Ottawa Tourism gathered 25 meeting planners, association managers, sporting event experts and trade media in Gleneagles, Scotland, to showcase the Canadian capital’s appeal.
Beginning as strangers and leaving as friends was Ottawa Tourism's intention during a hosted trip to the luxury Gleneagles resort. Guests were gently encouraged to network, have fun and get to know the Ottawa Tourism team through a roster of engaging activities including archery and golf, delightful dinners and traditional Scottish ceilidh dancing.
Unique format
Ottawa Tourism takes a gentle approach to winning business conferences and events. The unique format of inviting qualified buyers to a luxurious venue to enjoy a relaxed and mostly unprogrammed weekend stay, to get to know the Ottawa Tourism team and by association, Ottawa, works well because it doesn’t feel like work.
“We strongly believe the best way to approach business is to make friends first and clients later,” said Glenn Duncan, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Ottawa Tourism.
“We’ve been doing this event for six years now and we’ve had a very strong return on investment from each one, and we already know some attendees of this year’s trip are considering Ottawa for their next group,” he added.
Daniel Snowdon, executive director of the International Incontinence Society, said, "The informal and warm meeting format allowed the group to relax quickly and get to know each on a personal level. Handshakes turned to hugs in under 48 hours.
"The Ottawa team were amazing. Every member was genuine and welcoming throughout. They were highly professional too as every aspect of the weekend was organised impeccably. They are true ambassadors for their city.”
Speaking from experience
From making new friends to showcasing the friendships that have already paid dividends, Ottawa Tourism invited Emma Jane Taylor, founder of association management specialists Dot-The-Eye to share Ottawa experience.
“Back in 2014 a venue I had booked for a major association congress bailed on me and I was left panicking. I found myself at IMEX in Frankfurt handing out requests for proposals to North American destinations in a desperate attempt to find a venue. I chanced upon the Ottawa booth and got talking to Lesley Pincombe, who is vice president for meetings and major events at Ottawa Tourism. She instantly showed me that she cared and wanted to help.
“They quickly got me out to Ottawa for a site visit and Lesley spent hours on the phone with me to the local tax office in Ottawa to ensure the association could reclaim tax. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them.”
“Ottawa really is the hidden gem of Canada.”
Inspirational keynote
As part of the relaxed events, delegates were treated to a workshop from decorated Canadian Olympic swimmer, Mark Tewksbury, who famously women gold in the men’s 100 metre backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in true nail-biting fashion. “I won the race by one sixth of a hundred of a second,” he told the audience. “That’s the difference between cutting your nails and leaving them a tiny be long,” he added. Tewksbury was explaining how he was head-to-head with the world number one at the time, Jeff Norman Rouse, but Tewksbury's fingertips hit the wall a fraction of second before Rouse’s to see him take first-place.
Since retiring from competitive swimming, Mark has become an passionate keynote speaker sharing his personal story with thousands of people and encouraging them to question the status quo that we all too easily accept. He left the audience with a few key pieces of advice:
- Let life surprise you sometime
- There is no failure, just feedback
- Incremental improvement will have a lasting affect
Ottawa fast facts:
- Ottawa is the capital city of Canada
- ‘Ottawa’ means to trade and Ottawans are proud that exchanging and engaging with one another is in thier city's DNA
- It’s a city of four distinct seasons with fresh springs, hot summers, golden autumns and snowy winters. "There's never a bad time in Ottawa"
- The Shaw Centre, Ottawa's main convention venue, received the 2020 APEX Award for ‘Best Client Rleated Convention Centre’ for maintaining the highest rating in customer satisfaction survyes
- More than 6,000 hotel rooms are located downtown and within walking distance from the Shaw Centre
- Ottawa is a G7 capital and home to 130 embassies and high commissions
- Ottawa has the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink located on the Rideau Canal – a World Heritage Site
- AirFrance is introducing a direct route to Ottawa from Paris
- The city is also getting a new light rail transit system
