Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/873887
Economic Development Winnipeg // YES! Winnipeg // Tourism Winnipeg 11 GOALS RESULTS MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS Winnipeg's central geographic location, competitive pricing, sound infrastructure, and strong relationships with association executives and meeting planners contribute to Winnipeg's success in attracting meetings and conventions. Tourism Winnipeg continues to lead Team Winnipeg and to attract meetings and conventions to Winnipeg. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg led five Team Winnipeg initiatives that resulted in 32 leads for future meetings and submitted 39 bids for future meetings and conventions that cumulatively represent 17,000 delegates and an estimated $18 million in direct expenditures. Tourism Winnipeg also hosted several clients on site visits of Winnipeg that resulted in future business for Winnipeg; updated the Winnipeg meetings and conventions magazine, sell sheets, and packages and deals website offer; expanded social media activities; and developed a quarterly meeting and convention e-newsletter. BRING IT HOME EDW continues to build relationships with Winnipeg's leaders of regional, national and international boards, as well as the business and academic communities, to assist in raising Winnipeg's profile as a meeting and convention destination. Since its inception in 2012, the Bring It Home program has been responsible for assisting in bringing 109 conventions to Winnipeg, representing more than 42,000 delegates and $44 million in delegate spending. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg engaged more than 50 community leaders to bring their future meetings and conventions to Winnipeg. Tourism Winnipeg continued to collaborate with the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg to further promote the Bring It Home program through media buys (including a Winnipeg Free Press wrap), a client reception and the use of an international lead generator. SPORTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Tourism Winnipeg has formed a sports and special events alliance with key stakeholders to position Winnipeg as a competitive destination, and it is collaborating with Sport Manitoba and various national sport organizations to bring regional and national competitions to Winnipeg. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg attended the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance's 2017 Sport Events Congress, was a member of the 2017 Canada Summer Games marketing and media host committees, and organized a sports forum for provincial sport organizations. TRAVEL TRADE Tourism Winnipeg collaborates with stakeholders to promote Winnipeg as a packaged tour destination to the travel trade industry by attending key trade shows and marketplaces, leading the marketing consortium (i.e., the Winnipeg Tour Connection) and developing strategies to increase the length of stay of individuals and groups using Winnipeg as a gateway to Churchill or as a cross-Canada stopover. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg led three Winnipeg Tour Connection initiatives that resulted in five new leads, attended one marketplace, organized a professional development seminar on how to optimize opportunities for the student youth market and hosted clients on familiarization tours. Tourism Winnipeg also produced the Winnipeg Tour Connection Travel Planner, collaborated on the VIA Rail Winnipeg stopover sell sheet, produced international and student sell sheets, and distributed quarterly newsletters to more than 500 tour operators. TRAVEL MEDIA Tourism Winnipeg generates unique story ideas to increase media coverage, cultivates key relationships with travel journalists and bloggers, and expands the media database to keep Winnipeg top-of-mind. Tourism Winnipeg collaborates with Travel Manitoba, Destination Canada and industry stakeholders to host media, so positive media coverage can be generated. As of June 30, 2017, Tourism Winnipeg attended three media marketplaces to interest media in Winnipeg, updated the Legends & Tales media story idea brochure and distributed quarterly travel media e-newsletters. From January to the end of June, Tourism Winnipeg hosted 36 travel media and tracked a total of $2.3 million of earned media from 191 stories in 344 outlets. SALES AND SERVICING Tourism Winnipeg builds market segment platforms with quantifiable activities that adhere to the guidelines set out by Destination Marketing Association International.