Conference leads to more festivals, more conferences (update)

Approximately 350 guests from the public and private sectors, each with a stake in the tourism industry, have gathered at the Sault's Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre for the second annual Northern Ontario Tourism Summit November 16 to 18.

The event is co-hosted by Tourism Northern Ontario (TNO) and Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario (NOTO).

It was announced during Tuesday's events that in the spring of 2017, Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) will hold its 30th annual conference in Sault Ste. Marie.

"In 2016 we are all going down to represent Sault Ste. Marie at the  

Festivals and Events Ontario conference in Markham and we're going to be hosting an evening that's 'everything Sault Ste. Marie' (in advance of the 2017 conference)," said Steve Hollingshead, Destination North manager of special events.

Hollingshead said Sault items that will be plugged in Markham ahead of the 2017 conference will include Searchmont, the Machine Shop, Bushplane Museum, restaurants and outdoor adventures such as ice climbing.

"We have the infrastructure, the hotels, the beauty, the events, the people and the hospitality (to ensure the Sault's place as a major tourist destination in Northern Ontario)."

"Our partnership with Porter Airlines is going to be significant for this event, to bring the delegates here and we'll do everything 'Sault style,' everybody loves it," Hollingshead said.

It didn't take long for Debbie Mann, Festivals and Events Ontario's Kitchener-based business development manager, to be sold on the Sault as the host for FEO's 2017 conference.

"I got a tour of the Sault for an hour and a half (upon arrival for this week's Northern Ontario Tourism Summit) and saw Lake Superior, the drive, the beaches, the people…I'm very excited about being here."

"Having this conference here, coming to the North, will be huge because a lot of provincial organizations tend to stay in the south, so this will give us exposure to some of the southern Ontario people, but it also gives heightened awareness of the North, it helps us to grow and have more and bigger festivals and events and increase tourism revenues as a result of that," said David MacLachlan, Tourism Northern Ontario executive director.

In the meantime, how is the Sault doing in terms of tourism?

"Like any border city, after 9-11 the U.S. market virtually dropped off the table and it's been an uphill battle to get them back to visit Canada on the whole so we had to shift our focus to southern Ontario people…over the years we've had our challenges but this year we had a very good year," said Ian McMillan, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie executive director.

"The ridership on the tour train topped 30,000 for the first time in eight years, we had increased visitation to our other attractions in the city, the hoteliers had a better season in the summer and the fall, so it was an uplifting season for the industry after a number of challenging years and we want to keep the momentum going and having this conference this year at this time of year is a perfect ending to that season," McMillan said.

NEWS RELEASE

TOURISM SAULT STE MARIE

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In the spring of 2017, Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) will be holding its 30th annual conference in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The community was selected from among a shortlist of four municipalities throughout the province.

The Destination North Discovery Group and Tourism Sault Ste. Marie were instrumental in securing the event.

“We are absolutely thrilled to announce the selection of Sault Ste. Marie as the 2017 host for our annual conference,” said Kathrin Delutis, FEO’s Chief Executive Officer. “We feel confident in the city’s ability to rally community partners to welcome conference attendees to a unique location that blends the amenities of a regional urban centre with the breathtaking beauty of Northern Ontario.”

The 2017 FEO conference is expected to attract well over 300 festival and event professionals from across Ontario.

While generating a significant economic impact for Sault Ste. Marie in terms of visitor spending, the forum will also allow the community to be showcased to industry representatives as a great place to host future festivals and events.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our city, and I look forward to welcoming the visiting delegates in 2017,” said Christian Provenzano, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. “Our Naturally Gifted community has much to offer. Among many other things, Sault Ste. Marie has an active and growing Festivals and Events network, and hosting the conference will open up participation to new audiences throughout Ontario.”

The annual FEO conference boasts vibrant presentations, collaborative education, in-depth workshops, and an outstanding opportunity to learn from and network with top industry professionals.

With a major tradeshow marketplace, an awards ceremony and numerous showcase entertainers, the forum provides the perfect backdrop for industry representatives to soak up excitement of a festival and event year gone by and prepare for another exciting year to come.

Tourism Northern Ontario will be working with local organizers on marketing and supporting the 2017 FEO conference.

“The region has a wide variety of unique and exciting events happening in all four seasons, and the Algoma District is a fantastic place to showcase what we have to offer,” said David MacLachlan, Executive Director of Tourism Northern Ontario. “We look forward to the opportunity to present FEO members with the festival and event circuits that currently happen in the North, as well as work with them to ensure future events and festivals in the region are further promoted.”

Further details on FEO’s 2017 conference will be available in the coming weeks.

For information on sponsorship opportunities, or ways to be involved, contact Debbie Mann, Business Development Manager for FEO, at [email protected].

About Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO)

FEO is a provincial tourism sector association that convenes industry leaders, event organizers and industry suppliers from across the province to share best practices, key trends, celebrate successes and work together to incorporate innovation for festivals across Ontario.

The organization provides education, marketing and advocacy services and operates Canada’s largest dedicated festival and event conference.

FEO also publishes and distributes an annual consumer guide with a circulation of 250,000 plus on-line exposure.

The festivals and events industry in Ontario is estimated to generate in excess of $2.3 billion annually in contribution to regional GDP, create and sustain approximately 50,000 full-year-equivalent jobs, and foster approximately $1 billion in taxes at all levels of government.

For more information, visit www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.

About Tourism Sault Ste. Marie

Tourism Sault Ste. Marie is a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation.

The organization works to draw visitors to the community by attracting conferences and sports tournaments, selling vacation packages, undertaking marketing initiatives, and developing tourism infrastructure projects.

With respect to event attraction, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, working with its industry partners, secured or supported 392 sports tournaments and conferences between 2008 and 2014.

This activity drew well over 70,000 visitors and injected $33.7 million of direct spending into the local economy, along with millions more in indirect, induced and spinoff economic activity.

For more information, visit www.saulttourism.com.

About Destination North

Destination North Discovery Group (DNDG) is a private, non-profit, social enterprise working for the development, operation and fulfillment of the Northern experience centered in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

DNDG supports innovative destination attractions that catalyze economic development, showcase Sault Ste. Marie as a year-round destination and as a twin-city gateway across North America.

The organization creates regional attractions that promote the Sault’s natural beauty, which are appreciated by tourist and locals alike.

DNDG is focused on leveraging the region’s unique destination advantages in ecology, culture, and wilderness experience and evolving the concept from regional tourism attractions to a living centre with job creating social enterprise components.

For more information, visit www.millsquare.ca/destination-north.html.

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(PHOTO: Following the announcement for the 2017 FEO conference are (L to R) Ian McMillan, Executive Director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie; Kathrin Delutis, Chief Executive Officer of FEO; and Steve Hollingshead, Manager of Special Events & Product Development for Destination North.)