TOTA AGM & Summit Sneak Peek
The TOTA and CCCTA teams have been working hard to prepare for the 2020 AGMs & Virtual Tourism Summit this November 25 and 26.
We are going virtual this Summit 2020, using features never before seen at a TOTA or CCCTA tourism conference. There will be several ways to connect as a tourism community, including a virtual Conference Centre, Trade Show, Silent Auction, and Networking. The conference is free to attend through the support of Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Login information will be emailed to registrants shortly. Meanwhile, check out the event speakers and schedule to start planning which sessions to attend on BCTourismSummit2020.vFairs.com.
Here's a sneak peek of what’s in store this coming week:
Virtual Conference Centre - 2 Days of Virtual Sessions and Recordings
Discover 50 world-renowned speakers in 3 keynotes and 12 panels on the VFairs virtual event platform. Recordings will be available on demand for one month so be sure to register prior to the event.
From the Conference Centre Lobby (pictured above), you can easily navigate to the Auditorium, AGM Hall, Exhibit Hall, and Networking Lounge.
Virtual Trade Show
On the VFairs virtual event platform, visit exhibitor booths to learn about service providers, tourism businesses, and TOTA initiatives. Ask questions in the chat or schedule time for a one-to-one video chat with a representative.
Some of the exhibitors include:
Rethink2gether - Food Waste Action
TOTA Booths, including Biosphere Sustainability Certification, Accessible Tourism, and the Tourism Resiliency Program
Virtual Silent Auction
Bid on over 20 offers from businesses in the Thompson Okanagan region through the Bidding Owl silent auction management platform. This is your chance to support Thompson Okanagan students with the TOTA Tourism Excellence Fund.
Score a great getaway:
Stay at Quaaout Lodge, Lakeview Motel, or Ramada by Wyndham Penticton.
Wake up lakeside with a stay at the Summerland Waterfront Resort, The Cove Lakeside Resort, Wood Lake RV Park & Marina, or White Sands Waterfront Resorts
Stay and taste at a winery, such as Spirit Ridge Resort and Tinhorn Creek Vineyards.
Get the full experience:
Kamloops Winter Experience with accommodations, ski passes, coffee, cultural experiences, and wine tastings.
Stock up on Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm's hand made, small batch body, food, and home products.
Race in the Merritt Crown to become mountain bike royalty.
Hit the trails by bike or horseback with rentals from Myra Canyon Ranch.
Okanagan Science Centre BYOB (Bring Your Own Bubble) Private bookings and planetarium show.
Sample Quails’ Gate Estate's award-winning Collector Series wines while enjoying panoramic views of the vineyards and Okanagan Lake.
Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association 2 hour Myra Canyon Trestles guided tour on an off road hand cycle or adaptive mountain bike.
Let's Go Wine Tours guided Kelowna or Okanagan wine tour.
Enhance your business:
Rethink2gether food waste consultation to reduce food costs.
Elysian Projects corporate training session with BC wine industry trailblazer Sandra Oldfield.
GreenStep Solutions sustainability assessment.
You can set up a Bidding Owl account prior to the event and opt in for email or text message notifications.
Register Now or see Silent Auction Items - more will be added as we near the event.
Virtual Networking
Summit 2020 has many opportunities for virtual networking so you can connect with your fellow professionals interested in responsible tourism. Some Summit registrants shared their LinkedIn profile - get a head start with networking before the event by checking out the list of attendees and their LinkedIn profiles.
You can also make serendipitous connections with Glimpse one-on-one video chats in a round-robin style networking. Each call lasts a few minutes, with the option to add more time to continue a great conversation. After each call, you get an email with the contact information and option to connect on LinkedIn.
Glimpse will be available for networking on November 25 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, and November 27 from 2:15 to 2:45 PM.
Register for Glimpse before the event:
Go to the Glimpse website or download the Glimpse mobile app
Make an account and add to your profile
Join the networking room - Room Key to be provided
Questions about Glimpse? The CEO & co-founder of Glimpse will be moderating the networking sessions and will be available to chat in the waiting room or at the Glimpse booth in the Exhibition Hall.
Connect Globally & Locally
Hosting a virtual event has allowed us to connect with people both near and far, to get diverse perspectives on responsible tourism practices. The Summit will feature Canadian speakers from BC and the Nuu-chah-nulth territory on Vancouver Island, Alberta, and Ontario, as well as international speakers from USA, United Kingdom, Spain, New Zealand, and Australia.
There are currently over 350 registrants, from close to home, across Canada, and as far as the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, India, Jordan, Montenegro, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and more.
Ready to learn, strategize, collaborate, and move forward better than before?
We are excited to host this line up of world-renowned responsible tourism speakers and try out some innovative new software. If you have any questions, feel free to email the events team at Summit@TOTABC.com.
We look forward to connecting with you virtually at the TOTA & CCCTA AGMs and Summit.
