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Exhibitor Newsletter Sponsored By:
Letter from Show Director Linda Waddell
Good Morning Exhibitors,

Welcome to the 65th Toronto International Boat Show!

The past three years have been unprecedented for the entire shows & events industry.

We are SO EXCITED and READY to welcome everyone back together, in-person!

As producers of the Premiere Boat Show in Canada and the Largest Indoor Boat Show in North America… we plan for every possible scenario, every year. We’ve spent the past three years planning and cancelling plans, then producing two virtual shows to help connect boaters with your companies.  

We heard loud and clear that people don’t want virtual, they want to be at an in-person show. Our passion for boating and producing this show has never been stronger – this has fueled us every single day!

We sincerely want to say Thank You. Thank you to all 450+ Exhibitors for your support and participation. We are very proud of the 2023 Show, it’s been quite the unique undertaking to produce. We genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding as we transitioned back to bringing the industry together.

We know at times it was frustrating for some exhibitors to get answers or help from us. We worked tirelessly to produce an event that the industry and attendees would be impressed with – and we know for some it was challenging to understand what volume we were working through. Thank you so much for being patient with us.

Our resilience was tested, and no one is happier to be here today than we are! We are so grateful and thankful for every single exhibitor that made the decision to be a part of THE Boating Event of the Year in 2023!  THANK YOU!

We are beyond impressed with what the show looks like.  Thank you for the exceptional effort put into a safe move in AND your displays this year…your spaces look fantastic!   

On behalf of our Show Team, Venues and Suppliers – we hope you have a great show. If you need any assistance, please reach out to us either directly, through our Floor Managers or the Show Office, in Salon 103.
  
Sincerely,

Linda Waddell
President/Show Director
2023 MARKETING UPDATE
Every year, the Toronto Boat show consistently delivers qualified attendees via comprehensive and encompassing marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns. 
 
In this first newsletter we provide a top-line summary of the campaigns including sample ads. As the show continues, we'll highlight some of the public relations and media results. 
 
So please stay tuned to the daily 
Show-Day Exhibitor News!
PROVINCE-WIDE RADIO COMMERCIALS

Commercials with a strong call to action are running on radio stations across Ontario. An additional spot supporting the show’s special GO Transit pass will also air in areas serviced by their network of trains and buses.

Many radio stations have also provided PSA airtime to support First Look Friday, with a portion of the proceeds going to the show’s partner charities.
Click below to listen to a few audio examples: 
TORONTO RADIO: 30-second spots with these 15 Toronto stations, plus giveaways on all but 4 of them, including coverage on-air and/or online. Also shown is Canadian Traffic Network, where our sponsorships will run on 18 stations:
  • 102.1 The Edge
  • Boom 97.3
  • Canadian Traffic Network (includes 18 Toronto stations)
  • Chum 104.5
  • CityNews 680 News
  • Classical 96.3FM
  • Global Radio 640
  • Jazz FM 91
  • KiSS FM 92.5
  • Lite 88FM
  • NewsTalk 1010 AM
  • Q107
  • Sportsnet 590 The Fan Radio
  • TSN 1050 Radio
  • Virgin Radio 99.9
  • Z1035
OUT OF TOWN MARKETS: More Than 50 Radio Stations
Out of town markets across Ontario are a key component of the show's advertising - with extensive radio running in the following markets, including show spots and contests:
  • Bancroft
  • Barrie
  • Belleville/Trenton
  • Bracebridge
  • Brockville
  • Chatham
  • Cornwall
  • Durham
  • Georgian Bay/Parry Sound
  • Haliburton
  • Hamilton
  • Huntsville
  • Kingston
  • Kitchener
  • Leamington
  • London
  • North Bay
  • Ottawa
  • Owen Sound
  • Pembroke
  • Peterborough
  • Sarnia
  • St. Catharine's/Niagara
  • Sudbury
  • Woodstock
TV, BILLBOARDS & CLOSED CAPTIONING
CP24: Ad placements in the Headline, Traffic & Weather boxes

 8 BRIDGE BANNERS
Over major bridges leading into Toronto 
NEWSPAPER & DIGITAL
Toronto Star Newsprint:
  • An ongoing schedule throughout the paper

Toronto Star Online:
  • The Star’s mobile app & TheStar.com
  • Over 300,000 advertising impressions, using multiple ad sizes and targeting the Boat Show audience.
  • Another 300,000 impressions of the high impact “interscroller” ad unit, which is unveiled as the reader scrolls down the page in the Star’s app, to reveal a dominant full-screen ad.
DIGITAL ADS: Extensive Online Digital Campaign, with targeted ads on thousands of websites in a variety of sizes
SOCIAL MEDIA

Our social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Budget has been allocated to complement posts, aggressively extending reach to much higher numbers of boaters and potential show attendees. 
 
We continue to promote the hashtag #TOBoatShow and encourage boaters, exhibitors and presenters to do likewise. 
TORONTO BOAT SHOW & GO PARTNERSHIP 
Toronto Boat Show and GO Transit have partnered to provide attendees an easy and cheaper way to attend the show. 
 
Consumers have been encouraged to take the GO Transit to the Boat Show with Combo Tickets, presenting it as a great way to save on parking and avoid the traffic.
 
As our partner, GO Transit has been equally advertising this partnership via their website and social media feeds, providing tremendous promotion for the Toronto Boat Show. 

GO TRANSIT WEBSITE: Get to the Toronto Boat Show with GO Transit! 
MAGAZINES & ONLINE
A variety of ads in consumer and trade print publications, with digital promos also running on corresponding websites for many. 

  • Canadian Yachting
  • Boating Industry Canada
  • Ports Lake Ontario
  • Great Lakes Scuttlebutt
  • Power Boating
  • Ontario Sailor
  • Classic Boat
  • Ontario Waterskier
  • Barrie Advance
  • Orillia Today
  • Parry Sound Beacon
  • Living Lux
Consumers can use the digital version of the DIGITAL BOAT SHOW GUIDE to plan their visit.

Then, when they arrive at the show, they can pick up a complimentary print copy, available at all entrances and information booths.

Featuring handy show maps, seminar, event schedules, exhibitor & product search information, the show guide is a great keepsake for future reference.
EXTENSIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PROMOTION
Throughout the next ten days we'll share updated results of our PR and promotion efforts! 
STAY HEALTHY
We hope you and your staff are feeling well and ready to work the show!

Should you have any health concerns as the show progresses and wish to use a COVID test, they are available in the Show Office, Salon 103.

We wish you a great show!
Some Availability at the Show's Hotels
A limited number of hotel rooms have been made available for the reduced Boat Show Rates now available only at the Sheraton & Westin Harbour Castle!

A limited number of hotel rooms are available at the reduced Boat Show rate, at the Sheraton, Westin and Chelsea (on some nights). Please contact any of the hotels for availability and request the Toronto Boat Show rate.

Don’t miss out on staying at the Official Hotels. For those staying at the Sheraton or Westin, shuttle buses will run daily to and from the Enercare Centre (see below for important shuttle bus information)
New This Year: Shuttle Bus Passes Required (Schedules Now Posted Online)
New this year, we will be issuing a Shuttle Bus Pass to be presented each time you ride the bus starting Saturday January 21st (Friday January 20th will not require the pass to allow everyone to adjust to the new system).

The Bus Pass will be issued when you check in to the Sheraton and Westin Harbour Castle. For those guests that didn't receive the pass upon check-in can pick it up at the front desk or the show office (Salon 103)

Each time you take the shuttle you must present the pass and we appreciate your help with this new process. Please respect the bus drivers enforcement of the new policy as they are just doing what they are asked to do without any flexibility to use any discretion.

Returning to your hotels, the Shuttle Bus Service is provided from HALL B within the Enercare Centre going to to the Sheraton, and Westin Harbour Castle.

Click below for complete Schedules, which are also posted in the Galleria Lobby, Hall B. 
Note: On Tuesday, January 24 the shuttle bus service at the Sheraton & Westin will start at 8am for the Industry Breakfast.   
Visit Boatdealers.ca On-Site to Upload Your Inventory
The Toronto Boat Show website features our “Online Inventory Showroom”. This provides the attendees with a comprehensive listing of boats on display at the 2023 show.

BoatDealers.ca will be operating the showroom as the “Official Boat Listing Service” of the show.

Now that you are here in person, visit Boatdealers.ca right at their Booth # 1844

If you are a dealer or manufacturer that are displaying boats at the show take advantage of this opportunity to generate interest in your boats before and after the show.

Or you can just email TIBS@BoatDealers.ca the following:
  • Booth Number(s)
  • Other Participating Dealers
  • Information on the boats your dealership has at the show
First Aid Procedures at the Show
If an emergency requiring paramedics arises, please alert any of the following and identify the location. 

  • Boat Show Staff Member
  • Show Office (416-263-3185)
  • Information Booth Staff
  • Lake Staff
  • Show Security Guards (at entrances, exits, roving)

We will radio paramedics and direct them to the location. 
 
If the situation is non-urgent, you can also direct the individual to the Show Office (Salon 103), where paramedics can meet them. 
Follow The Events On The Lake
Thanks for Celebrating our 65th Anniversary with us!