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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-07-16Clarbgton CLARINGTON TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE Members Present: Regrets: Minutes of Meeting July 16, 2020, 9 a.m. Teleconference Fred Archibald, Chair Petra Schwirtz Ann Harley Evan King Laura Holmes Christine McSorley Councillor Ron Hooper Bonnie Wrightman, CBOT Brandon Pickard, Durham Tourism Amy Verwey Kim Neziroski Staff: Ashlee Kielbiski, Tourism Programmer Laura Knox, Tourism Coordinator Jess MacGregor, Tourism Clerk Basia Radomski, Manager Communications and Tourism 1. Call to Order o Meeting was called to order — 9:01 a.m. 2. Adoption of Agenda Moved by, Evan King, seconded by, Petra Schwirtz: That the agenda for July 16, be adopted. Carried 3. Approval of June 9, 2020, Meeting Minutes Moved by, Petra Schwirtz, seconded by, Evan King: That the meeting minutes of June 9, be approved. Carried 4. Presentations o None 5. New Business Update on Business and Attractions Directory • There are currently 91 businesses on the directory. Discussions around how to spread the word include our Committee members sharing with their friends, family, business communities, and promoting this information. • To facilitate a more straightforward sharing of this information, staff will create a one -page document with smart URLs, links, hashtags, and other vital information to provide Committee members with easy to access information to share. • Tourism staff continue to update the directory twice a week with necessary changes and new businesses. Rediscover Clarington • Tourism has launched its new campaign, "Rediscover Clarington." This campaign includes content creation of social media posts, photo shoots, video creation, blogs, working with influencers, and website content. • Based on best practices of other similar area communities (Port Hope, Uxbridge, Peterborough Kawarthas) it is suggested that Tourism change their Instagram handle to @discoverclarington. The Committee recommends moving forward with this change. • Based on 2019 statistics, Darlington Provincial Park is an asset that brings approximately 140,000 visitors to Clarington each year. The tourism team is creating an informational postcard for park staff to hand to campers and day -use visitors that come into the park. The postcard allows us to showcase what our community offers and where they can find local items. Additional postcards are being created to showcase the beautiful and iconic areas of Clarington. We will distribute these throughout Clarington at local businesses who would like to display them. The Bowmanville BIA has had great success with radio ads. The Committee asks that staff gather more detailed information on the availability and options for radio ads. Committee suggests one -week promotion at the end of August and a week during the fall harvest season. The Committee would prefer a mix of 30 seconds and 15-second ads FedDev Ontario Regional Relief and Recovery Fund and TIAO grant. • Clarington Tourism was successful in our application for the TIAO Fed Dev Recovery Relief Fund. A total of $74,933.50 was granted to Clarington for marketing Clarington during the COVID-19 pandemic. • The tourism team is creating a draft budget for spending. These funds are to directly support marketing Clarington on a local, regional, and provincial level. • An example of a large item to include would be the refurbishment of the TODS Highway signage. • The tourism team will meet and work with partners (CBOT, Durham Tourism, BIAs, Central Counties, etc.) to focus on how these funds can support local tourism businesses. • More details on spending will come at the next TAC meeting. 6. Other Business 0 7. Date of next meeting: o Date to be confirmed and Ashlee Kielbiski to send teleconference information. 8. Motion to adjourn Moved by, Christine McSorley, seconded by, Laura Holmes, Carried. The meeting concluded at 9:59 a.m.