We are now well into the planning cycle for 2010 marketing, with each of us in the Tourism Prince Rupert office concentrating on at least one specific aspect of this

activity.

For myself it is the 2010 Marketing Plan and Budget, which addresses those tactics of the Prince Rupert Tourism Plan which are our responsibility. In some ways this remains a very difficult process, as there is never enough money to do all that we want to do, and we now face added uncertainty over what funding might be available through provincial agencies in the years to come. Many of our core activities will remain the same until we know more about the future. Still, we seem to manage to find external funding for at least a couple of exciting new initiatives each year. I’m looking forward to being able to share some of these new things once the Marketing Plan passes through the Board approval

process.

Our Director of Marketing is busy with TPR’s 2010 printed materials. With sales now wrapped for the 2010 Prince Rupert Visitor Guide, we’re now moving into the production of the guide. The present successful design of the guide will be continued for another year, though one of the things that we hope to accomplish in 2010, for the 2011 marketing cycle, is a thorough redesign of the guide to make it match our new tourism

brand.

We print 60,000 copies of the Visitor Guide, which are distributed at Visitor Centres in B.C. and Alaska, throughout Alaska, aboard ferries and at consumer, trade and media shows. It is also the main Prince Rupert promotional piece distributed through our own Visitor Centre, both for visitors who come in, and those who request more information. The distribution of the guide, however, is far broader than this, as many visitors are also provided with PDF copies of the guide. Despite the continually-evolving ways in which potential visitors seek information, the Visitor Guide remains the premiere method of connecting with both visitors and potential visitors, and bringing them through the doors of local businesses, attractions and tours.

If you would like more information about the Visitor Guide, please contact Monika at 250-624-8687.

Our Conference and Events Coordinator has been contacting all sorts of community groups to talk about the importance of conference and event attraction. This is something that we can accomplish, working together, to great benefit for the whole community. We have determined that the best approach to this is to demonstrate to local groups that we can hold very successful conferences in Prince Rupert and encourage them to consider bringing their own organizational gatherings to town. Through external funding we were able to begin to address a comprehensive approach to conference and events in 2009, including the publication of a Conference & Events Planner which is intended to demonstrate to conference planners that Prince Rupert has the amenities to make their event successful. This has made a good start to a coordinated community approach to conference and event

attraction.

Of course these are main areas of effort, but we have many ongoing tasks as well – even travel media visits, although they slow to a trickle, do not stop altogether over the winter months. It sometimes surprises people to learn this, but the “off-season” when we prepare for the season to come can often be even busier at Tourism Prince Rupert than the peak

season.