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If you work in the tourism industry, be sure to check a tourism summit being hosted by Brockville Tourism. These tourism summits, taking place on September 24 and 25th, we will be covering two very important topics in terms of tourism – culinary tourism and social media management. We will also discuss how we can make sure that Brockville’s tourism industry continues to develop and grow.

Brockville’s Tourism Summit – September 24th

From Field to Fork: Redefining Brockville’s Food Culture

People living in South Eastern Ontario are very lucky. They have an attachment to their food and where it comes from. Many people who live in the city don’t see farms or farm animals until they’re much older. Mny of our restaurants are able to benefit from this connection. It’s time we start to be proud of the fact we can see our food actually go from field to fork, either through our markets or restaurants.

Join Agatha Podgorski, Director of Community Engagement at the Culinary Tourism Alliance, to explore easy ways you can attract new visitors to your business. In this two hour session, we’ll dive into why food and drink experiences are top of mind for today’s traveller and how to get their attention. You’ll learn how to meet customer expectations, how to increase your sales through storytelling – both in person and online – and a few ways the area, collectively, can grow food tourism.

If you are interested in attending this free morning of food tourism storytelling, register for a ticket on our Eventbrite page!

• 9am – Registration
• 9:30am – Welcome remarks from the Brockville Tourism team
• 9:35am – Telling Your Food Story (and Making Sure People Listen)
  • Led by Agatha Podgorski, Director of Community Engagement at Culinary Tourism Alliance
  • We’ll cover food tourism basics like why people are travelling for food and what they’re expecting, then dig into some easy, inexpensive ways you can grab their attention. We’ll talk a bit about successful partnerships and some tools you can be using to better work with your Destination Marketing Organization and other groups looking to put on you on the food map in Ontario and beyond.
• 11:30am – FeastOn: Brockville Introduction
• 12:00pm – Wrap-up

Brockville’s Tourism Summit – September 25th

Let’s Get Social: The Power of Social Media in Tourism Today

If you’re not on social media, you’re not where your customers are. Advertising, feedback and reviews can all be found across the internet. If you’re not in control of your social presence, you’re not listening properly.

Brockville Tourism will be focusing on social media and gaining control of your social presence through the three major forms of media – paid, owned and earned media. We will also be introducing our 2020 media kit, with all the different opportunities to advertise next year through Brockville Tourism.

This full day of tourism and social media will help you get ready for the 2020 tourism season. It will also prepare for your business in the long run digitally. There will be opportunities to network with other companies, as well as learn from from various talks.

Tickets are $15 and include your lunch. If you are looking to promote your own business to other tourism businesses in the area, we encourage you to book a table as well for an additional $15. Your business will be on display throughout the day around the summit, and people will be able to come and learn more about what you do.

• 8:30am – Registration
• 8:30-9:30am – Networking
• 9:30am – Opening Remarks
• 9:45am – Keynote Address: Establishing Your Owned Media
• 11:15am – FeastOn: Brockville Introduction
• 11:45am – 2019 Statistics Overview
• 12:00pm – Lunch
• 1:00pm – Maps and Visitor Guide talk
• 1:15pm – Panel: Earned Media and Micro-Influencers
• 2:30pm – Wrap-up

To buy your tickets to the tourism summit, be sure to check out our EventBrite page. You also can come into the Brockville Tourism office to fill out a registration form and pay in store.