Next time you’re at an initiative—whether it’s Tête-à-Tête, MPI the EVENT or Eastern—chances are you’ll run into a passionate and knowledgeable group of suppliers that love Winnipeg.
This tight-knit group is known as Team Winnipeg, led by Tourism Winnipeg. It is a marketing consortium of more than 50 stakeholders that represent destination marketing associations, hoteliers, attractions, facilities, meeting and event planners and related suppliers. It provides a single identity for Winnipeg in the marketplace for increased recognition of the city as an outstanding meeting and convention destination.
“The magic of Team Winnipeg is you’re tapping into a one-stop shop of the city’s meetings and convention experts, who work together in a collaborative way with the common goal of ensuring you have the best possible event here,” says Natalie Thiesen, Vice President of Tourism, Tourism Winnipeg.
Often, members travel together to these initiatives to sell the city first and foremost. Riel Dion, Owner and President of Planners Plus has been a Team Winnipeg member for six years and participated in various Team Winnipeg activities.
“Being part of Team Winnipeg gives entrepreneurs and business owners like us vast resources and networks to help grow our business and help us to effectively promote Winnipeg,” says Dion. “The Tourism Winnipeg team is always great to work with and works incredibly well to help support the industry. We can’t wait for this pandemic to be over so we can all get back to doing what we do best with our clients!”
Team Winnipeg started more than 15 years ago and continues to be successful from both the client and Winnipeg partner experience. The RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, the city’s largest convention space, is a long-time member that has seen the direct benefit in participating.
“We believe that our investment in the Team Winnipeg partnership has generated significant returns. At the RBC Convention Centre, we view Team Winnipeg as an extension of our sales team. Our clients always tell us that the one thing that sets our city apart from other Canadian destinations is Team Winnipeg,” says David Chizda, Director of Sales & Business Development at RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg.
When an RFP comes through to Tourism Winnipeg for large events, Team Winnipeg rises to the occasion to satisfy client needs under the steady guidance of Tourism Winnipeg, making it an efficient way to plan a meeting or convention.
“The Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre is a proud supporter of Tourism Winnipeg. Right from receiving the RFP from clients, Tourism Winnipeg is right there to answer any questions on behalf of the venue that may require clarification during the RFP process,” says Jason Krieser, Director of Sales, Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre. “As Manitoba's largest hotel convention centre, the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre works alongside Winnipeg Tourism to secure/host larger conferences of up to 1000 delegates.”
As the events industry continues to evolve and reopen, Team Winnipeg is helping its hard-hit partners optimize budgets to help them through the pandemic and gain new business leads.
“As a business owner and operator of a venue there are many ways to spend marketing dollars. When you’re dealing with an organization of professionals like Tourism Winnipeg, it is much easier to measure return on investment with group bookings. There’s never been a better time to work together with Team Winnipeg and restart the economy of Manitoba,” says Shawn Brandson, Owner, Gibraltar Dining Corporation.
You can see Team Winnipeg this fall at the CanSPEP conference, the PCMA awards and spring CSAE Ottawa-Gatineau Tête-à-Tête .