Lynnea has worked with Tourism Winnipeg as a Client Services Manager since 2017. Once you’ve selected Winnipeg as your host city, Lynnea is your point of contact. She is responsible for managing services for clients including assisting them with the promotion of their conventions, sports, special events and group tours to maximize attendance and elevate customer satisfaction.
How can you help clients build attendance for their event in Winnipeg?
Tourism Winnipeg has a complimentary meeting planner toolkit full of customizable promotional materials. This includes brochures, displays and marketing materials to showcase Winnipeg as an appealing destination for delegates and companions. We also have Winnipeg presentations and promotional videos that can be shown at the prior year’s conference, along with hi-resolution images, ads and links to tourismwinnipeg.com that clients can use on their website. Please reach out to me at lynnea@tourismwinnipeg.com and I’ll walk you through all resources have available to help promote your meeting.
As demand for hybrid meetings continue to grow in the industry, what are Winnipeg’s hybrid event meeting offerings?
There are so many! The city’s leading-edge meeting and convention resources set the stage for a successful hybrid event.
To start with, one of the country’s leading AV providers, Encore Canada created a virtual presentation stage at RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg specifically designed for hosting hybrid or virtual events. This innovative meeting space includes a stylized backdrop, which comes complete with technical set-up that works with any online solution. MeetSAFE protocols have been put in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved and a dedicated team of experts, including certified Digital Event Strategists (DES), are on-site to help optimize the event.
Tourism Winnipeg has also compiled a list of suppliers, including hotels, which have capacity to host hybrid events or provide related services. All of that information will be included within the next month on our new hybrid events page at meetingswinnipeg.com and I can also provide that list to clients for assistance as well. Some examples include the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which has various spaces that make a stunning backdrop for a hybrid event; a number of these spaces have built-in AV. We can also connect you to Monique LaCoste emcee services, who is an experienced emcee and is great at hosting virtual meetings or conferences.
When it comes to programming virtual activities for delegates, we can put you in touch with local restaurants putting on virtual cooking classes or organizers who run virtual tours of attractions so you can bring Winnipeg into your event.
I am DES certified through the Professional Convention Management Association (PMCA), which gives me a strong understanding on the needs and nuances of what goes into hosting a hybrid event and I can assist you along the way.
Lastly, Tourism Winnipeg is thrilled to become the newest member of the Hybrid City Alliance, a group of like-minded destinations offering meeting planners a simple, streamlined and free-to-access approach for hybrid or multi-city events. It’s great to be part of a network of so many other forward-thinking destinations. There is so much opportunity to explore there.
What is the status of site visits at Tourism Winnipeg and how is the organization keeping visitors safe during site visits and events?
This summer, we hosted our first in-person site visit and our client feedback was phenomenal. They felt safe and comfortable as Tourism Winnipeg and all of our partners followed all local health regulations, wore masks, did frequent hand sanitizing and physical distanced. The experience at the airport was also hassle free. In-person site visits are slowly coming back and we have more in the works. Customized virtual site visits are also available.
What other resources can meeting planners access from Tourism Winnipeg?
Dedicated to creating a world-class experience for your delegates, Tourism Winnipeg offers a variety of complimentary resources and support needed to plan your next event in our meeting planner toolkit. I can help arrange a site visit, recommend and liaise with local attractions, venues and suppliers and provide attendance building and convention planning guidelines. Our promotional materials include a templated microsite, postcards, program welcome greetings and much more.
What events will Winnipeg host in 2022?
We are excited to host the Western Retail Lumber Association Trade Show in January 2022, Breakout West in February 2022 and Royal LePage National Sales Conference in September 2022.
We look forward to welcoming delegates to Winnipeg and reconnecting in person.