Applications Open | Fairs, Festivals and Events Recovery Fund |
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Applications are now open for the new Fairs, Festivals, and Events Recovery Fund, which provides one-time grants to event organizers to support the safe restart of events across B.C. This is an opportunity that may be highly-valuable to many of our event partners to please do share.
Not-for-profits, for-profits, Indigenous Nations, Municipalities, and other local government bodies are encouraged to apply and may submit more than one application.
Eligible events include:
- Sporting events and festivals, such as:
- Spectator sport events
- Organized races
- Exhibition events
- Tournaments and competitions
- Arts and culture events and festivals, such as:
- Music, film, mural, multi-cultural festivals
- Performances
- Art walks
- Community celebrations and gatherings, such as:
- Annual events, festivals, or celebrations
- Culinary events
- Agricultural fairs, rodeos, and exhibitions
Eligible events must:
- Offer programming to the public on a single day or happen on fewer than 21 days in a calendar year
- Earn revenue from ticket sales, entry donations, vendor fees or other sources
- Funds are available to cover a range of operational expenses, up to 20% of total event budget to a maximum of $250,000 per event.
Applications are being accepted now to October 1, 2021, for eligible events that take place between July 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
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Proof of Vaccination Program | We Want to Hear from You |
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Last week, the province announced intent to launch a Proof of Vaccination program that would require at least one dose for entry into various social settings and activities as of September 13th. The BCHA is working closely with the ministry of health alongside our industry partners to ensure a seamless transition as we move to this program mid-September.
- Do you have any questions surrounding the upcoming program?
- Do you have suggestions or recommendations on what you would like to see for the program?
We want to hear from you!
It is important that these protocols are well thought out from an operational perspective and we encourage you to share your voice and have your perspective heard. We look forward to hearing from hotel, motel, inn, bed and breakfasts and all other operators on their suggestions.
We encourage members to reach out to kelsey@bcha.com with their questions and comments.
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go2HR | Employment Resources for Province-Wide Mask Mandate |
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go2HR has free resources to support tourism businesses with the announcement of the B.C. mask mandate, including printable mask mandate posters to display in workplaces, a new script on how to respond to guests who refuse to wear a mask, and communicable disease prevention plans support services.
As a reminder, masks are required in all public indoor settings for all people born in 2009 or earlier (12+).
This includes:
- Malls, shopping centres
- Grocery and liquor stores
- Airports
- Coffee shops
- On public transportation, in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle
- Libraries
- Clothing and retail stores
- Areas of office buildings where services to the public are provided
- Common areas of sport and fitness centres when not engaged in physical activity
- Common areas of post-secondary institutions and non-profit organizations
- Inside schools for all K to 12 staff, visitors and students in grades 4 to 12
- Drug stores
- Community centres
- Recreation centres
- City Halls
- Restaurants, pubs and bars when not seated at a table
RESOURCES
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Advocacy Support Needed | HAC Resources
for Federal Election
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Ahead of the federal election, there is an urgent need to communicate the needs of our sector to ensure we a tailored survival program is supported by all parties. Detailed below are steps and key talking points to advocating on behalf of industry.
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For all industry colleagues to schedule meetings with their local candidates
- It is critical that we keep the pressure on and ensure that your local candidates know that without targeted support, you will not survive, and your employees’ jobs will be at stake.
- What we need from each party:
- Last week the Liberal Party pledged to support Canada’s hardest hit businesses, we need to tell the Liberals that this was an important pledge and that we support it.
- We need to continue to push the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois for a more detailed plan for the hardest hit
- We need the NDP to understand that without a bridge support program, the livelihoods of your employees will be at risk.
- All parties need to know this is an important issue for their constituents so they can move swiftly with legislation in the fall. If you have close allies with opposition party members, please reach out directly to them and push this message!
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To support you in your meetings, here are some suggested talking points:
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Liberal Party:
- Thank you for the targeted bridge program supporting the Hardest Hit Businesses in the Tourism Sector. This will be critical to getting us through the fall and winter seasons.
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Conservative Party:
- Thank you for your support. The ‘Explore and Support Canada’ as well as the ‘Job Surge Plan’ may help, but as we cannot yet recover, we need a plan that will help us survive until we can get to recovery. The industry will need a tailored support program for the hardest hit to get through the difficult fall and winter months. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan?
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NDP:
- Thank you for your commitment to extending CEWS and CERS until the pandemic is over. However, if CEWS and CERS are extended at 20%, it will not be enough for the industry and to keep our employees. The reality is we have not been able to recover at the same pace as others. This is why we will need a tailored bridge support program to ensure that we make it through the difficult fall and winter months, and into recovery next spring. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan?
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Bloc Québécois:
- Thank you for acknowledging and recognizing the need for continued support for those who are the hardest hit. Those of us within the <tourism/travel/events/etc.> sector cannot yet recover, and we will need a tailored bridge support program that will help us survive the fall and winter months, and into recovery next spring. Can we count on the support of your party for a tailored plan?
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How to do it
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Find your local candidate here https://www.elections.ca/Scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&QID=-1&PAGEID=20.
- Note that these are the key swing ridings in BC: Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam, Vancouver Granville, Cloverdale-Langley City, Surrey South-White Rock, Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, Steveston-Richmond East
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Send an email detailing your struggles and share this link to the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses federal proposal detailing our ask. Request a meeting to discuss this in person or over the phone.
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Report your meetings here so the HCC can continue to track progress and have you featured on the leader board: https://www.hardesthit.ca/report-meetings.
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Continue to Tweet, following the Liberal pledge! It’s important to acknowledge and thank the Liberals for their support, but also important to avoid appearing partisan. Click here to send a pre-written message from your Twitter account. Don't forget to tag your local Liberal candidate and the Liberal Leader
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BCHA is Coming to Vancouver Island! Register for our Live Industry Update Series |
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As part of our commitment to engage and hear from members and colleagues across British Columbia, we will hosting four in-person information & networking sessions geared to accommodators across Vancouver Island.
During these FREE sessions our hospitality colleagues and associates will have opportunity to hear directly from our team while voicing their own perspectives and priorities as we shift to recovery.
- These sessions will be tailored to each region and will include:
- Updates on advocacy efforts both provincially and federally
- Information on emerging issues and ways to mitigate risk
- Tools, resources, and benefits available to our members
- Recovery strategies for the tourism and hospitality sector
- A Q&A session
- Along with a networking portion with food and drinks provided
Please see below for further information on each event and register for the session of your choice!
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TOFINO
- Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 | 10am – 1pm
- Wickanninnish Conference Hall at the Best Western Plus Tin Wis | 1119 Pacific Rim Hwy, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0
COURTENAY:
- Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 | 10am – 1pm
- Ballroom at Crown Isle Resort | 399 Clubhouse Dr, Courtenay, BC V9N 9G3
PARKSVILLE:
- Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 | 2pm – 5.30pm
- Grand Moriarty Conference Room at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre | 1155 Resort Dr, Parksville, BC V9P 2E3
NANAIMO:
- Thursday, October 7th, 2021 | 10am – 1pm
- Opera & Harbour Rooms at Best Western Dorchester | 70 Church St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5H4
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We are delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our entire hotel community in-person and hope to see you there. Interested in learning more? Reach out to Mike@bcha.com and stay tuned for more information on when we will be in your area. |
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Need Employees? Register for the Hospitality Management Hiring Fair, Taking Place October 9th! |
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In face of the greatest workforce shortage in recent history, operators are searching for ways to find highly-skilled, highly-trained individuals to join their teams.
To develop a solution to this issue, the BC Hotel Association has partnered with Bliss Hospitality and Cornerstone International Community College of Canada (CICC) to bring you the first iteration of the Hospitality Management Hiring Fair.
- The Process:
- Prior to meeting with potential employers, all candidates will be subject to a pre-screening process to ensure they are:
- Opera PMS certified
- Food Safe certified
- Able to perform tasks and duties related to the position
- Able to communicate in English fluently
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Location:
- The Fair will take place at Cornerstone College Tech Campus at 816 Granville Street
- Date:
- October 9th, 2021 | Time TBA
Are you interested in participating or learning more information? Click below to register.
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GoGreen Tip of the Week | Sign Up for a FREE GoGreen Analysis Today! |
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As we approach the end of summer, we should take full advantage of all the natural light left. Remember, "when it's bright, switch off the light." |
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SIGN UP FOR GOGREEN PROGRAM TODAY!
In Spring of 2020, the BCHA added Energy Analyst, Dylan Tomlin, to our roster to help hotels conduct in-depth energy analysis of their operations AT ZERO COST TO THEM. In doing this, Dylan is able to identify ways for properties to operate more sustainably while saving up to tens of thousands through cost-cutting initiatives and rebates.
Due to the overwhelming success of the program, and in recognizing the positive impact it has had on membership, the BCHA has hired two new team members to assist Dylan in this important project. We are so pleased to add another exciting chapter to this critical benefit to our members.
INTERESTED IN YOUR OWN FREE ENERGY ASSESSMENT? SIGN UP TODAY!
If you already expressed interest in an energy assessment in the past, Vanda and/or Kiera will be in touch with you!
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Your Voice is STILL Needed! Help Industry Return to a New Normal & Win $1500 |
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Participate in the survey and enter into a draw for prizes valued at $1,500.
go2HR has been hard at work undertaking a Labour Market Information research project to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on our workforce. Even before COVID-19, the industry faced some significant human resource challenges. We know those challenges will only increase as we emerge from the pandemic.
We need your help!
We need to hear from a representative sample of employers across all sectors and regions of the province. We ask for assistance in sharing the survey with a wide variety of businesses in the province, and ask you to please share this survey with your members. It takes approximately 25 minutes to complete this survey. We want to hear about the impact of COVID-19 on your member’s operations, the human resource issues they face, and what can be done to help industry in dealing with these issues going forward. Any information provided will be held confidential, used only for the purpose of this study, and reported only in summary form with the responses of other respondents. Please help us spread the word!
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Call for Nominations | BCHA
Board of Directors
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The BCHA is offering a unique opportunity for you to voice your interest to become part of the Board of Directors.
Now is a particularly critical time for industry and appointment to the BCHA Board offers opportunity to lend your voice and leadership skills, while developing critical strategies aimed to help industry as we embark on our next chapter of recovery.
- The BCHA | Advocating for the Sector with Unwavering Resolve
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Much more than a voice for the British Columbia Hotel Sector, the BC Hotel Association is a champion, advocate, and resource for our province's entire accommodation community and supporting industries. Representing membership on a national, provincial, and community level, the BCHA actively serves the accommodation industry and its partners—acting as a bridge between the accommodation and business community—while working to ensure the betterment of our unique and interconnected network of operators.
- The BCHA Board of Directors | Agents of Change
- The BCHA Board of Directors is comprised of 19 elected members, each possessing a sincere commitment to the accommodation community. With elected members from regions across British Columbia, board members are champions of the industry who assume a critical leadership role, develop strategies, and make impactful decisions that will support the future of industry and its ongoing success.
With a sincere devotion to ensuring we meet our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we encourage all members to explore materials below—particularly those interested in pioneering the future of hospitality in BC and being an integral part of the next chapter of this more-than-a-century old organization.
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Save the Date! | BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference, March 8-11, 2022
Mark your calendars! The 2022 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference officially has a date. Taking place in Prince George, March 8-11, 2022, the conference will be an informative multi-day conference aimed at supporting growth and celebrating industry.
Stay tuned for further updates coming soon!
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ABLEBC Invites You to Lead Generation & Marketing Tips Webinar
ABLE BC and Ballistic Arts invite you to join us for a free webinar.
At last! British Columbia and the rest of Canada are opening back up. That's great news, but how are you going to best take advantage of this for your business? Will you marketing tactics that you used during the lockdown work now that the economy is reemerging? What new initiatives should you think about and what should you avoid?
Join ABLEBC on this one-hour webinar 'Lead Generation and Marketing Tips for BC's Reopening' with expert Ted Lau, CEO of award-winning Ballistic Arts, and podcast host of Marketing News Canada.
Date: Wednesday, September 1, 10:00 am PT
What you'll learn:
· The big changes in Apple, Facebook, and Google that will affect how you market
· What type of cost effective marketing content makes sense for your lead generation efforts
· Even more about the Marketing Funnel/Loop and where you need to focus in the reopening
The economy is reopening, are you ready? Register here for the free webinar.
If you are unable to attend live, a webinar recording will be sent to everyone registered.
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You’re invited to the 2021 TIAC Tourism Congress at the Westin Ottawa on November 30 to December 1 –
in-person & online
The pandemic has changed everything. But it’s also given us the opportunity to work together, adopt new ways of doing business, and reimagine what tourism looks like post-COVID-19. Come join the Tourism Industry Association of Canada at the 2021 Tourism Congress.
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Tipping Our Hat to Industry!
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Congrats to Versante Hotel on the Unveiling of New Sustainability-Focused Restaurant, Bruno!
On August 29th, the newly opened Versante Hotel in Richmond proudly opened Bruno, their first restaurant in a suite of two, focused on locally sourced ingredients, beautiful share plates, and a flexible, evolving menu influenced by the local farmers and artisans that supply their ingredients.
The restaurant led by a team of industry veterans and will boast a destination-inspired cocktail menu, local craft beers and an expertly curated wine selection.
“Bruno is accessible, with recognizable dishes delivered in a high-impact, opulent way,” explains Executive Chef Will Lew. “As an organization, we believe in being stewards of B.C. and incorporating local ingredients into everything we do. Making guests fall in love again with B.C. and find beauty in their own backyards is what it’s all about, and we hope to do that by showcasing locally-sourced ingredients such as duck from the Fraser Valley, lavender from Vancouver Island, and shellfish from the Pacific Ocean in unique, never-before-seen ways.”
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I predicted back in July that Ontario’s Seneca College would be the forerunner, not the outlier, in the march toward mandatory workplace vaccinations. Now, with the federal government stepping into that breach, requiring not only federal public servants to be vaccinated, but all employees who are federally regulated, and the City of Toronto following suit, my words appear prescient.
Many employers have quickly joined the fray and my office has been busy drafting workplace vaccination policies for companies (and even law firms) big and small.
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Canadians with family and friends in the UK, or folks who just love to visit, got some great news today. Canada is being moved to the UK “green list” of approved countries as of 4 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 30. That means that Canadian travellers will no longer have to automatically quarantine upon arrival.
The rules apply to England, as well as Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The UK Department for Transport announced Thursday that Canada, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the Azores will move from amber to green in the latest changes to the U.K.’s COVID-19 travel rules.
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As the coronavirus pandemic drags on and the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread, more and more companies in the travel industry are requiring their staff and guests to show proof of vaccination. Major airlines, restaurants, and even some hotels are enacting policies aimed at keeping their employees and customers safe—and keeping their lights on.
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The occupancy and RevPAR levels were the highest in Canada since February 2020, while the ADR level was the country’s highest since December 2019. Read more
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Latest GBTA poll shows business travel recovery sentiment remains solid overall but the recent rise of the Delta variant has resulted in new concerns and travel considerations
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Google’s latest free booking links for hotels along with a suite of other tools is fantastic to get more direct bookings. Is your property set up with these tools?
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A direct and compelling headline |
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