Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1471293
Data dive: Building better strategies for growth At EDW, we know good data is critical for making informed decisions. We use it to guide our organization and to ensure companies are in the best possible position to grow and thrive in our city. We believe so strongly in data that it is the first pillar of our three-pillar strategy we developed in 2020 (see box below). In 2021, we took a deep dive into data to inform everything we do across our organization. Our Market Intelligence team developed dashboards to get a better idea of how the Manitoba workforce is shifting. Using the National Occupation Codes (NOC) system, our talent team can look at the top ten in-demand jobs for our province on the occupation dashboard, get a better understanding of labour gaps and whether there was a surplus or deficit of jobs in certain sectors. On top of that, we can compare Manitoba's workforce to workforces across Canada. That meant insights on where to look for skilled workers to support companies' efforts. The sector dashboard looks at industries across Winnipeg and the province, monitoring the health each of our top 10 growth sectors. We can then keep track of trends by analyzing the number of businesses, employment and GDP by sector. These metrics allow us to look at the current state of our sectors and develop strategies for growth and provide clear evidence that the initiatives we're pursuing are having an impact. These dashboards were used with other research and data to determine which international markets to help us attract more businesses to our city. By leveraging information from local company connections, provincial and federal partners in government and other organizations, our Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) team made informed decisions about which companies to target, and which ones would benefit the most from locating or expanding in Winnipeg. Data was gathered across companies and corporate partners on their growth and development, allowing our Business Development team to identify key challenges for businesses. These insights were also used to assist our business and government partners to create a better environment for companies to grow in Winnipeg. Our tourism sector is a vital part of our economy. We use strong data to determine key markets and audiences who would be interested in visiting our city and what attractions and experiences are the biggest draws. Visitation continued to be impacted by travel restrictions in 2021, but data, research and partner insights were critical to helping our Tourism Winnipeg team shift in how it was attracting visitors. The promotion of hybrid events (a mix of in-person and online) and targeted digital marketing were leveraged to build a pipeline for more business in preparation for the economy beginning to open again. Our Marketing & Branding team relies heavily on data to inform its social, media and digital strategies to find the right audiences at the right time. Marketing data remained a top focus in 2021 as messaging and strategies were tweaked to find the best economic and tourism stories that resonated the most with local and international audiences. This allowed us to positively position Winnipeg on the global stage. EDW Corporate Pillars Inform decision-making Outcompete to win Lead, influence and inspire 9 2021 ANNUAL REPORT