Join Discover Comox Valley at EAT! Vancouver

It’s that time of year – time to plan to WOW the crowds at the EAT! Vancouver show coming up soon in May (May 22 to 24, 2009).  

Discover Comox Valley has reserved the booth and is inviting businesses to join us in Vancouver for this consumer show that attracts over 25,000 visitors each year.  Our goal is to present the Comox Valley as THE culinary, ag and getaway tourism destination on the Island!

There are 3 levels of participation:

  • Tasting Demos - Cost = your cost of provision, preparation, and transportation of product and staff to show, plus portion of onsite refrigeration and storage costs. SPACE IS LIMITED.  Only food produced in the Comox Valley will be considered.
  • Display space within booth - Cost $250.00. SPACE IS LIMITED.  Cost includes brochure racking space.
  • Brochure Racking only - Cost $100.00. 1/3 of the booth will be a mini Visitor Information Centre with information on attractions, accommodations, and activities available in the Comox Valley.

For more information on EAT! Vancouver and the crowds it attracts, visit the EAT! Vancouver website here, www.eat-vancouver.com/exhibitor_show.html.

If you are interested in either participating in person or sending your materials along with us, please contact Carolyn (250-334-2427 ext 228 or carolyn@discovercomoxvalley.com) by Tuesday May 5.          

 

Destination Marketing Update

Comox Valley Economic Development (Discover Comox Valley) engages in four key areas in marketing the Comox Valley as a Destination:

  • Media and Travel Trade Relations
  • Shows and Event Participation
  • Advertising and Promotions
  • Destination Development

Highlights from the activities during the first quarter of 2009 include:

Media & Travel Trade Relations

Media Fams Hosted

  • Vancouver Sun/Province and Global BC TV 
  • French Journalists Press Trip (incl. Le Nouvel Observateur) 
  • Ukraine International Olympic Committee Media
  • Winnipeg Free Press
  • Seasons Magazine (Belgium/Netherlands)
  • Freelance journalists from Seattle (Moon Pacific Northwest Guidebook)
  • Freelance contributor to www.travelingtales.com/ and http://travelwriterstales.com/  

Images and/or content provided to increase destination earned media in:

  • Vancouver Sun/Province
  • Victoria Times Colonist's Discover Vancouver Island
  • EAT Magazine
  • CBC Radio Victoria

 

Advertising and Promotion

Destination marketing print ads in:

  • Discover Vancouver Island Spring/Summer edition – circulation 750,000
  • Island Visitor Magazine – circulation 275,000
  • VanDop and TVI Arts & Cultural Guides – circulation 130,000
  • EAT Magazine – 904,600 readers, including Eat Online

 

Comox Valley Stay and Play 2009 Campaign and Contest

Building upon the success of 2008 Global campaign, Comox Valley stakeholders were interested in developing another promotion to increase their room nights during the 2009 spring season, but targeted to the Victoria market. The objectives of this campaign were to: increase awareness and purchase of Comox Valley product, increase visitation to discovercomoxvalley.com, and increase consumer email database.

Campaign included: 8 x full page, full colour ads in Sunday Victoria Times Colonist, plus 5 additional plug ads promoting the page and the contest; and a total 100 x 30 second spots on CHEK TV promoting the promotion and contest.

Campaign highlights:

  • 2100+ entries received on discovercomoxvalley.com
  • 950,000 readership of print ads
  • 1,897,100 viewership of TV ads incl. Island:30
  • Earned media: $63,760.00
  • Total Campaign Value $87,100; Total Campaign Exposure 2,847,647

 

CHEK TV Island:30 Campaign Update

As reported in a previous Discover E-News update, Chek TV's Island:30 host Dana Hutchings and crew were in the Comox Valley earlier this month shooting footage for their weekday show, Island:30 which airs Monday to Friday at 5:30pm    The Comox Valley was/will be featured in 7 episodes of Island:30 on the following days - April 3, 13, 14, 17, 24, 27, and May 8.   If you miss these on TV, you’re in luck as you can view them all on CHEK TV's Island:30 website. Or visit the News and Media/Recent Articles page on www.discovercomoxvalley.com. 

 

Destination Marketing Opportunities

Comox Valley Meetings and Conferences Campaign

The need to develop a meetings and conference attraction campaign was highlighted as a key focus in the Community Tourism Foundations - Comox Valley Tourism Plan, as well as a niche market that hotels, motels and resorts have expressed interest in expanding. This targeted, year long campaign has been designed to include print advertising in Business Vancouver Island - at a 40% discount over regular rates, direct mail, and fam tour hosting; each supported by third-party editorial development.

FMI:   Mark A. MacDonald                              Chris Cathers 

         Publisher, Business Vancouver Island       Business Vancouver Island

         Toll Free: 1-866-758-2684                    Toll Free: 1-866-758-2684 Ext 122

         mark@businessvi.ca                             chris@businessvi.ca

 

 

Other Destination Marketing Opportunities

WestJet’s up! Magazine – Fall 2009 

FMI: Vicky Campbell, (250) 740-1216, Vicky@tourismvi.ca

 

2010 Western Canada Group Travel Planner

  

FMI: Faron White, 1-800-537-5507, faron.white@transcontinental.ca

 

Tourism Vancouver Island's Brochure Distribution Program

FMI:  FMI: Vicky Campbell, (250) 740-1216, Vicky@tourismvi.ca