F & B Industry Event and Dine Around 2.0 Networker - 50% Sold Out
Trends and Issues Workshop for the F & B and Hospitality Industry

Date: November 21
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Location: Best Western, Ballroom
Price: Free

Explore key challenges, trends and hot topics that the food, beverage and hospitality industries are facing including labour shortages, retention, temporary foreign worker recruitment, the impacts around the legalization of Cannabis, trends & opportunities in Eat and Drink Local, and discuss an array of tools and best practice examples to help busy business owners, staff & management improve and grow their businesses.
Dine Around 2.0 Reboot and Industry Mixer

Date: Wednesday, November 21
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Location: Forbidden Brewing
Price: Free

Following the Workshop above, the Comox Valley Dine Around Committee and Comox Valley Economic Development &Tourism will host a Dine Around 2.0 Reboot and Industry Mixer. To register your business for Dine Around or to host an event during Dine Around, click here! Contact Karen Bonell for more information Karen@discovercomoxvalley.com
Vote Online For BC's Provincial Fossil
Only 1 week left to vote!

Click here to watch a video about the Elasmosaur.

Support our world famous 80 million-year-old Elasmosaur, found in our very own Courtenay Museum, to joining BC’s other provincial symbols, the Spirit Bear, Steller’s Jay and Pacific Dogwood.

Click here or the button below where you can see all seven candidates and make your choice. The voting period will close November 23, 2018.
Host an Event During 2019 Winter Campaign
This January 18 to February 10 businesses are encourage to host apres ski events and activities to coincide with the largest Comox Valley Winter Marketing Campaign designed to help drive business during the shoulder season.

Be included in extensive multi-media marketing & sales campaign, targeted to current and new snow-lovers on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland:
  • E-blast marketing (16k+ plus weekly distribution)
  • Featured event page listing
  • Social Media Marketing (posts, sharing of Facebook event page and partner giveaways)
  • Extensive traditional and online media buys, and contestin


For more information/questions, please contact John Mang, Winter Après Ski Event Development,  mangsong@shaw.ca
Capturing 2019 Visitors and Converting Leads
The Vancouver Island Visitor Centre (VIVC) has Destination BC trained counsellors on-site who are ready to deliver helpful, friendly advice to the tens of thousands coming through its doors 7 days a week 362 days a year.

The Visitor Centre has numerous ways business can leverage that team and intercept visitors; 30 second static image or 15/30 second video commercials looping on in-house large screen televisions, brochure racking in the visitor services area and monthly signage and poster options throughout the Centre hallways and/or bathrooms. The Visitor Centre also offers a successful booking system at DiscoverComoxValley.com that allows visitors on any mobile or desktop device to easily find and book experiences from anywhere in the world.

Check out these 2019 Visitor Intercept Marketing Opportunities here:

Please contact the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre to inquire about the above booking agreements, rate sheets, or to learn more about consignment opportunities:  visitorcentre@discovercomoxvalley.com 1-855-400-2882.
2019 Discover Vancouver Island Magazine
Co-op Ad Rates
Discover Vancouver Island Magazine, produced by the Times Colonist, and Discover Comox Valley have collaborated to offer co-op partner rates to participate in their upcoming issue. Whether you want to reach visitors or Islanders, make this travel guide part of your seasonal campaign. Reaching travellers near and far, Discover magazine highlights the vacation possibilities offered by this amazing region. Contact Gary Johnston to book your space! gjohnston@timescolonist.com   View rate sheet here.
2018 Farm Cycle Tour – Biggest & Best
This year's Comox Valley Farm Cycle Tour, hosted in partnership with the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition, was the biggest in its history with 29 tour stops & over 400 cyclists! A HUGE thank you goes out to the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition and all the volunteer hours they contributed, as well as the 29 farms and partners who participated in this event, including Comox Valley Farmers' Market, The Broken Spoke, Island Joy Rides, Ambassador Shuttles and the Comox Valley Farmers Institute.

Report highlights include:
  • Pre-registered cyclists increased by 21% from 2017.
  • 61% of cyclists were first year participants.
  • When asked how likely is it that you would recommend the Farm Cycle Tour to a friend or colleague, 82% responded 9 or 10 out of 10, 12% said 7 or 8 out of 10, with an overall Net Promoter Score of 76. A Net Promoter Score of over 50 is considered excellent, and a score of over 70 is considered 'world-class'.
2018 Downtown Comox Ambassador Program Update
A big thanks to the Comox BIA for collaborating with Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism on the pilot Ambassador Program project, and to Big Animal Encounters for assisting with the teams uniforms!

The program allowed for an extension of visitor services outside of the bricks and mortar of the Visitor Centre, with the team roaming four days a week, starting June 29th to Sept. 3rd to support increased business referrals to the downtown Comox businesses and Comox Valley area businesses.

The Ambassadors answered questions regarding shopping, events, attractions/tours, transportation, campgrounds, First Nations, food and beverage as well as helped with directions and maps. 2900+ visitors were tracked from Washington, BC, Australia, Asia and Europe. 
BC Ale Trail and Revised Route Launched Featuring the Comox Valley
The BC Ale Trail has launched the new Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part II, featuring Comox Valley craft breweries, following the addition of new ale trails in Northern BC, Richmond and the Kamloops-Shuswap-Vernon region over the past few months.

Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism is pleased to have collaborated with this initiative since its inception and is working with organizers to confirm the Comox Valley's participation in 2019, which promises to be a great year with the exciting additions of Land & Sea Brewing Company and New Tradition Brewing Company plus the new Tap House coming to Comox! 
What’s New at Mount Washington – one of the Island’s biggest attractions continues to grow!
Mount Washington Multi-Stage ZipTour

Mount Washington Alpine Resort announced the installation of a multi-stage ZipTour, the longest on Vancouver Island at 2.3-kilometres. Learn more

New Mount Washington RFID - Winter Experience Enhanced

This season, skiers and snowboarders at Mount Washington Alpine Resort will gain access to the lifts a lot more smoothly with the installation of RFID technology onto the new MYMW Club Card. Learn more
The Future of the Workforce - Nov. 20
Employers are invited to the North Island College Tourism and Hospitality department’s Inspire to Hire networking event. Come connect with NIC tourism students, faculty and industry experts. Your knowledge and experience can influence students preparing to enter the workforce.

4:30-6pm: Networking with students and industry partners – Meet students seeking permanent positions and co-op and internship work experience in 2019.

6-7pm: Solutions to current labour market shortages with Arlene Keis, CEO of go2HR – Learn how to curb the pain of labour shortages and discover best practices to make your business stronger.

RSVP by email to  studentemployment@nic.bc.ca  by Friday, Nov. 9 to reserve your table.
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