Chinook Country Tourist Association (CCTA)
ing the W m o c l orld We
Summer 2012 - A Few Examples of a Great Summer Ahead:
to
Junior Little League National Championship . . . . . . . . . . . August 1 to 9, 2012
2012 Alberta Summer Games Bring It On!
and promoting sustainable quality, innovative and successful tourism programs with
•A ttract Events, Conferences and Meetings
• I ncrease Hotel, Restaurant and Sport Facility Use
provides leadership and a collective voice for sport in Lethbridge, offering quality sport experiences to all and attracting, creating and retaining sport tourism opportunities for Lethbridge.
Lethbridge Air Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 21 to 22, 2012 2012 Alberta Summer Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 26 to 29, 2012
ideal tourism destination, fostering
Lethbridge Sport Council (LSC)
Street Wheelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 13 to 15, 2012 2012 Women’s Amateur Golf Championship . . . . . . . . . . . . July 23 to 27, 2012
markets Southwest Alberta as the
key partners.
Dragon Boat Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July 6 to 8, 2012
• I mprove Tourism and Business Product and Services Consumption
• P romote Lethbridge to Live, Visit and Do Business
•G enerate Economic Impact
The 2012 Alberta Summer Games will take place July 26 to 29 in the city of Lethbridge and is a celebration of achievements of Alberta’s youth in sport and culture. More than 3,000 athletes, coaches, and officials will participate in the Games, competing in 15 different sports all based out of Lethbridge. Did you know the 2012 Alberta Summer Games involve: • 3,000 Athletes, Coaches and Officials • 8 Zones – 298 athletes per zone aged 11 to 17 • 3,264 beds for athletes (3,000 in Athlete Villages, 14 for Mission Staff and 250 for VIPs) • 27,000 meals for athletes (18,000 at the Food Centre and 9,000 at sport venues) • 15 sports with 1,467 medals awarded • 18 competition venues and 16 additional venues • 48 external buses used to transport 3,000 athletes, volunteers and officials from outside of Lethbridge • 70 internal buses used to transport athletes, volunteers and officials through the Alberta Summer Games • 10 courtesy vehicles used to transport all VIPs throughout the Alberta Summer Games • 3,000 volunteers equating to 100,000 hours of volunteer time • $4.5 million in economic impact to the city of Lethbridge • $5.5 million in economic impact to the province of Alberta • 9 Staff Members, 14 Board Members, and 99 Chairs
Economic Development
Chinook Country Tourist Association 2805 Scenic Dr. South Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 5B7 (403) 320-1222 www.exploresouthwestalberta.ca
Lethbridge (EDL) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that strengthens and
Economic Development Lethbridge
develops the Lethbridge economy
Promoters and planners increasingly view Lethbridge as a destination.
308 Stafford Drive South Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 2L1 (403) 331-0022 www.chooselethbridge.ca
by initiating and facilitating proactive economic development strategies and promotes Lethbridge as an excellent place to live, learn, invest, visit and to do business.
Lethbridge Sport Council
Experience Lethbridge
Nicholas Sheran Ice Centre Second Floor, 401 Laval Blvd Lethbridge, AB T1K 3W7 (403) 320-5412 www.lethbridgesportcouncil.ca Printed in Canada
Enticing, Inviting and Promoting…
Photo: Michael Burns, Canadian Curling Association.
Dynamic partnership between Economic Development Lethbridge, Chinook Country Tourist Association and Lethbridge Sport Council results in Lethbridge being a destination of choice for business, leisure and sport travelers.
Diverse Attractions Nearby – Waterton Lakes National Parks
Accommodations
Proposing, Hosting and Engaging…
Through targeted marketing and collaborative partnerships, the value of the hospitality, meeting and convention industry, sport facilities and tourism products and experiences is demonstrated. This results in the generation of over $210 million of economic impact to Lethbridge and region annually. Inviting visitors to Lethbridge involves creating awareness of Southwest Alberta as a leisure tourism, sport tourism and business traveler destination. Chinook Country Tourist Association targets its marketing at consumers, media and tour operators, organizes familiarization tours, develops itineraries, and participates in event attraction conferences such as Rendezvous Canada and Canada’s West Marketplace. Lethbridge Sport Council has had a presence at the Canada Sport Tourism Alliance Congress since 2005 in order to build relationships with the Sport Event Rights Holders, to identify sport programs that Lethbridge would be a fit for and to attract appropriate major sport events to Lethbridge. Economic Development Lethbridge attends numerous tradeshows annually, including Tête-à-Tête in Ottawa, Travel Alberta Road Show in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, Ignite in Toronto, and CSAE National in Ottawa in order to introduce Lethbridge to approximately 500 meeting planners, resulting in supporting about $10 million in convention, meeting and events direct spend in Lethbridge annually. Chinook Country Tourist Association works with tourism attractions, accommodations, entertainment organizations/ businesses, and municipalities to market Southwest Alberta by developing tourism experiences. Lethbridge Sport Council provides leadership for the enhancement and development of sports in Lethbridge, working with over 60 sport organizations within the city and playing a large role in attracting and promoting sport events to Lethbridge. Convention and Event Development is a key component of Economic Development Lethbridge, and focuses on promoting Lethbridge as an attractive destination for the business and event traveler. Working with a network of nearly seventy stakeholders in the hotel, restaurant, retail and transportation sectors, including the Lethbridge Lodging Association, Convention and Event promotes the City’s unique experiences and provides support to meeting, sport and event planners to ensure their specific needs are met. These efforts have earned Lethbridge the distinction of being recognized as one of four destination meeting places in Alberta.
Economic Development Lethbridge, Chinook Country Tourist Association and Sixteen high schools participate in the Lethbridge Sport Council share the goal of encouraging business, leisure and South Zone 4A Basketball Championships and League Junior Varsity Playoffs sport travelers to stay longer in the city and region by marketing our strong sport over six days from March 14 to 19. organizations, superior accommodations and meeting amenities, choice sport Eight teams comprising top Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) facilities, varied retail shops and restaurants, diverse tourism female basketball athletes in the country compete at Lethbridge College product inventory, and excellent cultural assets. in a three-day championship from March 15 to 17. Chinook Country Tourist Association attracts attention to the region and expands the reach and event and destination Twelve international curling teams compete in the awareness with its website, online marketing, social media Ford World Women’s Curling Championships at the Enmax Centre efforts and tools such as the Southwest Alberta Travel Planner, in a nine-day tournament from March 17 to 25. assisting travelers to understand the full range of experiential March 2012 was filled with Lethbridge playing host to multiple major opportunities and find their way around southwest Alberta. sporting events at the regional, national and international levels providing Economic Development Lethbridge’s Convention and Event an assortment of experiences for residents and visitors alike. Restaurants, Development has strong partnerships and affiliations with hotels and shops welcomed guests to the City that both enjoyed the provincial and national associations, giving the organization a sporting events and the area’s cultural, historical and other tourism chance to maximize relationships, connections and resources, experiences. Local, national and international media spotlighted the and to promote before and after meeting/conference hospitality and hosting prowess shown by the city of nearly 88,000 experience. residents and its organizations. Through a focus on targeted sport tourism opportunities, Sponsored by Bank of Montreal, the BMO 2012 CCAA Lethbridge Sport Council proposes first class experience Women’s Basketball National Championships in its bids for major events, playing a large role in adding were organized by value for local businesses in retail, restaurant, Lethbridge College accommodations, entertainment and transand attracted national portation sectors and ensuring strong economic attention. Teams and impact for Lethbridge. Both Chinook Country fans from British Columbia, Tourist Association and Economic Development Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Lethbridge work with the Lethbridge Sport New Brunswick were hosted by Council to actively attract sporting events and the Lethbridge Kodiaks. support local sport organizations to attract sport Games were streamed events to Lethbridge. live online across the In the end, success is defined by the nation bringing close meetings, conventions, and events attracted to 5,000 unique visitors. to Lethbridge as well as by the equity the Chinook Country Tourist city gains in markets outside of Lethbridge. Association’s online Promoters and planners increasingly view reservation system provided Lethbridge as a destination. From Johnny Lethbridge College with a very Reid and Elton John Concerts to 2013 Pacific affordable and convenient Northwest Shrine Association to Ford World opportunity to promote the Women’s Curling Championships and the 2012 - Jody Meli, Host Committee Chair championships to visitors Alberta Summer Games, the efforts of Economic Development Ford World Women’s and local basketball fans Lethbridge, Chinook Country Tourist Association and Lethbridge Curling Championships who avoided ticket sale Sport Council are rewarded. lineups, enhancing their sport experience. The efforts of organizers, staff and volunteers resulted in an estimated economic impact of $175,000. The Ford World Women’s Curling Championships took place at the ENMAX Centre from March 17 to 25. The ENMAX Centre, a legacy from the 1975 Canada Winter Games, saw competitors and visitors from across Canada and eleven more curling nations take part in the nine-day world tournament that attracted 55,400 people. The international event garnered national and international media coverage, bringing unrivaled attention to the City. The event brought $4.5 million to the Lethbridge economy based on spending on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, gasoline, transportation and shopping. Facilities
Attracting events to Lethbridge enhances the city’s identity provincially, nationally and internationally. Leisure, sport and business visitors attracted to the city financially support local venues/businesses and enhance the quality of life for Lethbridge residents.
Dining
Showcasing Lethbridge …
As an organization and as a community, it’s great for our image and reputation that we can host something as phenomenal as this and pull it off.