MAY 2011 HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE Bring on the Summer! Fredericton’s Visitor Information Centres Open This Month edVentures Figures Prominently in Canadian Geographic Magazine Fredericton Tourism Retail Operations Open for the Season Meeting & Convention Update: Building Awareness in Toronto and Ottawa Travel Trade Update: NB Well Represented at Rendezvous Canada Consumer Market Update: So Many Reasons to Love Spring! Travel Media Update: Marking Fredericton “Top of Mind” for Travel Writers Summer Ceremonial Guard Program Student Employment Opportunities
Welcome/Farewell Fredericton International Airport Welcomes New Director of Marketing and Business Development Summer Concert Series: A Sneak Peek! English Competing for “NORAM Better Tomorrow” Chef’s Competition Be in the Know! Newsletters and Bulletins to Keep you Informed What’s Happening Literature Delivery
BRING ON THE SUMMER! FREDERICTON’S VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES OPEN THIS MONTH Fredericton’s City Hall Visitor Information Centre (VIC) opens with weekday hours Monday, May 2, 8:15am – 4:30pm. The Irving Big Stop VIC located on Nevers Road will open daily beginning June 6, from 10am-6pm and the Kings Landing VIC located at Kings Landing Visitor Reception Centre will open on the weekends beginning June 11 and open daily beginning June 26. Our new VIC kiosk, located at the airport, is staffed on an as-needed basis but will always provide our Visitor Guide and other brochures for visitors. Fredericton Tourism would like to welcome Raelene Arsenault back this year as our Head Supervisor and also welcome the following returning VIC Counsellors: Kallie Haines, Lauren Arnold and Tyler Milson. New VIC counsellers are Nikki Chapman, Harlan Thompson, Emma Hawkins and Deborah Humble. Tourism Talk – May 2011
2 If you have brochures, please drop them off to our office on 11 Carleton Street, or contact Fredericton Tourism at 460-2041 to arrange for pick-up. The VIC staff may also contact you if more brochures are needed. Fredericton Tourism will determine which brochures are shelved depending on available space. For more information, contact 460-2041 or email: tourism@fredericton.ca. Space is limited on the shelves but the VIC will promote all of Fredericton’s businesses and attractions.
EdVentures FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Freelance travel writer Rebecca Caldwell visited Fredericton recently and was thoroughly impressed with the edVentures program. Her experiences in the city are detailed in a glowing article singing the praises of this awardwinning program. Rebecca writes, “Taking an art class may not be the most obvious way of getting to know a new place. When travelling, your art ventures are more likely to take you to galleries for viewing rather than studios for doing. But I’m obsessed with taking continuing ed classes and, in the past 10 years, have taken courses on everything from bass guitar to home repair and horseback riding. And, in some ways, signing up for an art course might actually be the perfect way of getting to know Fredericton, for this particular city seems to have the largest number of working artisans and craftspeople per capita in Canada.” To view the complete article, visit: http://travelclub.canadiangeographic.ca/blogs/feature_articles/archive/2011/04/15/frederi cton-new-brunswick.aspx
FREDERICTON TOURISM RETAIL OPERATIONS OPEN FOR THE SEASON!
Lighthouse on The Green will open for business on May 28. Fun features for our younger visitors include bean bag toss, puzzles and a cool photo op as a lighthouse keeper. You’ll find lots of locally made yummy treats including 12 flavours of ice cream! Special Fredericton souvenirs, visitor information and tickets for local day adventures and events are also available. Enjoy our free Friday evening and Sunday afternoon concerts on our lower deck or join us for yoga on Wednesday evenings during July and August. Open daily 10:30am – 7pm in June; 10:30am-9:30pm July & August and 10:30am-6pm into September. NEW from River Trails Rentals & Tours, you can rent in-line skates and take advantage of the city’s newly paved waterfront trails. As always, you can also enjoy an afternoon bike ride along the river by renting one of various bicycles, children’s trailers or our bicycle built for two! Guided tours beginning from the Lighthouse, focusing on
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heritage, nature & culture, will be offered at 9:30am and 2:30pm, Wednesday –Sunday, May 28-September 4. Open daily for rentals beginning May 28. 10:30am-6:30 pm in June; 10:30am-8:30pm July & August and 10:30am-5:30pm into September 11.
The Barracks Fine Craft Shops in the Old Soldiers Barracks will reopen on May 28 this year after a one year hiatus while the Barracks underwent construction. We’ve been overwhelmed with applications from very talented artists who are prepared to sell their wares as well as demonstrate their techniques for our customers and visitors. While some construction will continue on the upper floors of the Barracks and across the courtyard at the original NB College of Craft and Design building, the space for the shops and the green space between the shops and the Guard House will be available for retail sales and tourism programming. All three operations are welcoming back students who have been with us for four years now! Jill Sutthery, Heather Baird, Christine Evans and Courtney Beaver. New staff this year are Jessica Glynn, Karen Fitzgerald, Kate Hawkins and their supervisor at the Lighthouse on The Green, April Thorne. Bridget McAleenan joins us again at River Valley Crafts for her fifth season. For information on any of Fredericton Tourism’s business operations, contact Karen Daigle, 460-2157 or karen.daigle@fredericton.ca
Meeting & Convention Update: BUILDING AWARENESS IN TORONTO AND OTTAWA Awareness is growing in both Ottawa and Toronto. The Rendez-Vous Fredericton team hit the streets in both cities last month. Members participated in a five day sales mission and two client events. We met with over 30 meeting planners in the association and corporate markets. There was a lot of interest in Fredericton. Our next goal is to entice the planners to visit Fredericton and then choose our city as their meeting destination. We’re on the right track! From this mission, 5 meeting planners are planning to visit Fredericton this summer. It will be Fredericton’s chance to promote our city and sell our destination. Rendez-Vous Fredericton participating partners were Wendy Bradley (Fredericton Tourism), Erin Blanchard (Fredericton Convention Centre), Celine Diotte (Crowne Plaza), Kathryn Sprott (Delta) and Beth Wallace (UNB). Highlighting Fredericton Rendez-Vous Fredericton will take centre stage next month at the Meeting Professional International’s annual general meeting in Ottawa. This is the largest event RVF sponsors each year. It is a great opportunity to promote Fredericton as a great east coast meeting destination to a room full of qualified meeting planners. RVF will promote the delivering on the promise of opening the convention centre along with marketing our other meeting facilities. Fredericton’s dynamic culture, vibrant Tourism Talk – May 2011
4 history, natural beautiful and of course, our maritime hospitality will also be highlighted. Participating partners include the Crowne Plaza, Delta, and Fredericton Convention Centre. Info: Wendy Bradley at wendy.bradley@fredericton.ca or 460-2852. Congress 2011 More than 6,000 people are coming to the capital region from May 28 to June 4 – get ready! The largest event in Fredericton’s history is only days away! The City of Fredericton is the site for the 80th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. The University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University will co-host this prestigious event - the largest in the city’s history. Fredericton Tourism is informing you of this now so you can prepare for the potential increase in business. The majority of people are coming from outside of New Brunswick, providing restaurants, taxis, hotels, retailers and businesses a prime opportunity to capitalize on new customers (almost 3,000 people per day on May 29, 30 & 31). The expected economic spinoff is estimated to be approximately $6 million. This event will also generate national and international media exposure for the city. Mark the dates in your calendar, inform your staff and get ready to show off your Maritime Hospitality! For more information, visit http://congress2011.ca. Meeting and Event Assistance For more information on bringing your meeting or event home to Fredericton, contact Wendy Bradley at wendy.bradley@fredericton.ca or 460-2852 For assistance with servicing an event with Tourism literature, contact Debbie Perry at Debbie.perry@fredericton.ca or 460-2087.
Travel Trade Update:
NB WELL REPRESENTED AT RENDEZVOUS CANADA Rendezvous Canada marketplace
Fredericton Tourism will promote Fredericton as a destination for bus tours and independent itineraries(FIT) to tour operators from around the world at tourism marketplace, Rendez-vous Canada, May 15-18. Mary Ellen has over 25 appointments with international and North American tour operators during the 3 day show. Other New Brunswick suppliers attending are the cities of Moncton, Saint John, Edmundston and Miramichi, as well as Pays de la Sagouine, NB Museum, Reversing Falls Jet Boat Ride,
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Coastal Inns, Hopewell Rocks, l’Acadie, Fundy Trail and representatives from NB Tourism’s Trade team. UK Tour Operator promoting 5 day Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival package A few weeks ago in London, England 6 great acts battled it out in the New Brunswick Battle of the Blues 2011 competition- a promotion by NB Tourism, City of Fredericton and Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival. The winner, 24 Pesos will travel to Fredericton to perform at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival as well as get the chance to visit some of New Brunswick’s many attractions. UK based tour operator, Frontier Canada Travel, an independent specialist tour operator selling many regions in Canada to FIT clients, is offering a New Brunswick Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival 5 night package. The itinerary includes a flight from Heathrow to Halifax, 5 nights accommodation and car rental. ABA top 100 events in North America Fredericton Tourism, as an ABA (American Bus Association) member, will be submitting three nominations to be considered for ABA’s Top 100 Events in North America for 2012. ABA's Top 100 Events in North America recognizes the best group-friendly events for the following year in a special publication of the Top100 distributed to 10,000 group tour professionals. Congrats to NB Highland Games Festival who have made the top 100 list 2 years in a row and will be nominated again by Fredericton Tourism. The two other festivals that Tourism, will nominate are the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival and the NB Summer Music Festival. Bus Tour Room Bookings for 2011 Season In the next week or so, Mary Ellen Hudson will be asking Fredericton area hotels to provide their bookings from all tour companies for the season. Fredericton Tourism will then provide all tour companies booked for overnight stays in the city a warm welcome and information on attractions, special events and activities their clients might enjoy while here. Welcome to our Summer Office Staff Students Fredericton Tourism welcomes our Summer students who begin this month in our Administrative Office on 11 Carleton Street. This summer you may hear from Mariana Webber, Project Assistant and Jeanna Violette, Office Assistant. Matthew Nickerson and Lauren Casey also join us as Promotions Assistants. You’ll see them out and about at all of our summer programs.
Tourism Talk – May 2011
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SO MANY REASONS TO LOVE SPRING! Spring Consumer Shows Thanks to all of our partners for working with us to make the 2011 consumer show effort a great success! We have impacted a lot of visitors to encourage them to visit Fredericton during their vacation. The Ottawa Travel & Vacation Show on April 2 – 3 was the inaugural effort of presenting the St. John River Heritage Corridor to the public. Visitors were very receptive to the message, and the show was busy both days with people looking for specific information to plan their trip. Debbie Perry attended Québec Fête de l’été, Quebec City, PQ on April 15 – 17. Although not as busy as in past years the show still generated a lot of interest in Fredericton. Fredericton had a huge impact at Saltscapes this year, as we doubled our presence to 4 booths. Thank you to Kings Landing and the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival for partnering with us at this show as well as Erica Sullivan and Bronwyn Gallagher, artists who promoted edVentures and the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Harvest also partnered with Tourism & Parks to present live music at the show, billed as “Harvest Happy Hours”. We supported our show efforts with a media buy, and feel that we will see results from the Halifax market in 2011. And last but certainly not least, thanks to all of our Fredericton Home Show partners! Science East, Kingswood & Maritime CountryFest along with edVentures spent the last weekend in March encouraging Frederictonians to take advantage of all the great things we have to offer this summer.
New Brunswick College of Craft & Design Open House The New Brunswick College of Craft & Design will hold an Open House on May 7th from 10am – 5pm. The school will be open for people to tour. A number of instructors will be doing demonstrations of their craft and will be available to answer any questions you may have. Fredericton Tourism will have a table set-up for anyone who is interested in the edVentures program, running from July 4th – August 14th. We will be taking on-site registrations and handing out information regarding the program! This is an event not to be missed!
edVentures Mother’s Day Offer! Hint , hint . . . edVentures workshops make a great Mother’s Day gift for your favourite Mom . . . or for you! For the first time ever, you can purchase an edVentures Gift Certificate and help your favourite Mom awaken her creativity! With more than 120 workshops in everything from
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pottery to textiles, meditation to jewellery making, spinning wool to photoshop, there is something that will refresh, revitalize and rejuvenate your Mom. Visit www.edVentures.ca to read about all the various programs, divided into 11 categories. There are many workshops that mothers and daughters can take together - even several that daughters younger than the age of 16 can take, like making uniquely personalized jewellery, photography, or fashion design. To purchase a gift certificate, call 506-460-2041 or email edVentures@fredericton.ca. Choose the amount you wish to spend, and we will package it with a program guide and other Fredericton information for a complete gift.
Early Bird Registration Deadline Sign up by May 31, 2011 to receive a 15% discount from the published workshop price, so your gift will go even further.
EdVentures literature If you have a place to display an edVentures poster and/or lure brochures and have not yet received any, please contact AJ Furlotte at 460-2954/460-2041 or allenj.furlotte@fredericton.ca and he will get some to you!
Travel Media Update:
MAKING FREDERICTON “TOP OF MIND” FOR TRAVEL WRITERS Fredericton Draws great feedback at Canada Media Marketplace In early April Fredericton attended the Canada Media Marketplace in New York. The Canadian Tourism Commission invited more than 100 of the best travel writers from across North America to attend and Fredericton Tourism pitched story ideas to more than 20 in face- to- face marketplace appointments. Travel media coordinator Stacey Russell sold media on stories about edVentures, the St. John River Heritage Corridor, Kings Landing, Beaverbrook Art Gallery and more.
Officers’ Square makes finals for ‘Great Places in Canada’ Developed by the Planners Institute of Canada, this annual event recognizes the special places that Canadians love most. With over 6,000 nominations received, Officers’ Square has been named within the category of best ‘Public Spaces’ (the only public space in the Maritimes to make the top 10). The finalists will be named in mid May. http://www.cip-icu.ca/greatplaces/en/
Tourism Talk – May 2011
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SUMMER CEREMONIAL GUARD PROGRAM: STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES The Guard Program is a historical re-enactment in the Historic Garrison District. Candidates learn and practice basic drill moves and perform twice-daily parades in Officers’ Square. Guards are expected to perform up to three one-hour shifts per day of standing on sentry duty and will be responsible for maintaining uniform and equipment to standard. Details of positions include: Duration: mid-June – Labour Day Wage: $9.75/hr. Shift work and weekend hours required. All applicants are required to complete a Fredericton Tourism application form available at 11 Carleton St. or on the City of Fredericton website, (details below) in addition to submitting a resume. The deadline for applications is 4:30pm on Friday, May 6, 2011. Forward applications to: Fredericton Tourism, PO Box 130, (11 Carleton St.), Fredericton, NB E3B 4Y7 Phone : 460-2041, Fax: 460-2474. Email: tourism@fredericton.ca Website: www.fredericton.ca (select ‘Careers’ under the ‘Keyword’ Menu) or www.tourismfredericton.ca Only those applicants chosen for interviews will be contacted. The City of Fredericton supports employment equity and encourages applications from all interested individuals.
WELCOME/FAREWELL Fredericton Tourism welcomes Stacey Russell back from maternity. Stacey is our travel media specialist, our festivals liaison, and our team leader on our new Fredericton Tourism Town Square Social Hub, which includes websites, branded YouTube channels, Twitter feeds, an exciting facebook page. It's great to have Stacey back. You can reach Stacy at stacey.russell@fredericton.ca Jocelyn Chen, who has filled in for Stacey over the past year, will be leaving our Fredericton Tourism team on May 15th. We'll miss Jocelyn (and her surf stories). She did a fantastic job developing the Town Square Social Hub. Jocelyn's next stop is home to visit family in Tapei, Taiwan. Come back soon! Farewell to Patricia Donnelly, who has very ably taken over the position of Tourism Coordinator for the past year. Patricia has looked after the consumer market and assisted with our brand redesign, as well as coordination of video and photo collateral.
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Another welcome back to Tourism Coordinator Holly Kirkpatrick, who has also been on maternity leave and excited to jump back into it – just in time for Congress!
FREDERICTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT The Fredericton International Airport Authority (FIAA) is pleased to welcome to their team Leslie Gavin as the Director of Marketing and Business Development. David Innes, President and CEO of the FIAA, said "We are really pleased that we were able to attract Leslie with her excellent qualifications and experience. As growth continues in the greater Fredericton area, the pursuit of increased air travel options becomes more critical. Leslie's experience with helping communities improve global air connectivity will go a long way towards attracting new airlines and expanding the air service network available at the Fredericton International Airport." To read the complete article, visit: http://www.yfcmobile.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114&Itemid=1 16&lang=en
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: A SNEAK PEEK! This summer’s concert series line-up is shaping up nicely! This year we have some pleasant surprises with the addition of one week at the beginning of the series for our Congress delegates visiting the city at the end of May. A sampling of our bands is as follows: At Officers’ Square, we will have performers such as Mandy Silk & Overdrive, Andy Brown, Weak Size Fish and Oh No Theodore. At the Lighthouse deck, look for performers such as Cathy Hutch, Lovestorm, and Ryan Leblanc. Last but certainly not least the Guardhouse will feature performers like Shawn Hutchins, Mike Parker and Richard Gloade. Our Summer Entertainment Guide will be available in May. Copies of the guide will be available as a supplement in the Daily Gleaner to residents in the Greater Fredericton area. They will also be available at our Visitor Information Centres. For a complete listing of our 2011 Summer Concert Series, visit: http://www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/festivalsevents/FreeGarrisonEntertainment.asp
Tourism Talk – May 2011
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ENGLISH COMPETING FOR “NORAM BETTER TOMORROW CHEF’S” SPOT Leanne English, Sodexo’s Executive Chef at UNB, is one of two Canadian chefs in the NORAM Better Tomorrow Chefs’ Competition. Having been short-listed, Leanne is now one of 12 NORAM chefs competing for 5 places to go to “finals” at The James Beard House in New York City to compete on May 18. To view a You Tube video of Scroll down to the video called “Canada 1: Ginger Salmon with Citrus”—and watch it. UNB and Atlantic Canada are featured as well as Leanne. http://www.youtube.com/user/SodexoCSR
BE IN THE KNOW! NEWSLETTERS AND BULLETINS TO KEEP YOU INFORMED From Photography to Act Now! Camps, find out about the latest in Arts` Happenings in Fredericton by visiting Fredericton Arts Alliance Newsletter: http://www.frederictonartsalliance.ca/news_archives/current.pdf New Brunswick`s Focus on Tourism, Spring Newsletter provides all the news in the province for tourism operators. Visit: http://www.gnb.ca/0397/documents/spring2011e.pdf As always, join in on the conversation in our “Town Square Social Hub”: Become a fan- www.facebook.com/FrederictonTourism Follow us- twitter.com/FredTourism Watch our videos- www.youtube.com/FrederictonTourism Check our photos- www.flickr.com/FrederictonTourism
WHAT’S HAPPENING Things are cooking for summer! Welcome the new season by getting out and enjoying what Fredericton has to offer. Check out our Calendar of Events by visiting: http://www.tourismfredericton.ca/en/calendar.aspx
LITERATURE DELIVERY A.J. Furlotte, Fredericton Tourism's Operations Assistant, continues to make literature deliveries to accommodations and attractions. Should you require quantities, call A.J. at 460-2954/460-2041 or allenj.furlotte@fredericton.ca
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Published by Fredericton Tourism, 11 Carleton Street, P.O. Box 130, Fredericton, NB E3B4Y7 Phone: (506) 460-2041, Fax: (506) 460-2474, Toll Free: 1-888-888-4768, Website: www.tourismfredericton.ca Please contact Debbie Perry if you have tourism news you would like to submit to Tourism Talk. Email: debbie.perry@fredericton.ca ; Phone: (506) 460-2087, Fax: (506) 460-2474
Tourism Talk – May 2011