The collaborative OKGo marketing campaign has been honoured with an Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) 2024 Marketing Award in the Community Collaboration category.  This award category, newly created this year, recognizes projects that improve services, create new processes, and deliver measurable results through teamwork. The OKGo campaign exemplifies these values by promoting the Central Okanagan to drive future innovation and economic growth in the region.

Created through a partnership between the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s Economic Development Commission (COEDC), Accelerate Okanagan, and Tourism Kelowna, the OKGo campaign highlights the business support ecosystem available in the Central Okanagan, while showcasing local companies as it relates to innovation, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure. The campaign currently showcases local companies, entrepreneurs, and businesses across seven targeted sectors: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Viticulture, Aerospace, Digital Technology, Clean Technology, and Postsecondary.

In addition to print and digital assets, the campaign includes targeted digital campaigns in major Canadian cities and the US Pacific Northwest to promote the region’s competitive positioning to business development organizations, investors, and other audiences at a provincial, federal and international level.

“The OKGo campaign demonstrates what we can achieve through collaboration across industries. Winning the EDAC Marketing Canada Award in the Community Collaboration category highlights our shared commitment to showcasing the Central Okanagan as a thriving ecosystem of innovation and investment opportunities,” said Krista Mallory, Manager of the COEDC. 

The campaign uses engaging multimedia stories featuring innovative businesses, entrepreneurs, and institutions to showcase the region’s strengths and opportunities and attract industry events, talent, and business investments. By leveraging their collective resources and expertise, the OKGo partners take a collaborative approach to increasing the impact of the campaign’s messaging and shaping the region’s economic landscape.

"Together with the COEDC and Accelerate Okanagan, we are thrilled to see how this collaborative campaign has increased awareness of the thriving industries and innovative entrepreneurs that make Kelowna such a desirable destination to host business events," said Tourism Kelowna President & CEO Lisanne Ballantyne.

The OKGo campaign also partners with various industry and post-secondary institutions, such as Okanagan College and the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus. These collaborations enrich the campaign’s reach by highlighting the region’s educational strengths and resources, fostering a strong workforce that supports innovation, technology, workforce development, and research.

“Technology is a driving force present in different sectors across the Central Okanagan and Accelerate Okanagan is looking forward to a continued collaboration on the OKGo Campaign to drive innovation and propel economic growth in the tech-enabled sectors within the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Brea Lake, CEO of Accelerate Okanagan.

For more information on the OKGo campaign, visit ok-go.ca.