Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/994031
71 71 i. Creating Highly Visible Public Relations Campaigns for City Facilities and Services Festivals and events provide the City of Winnipeg with a unique and highly visible platform to generate positive public relations for its services and venues. The city recognizes the value that comes with hosting well- organized, safe events and below are several examples of ways organizers works with law enforcement, fire paramedic services, transportation etc. to enforce these positive messages: » Folklorama works very closely with Winnipeg Police Services' Community Relations Team. They are provided opportunities to attend public- facing events such as the Folklorama Kick Off (a free all-day event that attracts between 10,000 and 15,000 visits annually) and the festival's pavilions. This provides the WPS Community Relations Team the opportunity to meet with community members volunteering at the pavilion, as well as the general public attending. They also provide enhanced support through scheduling of additional hours for drive by's around venues/parking lots in addition to actual on-site visits in the venues during the run of the festival. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services and the Office of the Fire Commissioner are consulted with each year in ensuring venues are operated in compliance and provide extensive resources in doing advance and follow-up official visits and schedule additional drop-in visits during the Festival. Social media promotion of the relationship and activities by Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) are actively pursued by Folklorama and the services combined. » Kidsfest partners with many local third-party groups to highlight their services right at the Festival. The WFPS and WPS have been on site at the Festival for many years. They also work with Recycle Everywhere and many others to promote their services to families at the Festival. » Winnipeg Folk Festival's positive relationship with law enforcement includes the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Provincial Park authorities (as the festival grounds are held just outside the City), and they work together on campaigns for things such as safe driving. RCMP officers spend a good deal of time on their patrols at the festival positively interacting with patrons including providing stickers and tattoos and overall positive messaging. Winnipeg Folk Festival is a big supporter of active transportation and encourage patrons to use its free transit service to and from as well as around the park. They also have a guided Bike Ride to Site that allows people to ride their bikes out of town while the festival transports their camping equipment for them for the weekend. There's a health and wellness program on the festival site that includes first aid, mental health services and a custom security program that provides special and extensive training to WFF volunteers in the safety area. » WFPS and Winnipeg Transit Historical society put floats in the Pride Winnipeg parade, and Winnipeg Police Service participated as well. » The Downtown BIZ tries to showcase and invite people to experience the downtown and all of the services, venues and opportunities downtown around events in the area. Partners are often engaged to have a positive presence on site to take advantage of the opportunity to directly communicate with guests to educate them on what they do. Leading up to events, consideration is always taken to showcase transportation options as well as to encourage guests to spend additional time downtown, either before or after an event, by trying to engage local members. Travis Ross