This past spring, Winnipeg was whisked onto the world stage thanks to our NHL hockey team, the Winnipeg Jets. With a playoff run that saw the team go all the way to the Western Conference Final, the city was in celebration mode for over a month.
Festivities during the NHL playoffs were dominated by the Winnipeg Whiteout Street Party, which saw up to 21,000 people line downtown streets to watch each game live. That party quickly became a story of its own - cemented Winnipeg’s reputation as a modern, energetic and cosmopolitan city. Images from the Street Party confirmed that Winnipeg is world-class, with the passion to match. Winnipeg was noticed - you could see our city’s enthusiasm and energy being broadcast on screens across North America.
As any longtime Winnipegger will know, that energy wasn’t a new phenomenon. What those screens didn’t show was that Winnipeg is always passionate, twelve months of the year. And it’s not just hockey – we’re enthusiastic about everything in our city, from festivals to meetings and conventions.
When it comes to pulling out all the stops for hosting events, nobody does it better than Winnipeg. That’s why we made a video to show why our energy will have your delegates on the edge of their seats, with our world-class hosting skills.
Watch the video here:
How did a video like this come to be?
“We wanted to make an homage to over-the-top sports videos, showing the Jets energy and how we can do the same thing for any convention,” said Mike Green, who came up with the concept and wrote the script.
“I love these types of projects,” added Tyler Walsh, who filmed and directed the action. “Our creative team will come up with these very original ideas sometimes, and to have this one turn out the way it did was very neat. It both entertains and makes a statement that we will go above and beyond when we’re hosting an event here.”
Shooting a video like this takes a large number of people – in this case, over a dozen volunteers. On-screen characters were asked to do anything from donning facepaint and costumes, to drenching themselves with a water bottle. It was all done with exuberance and a lot of laughs.
“We reached out to our Team Winnipeg partners to participate, and everyone who answered the call really went above and beyond,” said Walsh. “During the shoot, everyone had a lot of fun – it was a great team that wanted to do something different to promote the city.”
Wanting to keep the tie-in to the Jets strong, the narration was performed by Curt Keilback, the longtime voice of the Jets 1.0 with that quintessential sports broadcaster delivery. Starring roles from across Winnipeg’s meeting and event professionals included Jordon Lanthier, Director of Sales for the Homewood Suites by Hilton and the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, as well as Nina Lafleur, Sales Manager of the RBC Convention Centre. Other Team Winnipeg partners filled out the rest of the cast, demonstrating the one-team enthusiastic approach that the city is so well-known for.
Making Winnipeg stand out as a host city for meetings and events means showcasing our strengths, and adding in some memorable clips that would keep people talking. For this video, there were a few moments that the creative team hopes will grab viewers’ attention.
“We knew from the top we needed to have an air horn – it was pretty much mandatory,” said Green. “Getting everyone to dress up in white and cheer also raised a few eyebrows during the shoot – we even had a passer-by show up and join in. He didn’t even know what was happening, but that didn’t stop him. Sadly, he didn’t make the final cut.”
Tourism Winnipeg's new video will be debuted at the 2018 CSAE Trillium Summer Summit.
If you’re looking for an all-star team to put on a championship performance for your next meeting or convention, get in touch with Tourism Winnipeg’s all-star event planners. Grace and Natalie are ready to help bring Winnipeg’s passion to you. Contact them today.
