us in a better position for business and investment recovery in 2021 and beyond. As we reached the end of Campaign 2020, YW was grateful for the continued support of our vision and initiatives by the private sector. For the last five years, more than 100 private sector investors provided their unwavering commitment and helped position Winnipeg as an ideal place to live, invest and grow. We are excited about the next five years and the future of our city, and we thank our investor community for its support. YES! Winnipeg successes COVID-19 hindered our ability to travel, rendered physical site visits impossible and face-to-face meetings became extremely rare. Nonetheless, our entire team worked hard to support 475 businesses in 2020. We also helped five companies establish and expand operations in Winnipeg, which at maturity will create more than 300 direct jobs. These impacts will also mean an estimated $17 million in new or retained annual payroll. COVID-19 response & recovery snapshot The year 2020 turned priorities within our YW team and the around the globe on their head. From the beginning of the pandemic, we pivoted to support the Winnipeg business community through the unexpected difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We redirected our team to identify and resolve issues faced by 172 local businesses impacted by the pandemic, helping them navigate the flurry of constantly changing government programs and share best practices, while maintaining support for another 303 businesses. The team worked to maintain investor engagement in our market to retain opportunities while most expansion and investment projects were postponed during this period. A 42 per cent collapse in global FDI activity impacted our pipeline of leads, while travel restrictions constrained labour mobility, increased layoffs and decreased immigration flows. These shifts also impacted the efforts and activities of YW's Talent and Workforce Development team. Our entire team's ability to adapt was inspired by the private sector and the drive of our local business community to create the right conditions for economic recovery. Supporting our business community remained our priority throughout 2020. 19 2020 Annual Report