Councillor Ryan Bater had to recuse himself as a councillor for the night, as he stepped into his role as executive director of Battlefords Tourism to make a presentation at City Hall Monday.
He made a presentation to the Planning Committee and later to town council in Battleford of his organization’s strategic plan and financials, in advance of the organization’s annual meeting at Alex Dillabough Centre Wednesday.
Bater spoke about the changes two years ago to create a “full-service” community marketing agency, one that would go beyond tourism marketing and include convention, event and business marketing.
It included funding agreements between the organization and the City, Town of Battleford and Battlefords Hotels Association, who introduced a one-per cent destination marketing fee.
The funding agreements initiated in March 2013 with the City and Town will expire Dec. 31 2015, which “is partly why I’m here,” said Bater. He indicated the organization hopes to renegotiate those agreements in the months ahead.
Bater made clear the organization’s expectations are realistic.
“There are no dreams of becoming the Disneyland of Canada or the Las Vegas of Canada,” said Bater. “We know that we’re a regional service centre in rural Saskatchewan. We compete with other similar sized communities here in Saskatchewan.”
The five strategic areas they wanted to identify included developing an effective branding, working with MGM Communications of Saskatoon on that initiative.
That process went on for the past year and is near its conclusion, and as it turned out that proved to be the biggest news of the night because March 30 Battlefords Tourism will officially launch the brand messaging.
“It’s one of the most in depth and comprehensive exercises I’ve ever been involved in,” Bater told North Battleford city councillors.
