At the end of November, our Business Development team launched Tourism Kelowna's 2022 Meetings and Conferences (M&C) Co-Op Program during a gathering with current program participants.
The M&C Co-Op Program was started in 2006 as a way to partner with industry members to generate meeting and conference opportunities for the destination. In 2019, we aligned the program with Destination Canada's Economic Sector Strategy to focus our proactive business development efforts within our region's economic strengths. As part of this alignment, the award-winning OKGo marketing campaign was launched in 2020, as a partnership between the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Accelerate Okanagan, and Tourism Kelowna. In 2022, as business travel continues to ramp back up, the M&C Co-Op Program will further embrace OKGo, highlighting our region's sector strengths to attract meetings and conferences.
In conjunction with OKGo, we will be attending events such as the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show in Toronto and Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference in Calgary, while still providing support to traditional tradeshows such as Tête-à-Tête, presented by the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE), for those who wish to exhibit. We will share our findings and insights from these new shows that we will attend, but not exhibit. We are also excited to offer smaller sales events in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto in 2022, tailored to a more intimate experience with a focused client base. The M&C Co-Op Program is heading into the new year with a great range of partners. It is predicted to be a busy year, with short lead turnarounds and a cautious but steady return to business, likely with smaller programs.
Thank you to all the program partners and Tourism Kelowna team members who were able to join us at the November gathering and social reception, which was held at Rustic Reel Brewing Co. Our team was so excited to once again meet in person—the relief and joy among our partners were also apparent, reaffirming how crucial in-person interaction is within our hospitality community. We hope to see your faces more frequently in 2022!
Please reach out to me at julia@tourismkelowna.com or to any member of the Business Development team if you have any questions or wish to discuss the 2022 program. Information on joining the program can also be found on our website.
