Fresh on the heels of landing some major events and launching some major branding initiatives, Destination Battlefords is looking ahead to a promising 2017.
The organization held its annual general meeting on Wednesday night at Gold Eagle Lodge, at which time they reported some good financial numbers for the year ending Oct. 31, 2016.
According to their financial statement, 2015 had seen the organization run a deficit of $123,667, due mainly to one-time expenses associated with the completion of renovations at the Battlefords River Valley Visitors Centre and the launch of the Battlefords community brand in 2015.
Those expenses are now out of the way, and the 2016 numbers now see revenues outpacing expenses by $2,005.
“We're in a position where we’re running well financially and we now have those assets to work with,” said Destination Battlefords executive director Ryan Bater.
Bater’s executive director report to the meeting highlighted a number of initiatives from the previous year.
Among those were radio ads featuring the Battlefords community jingle with the tagline “everything under the sun.” The radio ads were targeted to stations in the Battlefords, Saskatoon and Lloydminster markets, with a goal to raise event awareness. Some local attractions partnered with Destination Battlefords on the ads to help promote the area.
As well, new video ads were produced for digital and social media. Television ads were also produced that aired nationally on Sportsnet for the first time during the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling – another first for the organization.
Destination Battlefords is also continuing with its Battlefords App as well as its website: Battlefords.ca.
Bater noted that the event listing is the most popular item on their website, because it is regularly updated.
A key driver of traffic to their website started in April after Destination Battlefords was awarded a Google Ad Grant, which is available only to registered charities or non-profits.
“We are able to access free Google AdWords to promote our website,” said Bater. The grant resulted in 5968 clicks and 311,270 impressions during the 2015-16 year, with the value of the grant being $8,931.94.
As for 2017, Bater said the priority for Destination Battlefords will be “to build on the success of last year.”
With the Saskatchewan Winter Games coming next year, “we want to introduce some outdoor campaigns, some billboard campaigns this summer,” said Bater.
“We want to build on that radio campaign. But I think we’re going to be paying some attention to next fall and winter, to ensure that the Battlefords have a high visibility within the province during the Games to make the Battlefords the place to be next season.”
It was in fact a year ago on Thursday that Bater said he was on “pins and needles” waiting for the adjudication committee to arrive for the site tour of the Battlefords for the successful Winter Games bid.
Bater is looking forward to the Winter Games with confidence. He points to the Pinty’s Grand Slam in January, as well as the Saskatchewan 55-plus Games last summer, as putting together a group of volunteers who can be relied upon to help out.
“It’s all about building capacity,” said Bater.
“So when we hosted the 55-plus Games, we were able to develop a volunteer team and develop processes within the facilities, and then the site hosts themselves. The Pinty’s Grand Slam Meridian Canadian Open took it to a whole new level and the team that was put together for that was just fantastic, and the people on the ground working in the Civic Centre and working throughout the community to ensure a successful event. Everything came together so well, and I think that experience has put wind in the sails of the organizing committee for the Winter Games next year, because it demonstrated this community can host events with that level of professionalism and enthusiasm. So it’s very exciting.”
Bater is already thinking ahead beyond the Winter Games to even more opportunities for major events.
In March, Destination Battlefords plans to be at the Canadian Sport Tourism Congress in Ottawa. It’s seen as an opportunity to learn about other event opportunities that might be a good fit for the Battlefords and for the facilities and volunteers that are available.
Bater said he sees the facilities in the Battlefords as something that would be a selling point in landing potential events.
“Some have been around a long time. Some of them are new, and I’m talking about the CUplex, that really enhanced our ability to host events, and we want to see what other opportunities exist out there,” said Bater.
It’s all part of a long-term approach Destination Battlefords is taking in marketing the community.
“We always have to keep thinking about what’s next and what’s in store for this community. We want to be thinking four or five years ahead."
One more item of note from the meeting is that Destination Battlefords will need a new chair to replace Malcolm Anderson.
Anderson is retiring as general manager at Gold Eagle Lodge at the end of June. However, he will stay on as chair until a successor is chosen.
