Yukon Convention Bureau Semi-Annual Report 2015-2016meetingsyukon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Semi...Yukon Convention Bureau – Semi Annual Report 2015/2016 - 5 - Per the board’s

Yukon Convention Bureau

Semi-Annual Report 2015-2016

Submitted: November 2015

Yukon Convention Bureau – Semi Annual Report 2015/2016

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Semi- Annual Report 2015-2016 Fiscal Year

Table of Contents

President’s Report……………………………………………………………………...3-5 Membership……………………………………………………………………………..6-7 List of Trade Shows/Events/ FAM Tours………………….. ………………...……...8 Economic Impact & YCB & Industry Overview …………………………………….9 Bid Status……………………………………………………………………………….10 Major Supporters ………………………………………………………………………11 Sports Tourism…………………………………………………………………………12 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………13-14


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The Yukon Convention Bureau President’s Report

Semi-Annual Report – Oct 2015 The Yukon Convention Bureau (YCB) and the meetings, conventions and incentive travel (MC&IT) industry in Yukon, is on track in meeting our estimated economic impact target for the 2015/2016 fiscal year. YCB sales and marketing program has YCB maintaining a strong presence in our target markets. With last years slight decrease in economic impact, YCB is estimating the impact will remain below the industries 2013 record peak. YCB expects the next two fiscal years will continue to see a stable MC&IT Industry within the territory. Canada’s MC&IT industry is experiencing heavy growth and organizations like YCB, are seeing a number of changes in MC&IT sales and marketing trends. The recent development of Business Events Canada (BEC) has played a key role in these changes. BEC is the division of Destination Canada charged with bringing MC&IT programs to Canada. Since 2012, BEC has been a leader in developing MC&IT sales partnerships; both leading collective buy-in programs and generating new MC&IT sales events. In the past, YCB has focused solely on target markets within Canada. With BEC now actively in place, focusing on Canadian market trends, we now have a decisive leader to generate and provide a more in-depth overview of our industry and its ever-changing landscape. “Canada is the No. 1 choice for outbound meetings business from the US, which brings in about $1.5 billion annually. While almost 80% of all meetings and conventions business comes to Canada from the US, Canada’s market share is steadily increasing in the BEC’s four other targeted geo-markets (of Belgium, France, Germany, the UK).” - Business Events Canada Online media Fact Sheet


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YCB has experienced a surge in interest from potential leads, an increase of close to 150% in new contacts from years prior. Many of YCB’s new leads have commented on Tourism Yukon’s targeted media campaigns, suggesting to YCB the message of the Yukon, is making a significant impact across the tourism sector. To maximize this opportunity, YCB is working with our Northern partners to change the typical east/west mandates of planners and associations, to consider the North as part of the mandated cycle. YCB continues encourage planners to consider secondary cities, alternative dates, and midscale hotels, which may deliver more for the budget. Yukon’s MC&IT industry offers exactly that, suggesting the current climate is an ideal time for YCB to promote our territory, and expect great returns. Travelling in market to Vancouver, Toronto & Ottawa, a estimated 8-10 times annually, allows for our tourism industry partners a number of opportunities to join YCB in these endeavors. However, with the industry trends, current U.S. dollar value and sales opportunities and partnerships, provided by BEC, YCB is reviewing options for expanding beyond Canada. The costs and travel time varies greatly for these events, allowing both large and small tourism business to see a worthy ROI for these activities. YCB continues to encourage industry partnership for these events, effectively lowering the overall cost for each partner and increasing the “presence” of Yukon in the MC&IT market. Along with our members and partners, YCB continues to utilize Yukon Government funding programs to offset the costs of selling & marketing the Yukon for MICE. These programs could be further accessed by YCB, by increasing our revenues. Despite a currently healthy financial standing and strong industry support, YCB is seeking ways to increase our non- Yukon Government revenues, necessary to offset our Yukon Government program contributions. Considering that, the City of Whitehorse contribution, membership dues and buy in program revenues provide a large percentage of YCB non- Yukon Government revenues; YCB is reconsidering our current destination marketing fee (DMF) model. This topic has long been on YCB’s radar, and may provide a long-term sustainable solution to the need for increased revenues needed to maximize our sales & marketing capacity.


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Per the board’s directive the DMF model review is our priority for the 2015/2016 fiscal year. It is our intent to identify realistic options and implementable solutions that will benefit our organization, members and the Yukon economy as a whole. The Yukon Convention Bureau is continuing to position the Yukon as a viable destination for meetings, incentive travel, conferences & business events. YCB will ensure that its dollars are spent effectively, generating a significant return on investment for the organization as well as its contributors, partners & members. Compared to our Canadian destination-marketing counterparts, Yukon is a large player, on a small budget. One of our biggest opportunities is to partner together, to maximize our impact and ensure Yukon continues to be recognized as an attractive, accessible and affordable destination for all tourism sectors. Wanda Leaf Yukon Convention Bureau President November 2015


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Membership 2015-2016 Air North - Yukon's Airline Alaska Campground Owners Association Alpine Bakery Antoinette’s Restaurant Arts Underground Association Franco-Yukonnaise Association of Yukon Communities Atlin Mountain Inn & Kirkwood Cottages Bean North Coffee Roasting Company Ltd. Bed & Breakfast Association of the Yukon Beez Kneez Bakpakers Hostel Best Western/High Country/Edgewater/Yukon Convention Centre Brewery Bay Chalet Burnt Toast Cafe Cabin Fever Adventures Cafe Balzam Canada Games Centre Canadream Campers Caribou Crossing City of Whitehorse CKRW - The Rush Dalton Trail Lodge Dave's Trophy Express Dawson City Arts Society DRIVING FORCE Rentals/Leasing/Sales Edgewater Hotel Emilie Joslin Consulting Inc. Express Northwest Event Care Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau Fritz Mueller Photography Integraphics Jarvis Street Saloon Klondike Rib and Salmon Barbecue Klondike Travel - Associates for Flight Centre Klondike Visitors Association Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre Leaf Solutions Mac's Fireweed Marsh Lake Tents and Events Men's World Midnight Sun Gallery & Gifts Mountain View Golf Course Nature Tours Of Yukon North End Gallery Northern Lights Resort & Spa NorthwesTel


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Old Log Church Outcrop Yukon Ltd. Outside the Cube Paradigm Digital Signage Paradise Alley Patti Balsillie Management Consulting PR Services Days Inn WHITEHORSE HOTEL Rivendell Farm Ruby Range Adventure Ltd. Say Something Communications Skky Hotel Shady Grove Event Rentals Sky High Valley Ranches Ltd Sport Yukon Standard Bus Contracting Ltd. Taku Sports Group Tatshenshini Expediting Ltd. Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre The Chocolate Claim The Wheelhouse Restaurant TIA Yukon Timewise Event Management Inc. Tintina Air Unitech - Lighting & Sound Up North Adventures Village of Haines Junction Village of Mayo Waterfront Station Business Centre Westmark Hotels (Whitehorse/Dawson) What's Up Yukon White Pass and Yukon Route Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce Wilderness Tourism Association of Yukon YTG - Tourism & Culture Yukon Artists at Work Yukon Arts Centre Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre Yukon Brewing Company Yukon Chamber of Commerce Yukon College Yukon Culture Cruiser Yukon First Nation Tourism Association Yukon Inn Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Society Yukon Transportation Museum Yukon Wildlife Preserve

10 Exchange Memberships with other industry organizations Total of 98 members


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Trade Shows/ Events Attended by Yukon Convention Bureau April 2015 – October 2015

MARKETPLACE DATE CITY TYPE*

IBE – Ignite Business Expo & Canada Meet Week April 13-16 Toronto, ON

Association Corp/Gov

Silver Shows Sept 9 Vancouver, BC Association Corp/Gov

Silver Show Oct 15 Toronto, ON Association Corp/Gov

Silver Show Oct 16 Ottawa, ON Association Corp/Gov

FAM Tours Conducted through the Yukon Convention Bureau

April 2015 – October 2015

TOUR DATE CITY # OF GUESTS

Corporate/ Association/ FAM Sep 11-16, 2015 Dawson City &

Whitehorse, YT 6

Corporate/ Association/ FAM Sep 27-30, 2015 Whitehorse, YT 3


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Semi- Annual Report 2015-2016

Economic Impact – YCB & Industry Overview

YCB Bid Conference Name Date #

Economic Impact

x Fisheries & Oceans Meeting April 11-18 26 55,782 Council on Corp. Aboriginal Relations May 4-7 25 33,212 Dawson City Gold Show (940 tot – 250 outside) May 14-16 250 253,130 Pan North F2R Summit May 26-27 150 131,586 First Nations Energy Forum May 28-29 100 87,710 x YG Aboriginal Relations –

Federal/Prov./Territorial June 10-11 35 62,296 x Cdn. Council of Motor Transport Administrators June 10-17 290 484,472 x Elks and Royal Purple of Canada Conference July 11-18 305 669,390 First Nations Dance Festival June 12-14 300 290,840 x BDC – Board and Senior Management,

Meetings and Events July 28-31 26 25,000 x Canada Parks Council – August 2015 Aug 24-28 28 43,517 Royal Canadian Mint – Board Meeting Aug 24-25 25 21,927 Public Service Commissioners Canada Sept 9-11 35 38,598 x GFOA – Government Finance Officers

Association of Western Canada Conference Sept 13-17 225 220,560 YCB Assisted Economic Developers Association of Canada Sept 17-20 220 212,560 YCB Assisted Yukon North Slope Conference Sept 28-Oct 1 100 77,196 Opportunities North Conference Oct 26-28 250 110,280 Est. Economic Impact of all events with YCB

Members 2490 2,818,056


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2015-2016 Semi -Annual Report

Bid Status Bids Won: Northern Land Use Planning Conference, Feb 15-17 2016 The North & WW1 Conference - May 9-15, 2016 WOW Gathering - May 23-26, 2016 GDC - Graphic Designers Council of Canada AGM & Conference - June 5-11, 2016 Confidential Meeting – not to be posted publicly anywhere - June 2016 CCFM (Canadian Council of Forest Ministers) June 6-10, 2016 GACMAC May/June 2016 - Geological Association of Canada/ Mineralogical Association of Canada Century Flight Club - June 18-24, 2016 CAZA-AZAC September 2016 - Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums Aboriginal Curatorial Collective Gathering -September 28-30, 2016 Shriners May 25-28, 2017 CVSA - Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance - Sept 2017 Polar Tourism Conference - TBA June 2018 Bids Lost: Moen Conference - June 2015 Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum - January 2016 MPIBC Retreat - January 29-31, 2016 Canadian Roofing Contractors Association-May/June 2016 WCB Young Safety Coordinators Meeting CCFAM Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers - June 2016 Bids Pending: Record Management Event - April 28th & 29th, 2016 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Executive Board Meeting - May 2016 Geological Association of Canada/ Mineralogical Association of Canada – (GACMAC) May/June 2016 SWIFT – Summer Winter Integrated Field Technologies – Sept 2016 Society of Rural Physicians of Canada Education Conference – Sept 2016 BIAC Conference April 5 - 7, 2017 IRMAC - International Regional Magazine Association Conference - September or October 2017 Real Property Institute of Canada's Federal Contaminated Sites Regional Workshop June 2017 or 19 Total in 2015/2016 so far: 13 - Bids Won 8 - Still Pending 6 - Lost to lack of availability, other destinations or meeting did not move forward


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Major Supporters The YCB membership support provides a variety of financial and in-kind sponsorship for our annual marketing endeavours. These partnerships strengthen Yukon’s brand, encouraging organizations to consider Yukon as a conference destination. Thank you to every company and organization below for their continued support. Private Sector / Not for profit: Air North – Yukon’s Airline: flight passes for sales & marketing purposes Driving Force: use of vehicle for FAM tours, site inspections and local sales calls Westmark Whitehorse Hotel and Conference Centre: complimentary rooms for FAM groups, use of meeting rooms for YCB meetings and events, complimentary catering for FAM group High Country Inn / Best Western Gold Rush Inn: complimentary rooms for FAM groups, use of meeting rooms for YCB meetings and events, complimentary catering for FAM group Kwanlin Dunn Cultural Centre: sponsorship of Bravo awards North End Gallery & Martha Hills: assistance with Bravo Awards and 20% discount on personalized YCB gifting for sales calls & events Yukon Artist’s at Work: co ordination of FAM art taster & complimentary room rental for FAM’s Transportation Museum: complimentary room rental for FAM tours Leaf Solutions: sponsor for Bravo Awards Government Sponsors: Yukon Government, Department of Tourism & Culture: Core funding and assistance with Sales & Marketing activities

City of Whitehorse: Contribution to Core Funding Beringia Interpretive Centre: complimentary room rental for FAM tours Also, thank you to those members who have generously provided us with door prizes and gifting for YCB events throughout the year.


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Sport Tourism Marketing Market Description: Sport Tourism is defined as: any activity in which people are attracted to a particular location as a sport event participant, an event spectator, or to attend sport attractions or business meetings. YCB is no longer the lead agency for Sport Tourism but continues to support Sport Yukon’s activities to position Yukon as a desirable sport event destination. General Strategy for YCB within this sector: These are areas in which the Yukon Convention Bureau will continue to participate in the sport travel sector.

• Providing information regarding air access • Booking hotel room blocks • Connecting organizers with local event suppliers • Carrying out the usual assistance to planners of sports meetings (as opposed to sports

events). The Yukon Convention Bureau may consider additional future involvement in sport tourism providing its Board of Directors and YTG deem sport tourism should be re-implemented into the YCB mandate and the addition of funding adequate to cover the staffing and marketing costs.


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Semi-Annual Report Oct 2015

CONCLUSION

The Yukon Convention Bureau is a member-driven, industry-led destination marketing organization (DMO), tasked with positioning the Yukon as a favorable destination for meetings and events in the following sectors: association, government and incentive travel.

With the continuing development of Yukon as a destination for MC&IT, 2013 saw a record high year. Yukon MC&IT has been steadily growing over the past five years. In addition, it should also be noted, YCB has not been the lead for sports events since 2009, which added a significant increase to the economic impact number in the years prior to 2009.

The economic impact of MC&IT to and within the Yukon is significant:

2009 2010 2011 2012 *2013 2014 Economic Impact** $3,251,150! $3,711,109! $3,219,392! $4.713,800 $5,102,895 $4,458, 835

Numbers of Meetings 38 26 25 25 26 23 Total Delegate Count 4687 3698 4231 3940 4385 3931 Average # of Delegates

127 142 169 157.6 168 170

Average # of Nights 2.7 3.8 3.7 4.9 3.3 3.4 Average Daily Spending

$256.91 $264.09 $205.65 $244.16 *352.64 333.61

Year on Year Comparison:

* 2013 number are reflective of a updated Economic Impact Calculator for the 2013 figures. ** Economic Impact is net – total spending is reduced by approximately 50%, which represents economic leakage. ! 2008 was the last year YCB was responsible for the Sport sector, accounting for an Economic Impact of over $60,000 in 2009, $750,000 in 2010, $320,000 in 2011.


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CONCLUSION continued

For the fiscal year 2015-2016, the Yukon Convention Bureau continues to promote Yukon as a unique meeting and event destination. Following our current Sales & Marketing Plans and Communications Plan, YCB ensures that its dollars are spent effectively, to maximize the return on investment for the organization as well as its members. The Yukon Convention Bureau’s focus is in the following geographic markets: Ottawa is a prime target market since it is the base for the large majority of national associations. Toronto is also a potential source for corporate business and incentive travel and will rank as a secondary market. Our tertiary market is western Canada with particular emphasis on our Vancouver. Trade shows and industry events have been carefully selected based on the greatest opportunity for return on investment and on evaluation of recent show performance. The Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) has proven to be the YCB’s main source for leads. CSAE’s Annual Ottawa Chapter Tête-à-Tête conference and Ontario hosted Annual National Conferences attract on average over 600 association executive directors and association event planners each year. Member buy-in and feedback are encouraged. In addition, YCB will continue to explore non-traditional partnerships, which will expose its members to new marketing opportunities. YCB will work with BEC and other Canadian Destinations to consider potential options for possible U.S. markets. YCB will target meetings from 50 to 450, occasionally hosting larger events when a quality product can be delivered. Meeting organizers will be encouraged to plan their event for spring and fall shoulder seasons, when hotels may be under-utilized and avoiding the peak tourist months of July and August. The Yukon Convention Bureau’s wide variety of pre and post convention opportunities enhances both sales mission presentations and our comprehensive bid packages. In addition, conference add-ons encourage delegates to extend their stay in Yukon – a benefit to the entire MC&IT service sector. The national MC&IT industry continues to see its planners and delegates alike, focus on costs and affordability. Economic uncertainties have a strong impact on the MC&IT sector, when groups and planners secure their future destinations. Yet, since 2009 we have seen a consistent number of no less than $3.2 million in economic impact. YCB will continue implementing its current marketing plan, taking into account economic conditions and trends. With, increased in market sales activities and using a cost comparison analysis of Whitehorse to other city destinations, the forecast for the 2015/2016 is expected to meet the mid range of our $3.5-5 million annual target. YCB looks forward to rounding out another successful fiscal year in 2016, in selling & marketing the Yukon as a unique and affordable destination for meetings, incentives, conferences & events.

Documents

Yukon Convention Bureau Semi-Annual Report 2015-2016meetingsyukon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Semi...Yukon Convention Bureau – Semi Annual Report 2015/2016 - 5 - Per the board’s