“It’s Showtime” for Resorts of Ontario

Grace Sammut, managing director, Resorts of Ontario

ORILLIA, ON—On March 23 and 24, 2010, “It’s Showtime” for Resorts of Ontario, which will hold their Conference and Trade Show, showcasing the latest in goods and services for the hospitality industry at Blue Mountain Resort, Collingwood.

“We terminated our agreement with the Ontario Accommodation Association and we’re independently operating our own trade shows,” said Grace Sammut, managing director of Resorts of Ontario, and show manager.  She is excited about this year’s show with its resort focus.

“Following the negativity of 2009, it’s time to go out and create and build the future.  We are anchoring the trade show to the conference in a smaller, more intimate setting which will give suppliers more visibility and profile,” Sammut said. “For example, apparel suppliers will provide a bit of a fashion show, debuting their product and profiling the company.”

The Resorts of Ontario AGM will take place on Tuesday at 11 am, followed by a “luncheon extravaganza” provided by food vendors on the trade show floor.

On the educational side, topics include the new tourist regions or RTOs, and some marketing sessions. Photographer Kevin Ashworth will talk to resort owners and operators about how to tell their story using images in both electronic and print media. And there will be a social media session with a hands-on practitioner.

Galigraph Design out of Barrie, ON will present a session on keys to successful advertising, including how to evaluate the medium and the message, and how to cope with a tight marketing budget.

There will also be a wine tasting in a relaxed, social setting, along with information on etiquette and protocol in wine service.

“And of course there will be the famous Bear Pit round table on hot topics, an opportunity for the members to dig deeper into regionalization, where members can speak with their resort peers to share ideas and concerns,” said Sammut.

“If it’s not changing, it’s dying,” said Sammut regarding the changes to the show.  “We’re looking forward at how we can bring value to the buyer and seller by showcasing the supplier and their products.  We’re going the extra mile to give them visibility.”

Resorts of Ontario has negotiated a delegate rate at Blue Mountain, and hope some of the attendees will take some extra time off to go skiing.

The 2010 show will be held on Tuesday, March 23 from 12 noon – 5:00 pm and Wednesday March 24 from 9 am – 12 noon.


Aggressive marketing

In 2009, Resorts of Ontario realized they needed to be very aggressive marketers to deliver value to members.  

They launched a new online reservation system on January 20 last year.

“We learned a lot,” said Sammut. “Initially, it was done on the basis of resort packages.  People were searching by date.  We have modified the service as we’ve gone along.  We didn’t have huge numbers of bookings at our end, but people do come through our portal.”

Now, they have rolled out an online option at no cost to members. Operators can now have free limited online reservations, but they have to be exclusive and they have to be on the service.  The existing service, which is far more flexible, is still available at a cost.

Resorts of Ontario have hired E-Crew Media Productions, and the new site will be live by April.

“We put a lot of thinking into our goals versus the present website. We were looking for ease of navigability, just two or three clicks.  Our industry has great breadth and diversity, and we wanted to show the range, but to access it without a layered website. Measurability was also a priority,” said Sammut.

“We have a variety of audiences—media, wedding planners, tour operators, conference planners—and we want to respond to all of them.”


PR now done in-house

Last year, Resorts of Ontario engaged PR firm Clear Communications to launch the brand. Sammut said that the company positioned the association very well, including getting them on Twitter and creating a photo library, but that the association will be moving the PR function in house this year.


New tourist regions

Sammut is pragmatic when asked about the association’s reaction to the province’s new tourist regions. “The ground has shifted with regionalization. The industry is not sure about it; there are a lot of unknowns. As they formalize and find their way, we will work to support the regions. We hope that good things will be accomplished and that we will achieve equity in the marketplace and the industry.

“We see the need for both experiential and regional structures, and hope they will not fall by the wayside.”