Best Practices Mission
Making the Quality Shift: A Progressive Learning Tour
Where: Northern Ontario – North Bay, Sundridge, Huntsville
When: Tuesday, May 8th – Thursday May 10th, 2018
**Scroll to the bottom to view the itinerary
What is a Best Practices Mission? A Best Practices Mission (BPM) is a working trip that showcases success stories from other leading travel destinations. The BPM connects you directly with entrepreneurs of all sizes who are leaders in attracting and serving visitors. You will see, experience and talk, peer-to-peer, about their successes and challenges. BPMs are one of the best ways to be inspired and to learn.
BPMs are just one of the practical and relevant tools presented by Tourism Excellence North to strengthen and improve tourism across Northern Ontario.
Who Should Attend? The Progressive Learning Tour BPM is designed specifically for owners, general/senior managers and operational/facility staff of fixed roof accommodations throughout Northern Ontario who want to improve the quality of their operation and their bottom line.
Where? North Bay, Sundridge, Huntsville
Why Northern Ontario? One of Tourism Excellence North’s goals is to profile excellence in Northern Ontario and Explorers’ Edge regions. Departing from North Bay, participants will get a behind the scenes tour of a variety of accommodation types, network with peers, learn about successes and challenges of attracting and sustaining visitors, and simple quality enhancements which can be implemented to improve their operational efficiency.
Participants will learn about:
• Providing and managing choices for special needs visitors;
• How focusing on small quality details allows your facility to stand out in a crowded market-place;
• Strategies to attract and retain seasonal staff;
• Considerations for property reinvestment strategies;
• How sustainability practices can benefit your operations and the environment;
• How simple quality enhancements can make a big impact on your operation and your guests experiences; and
• Strategies on how to manage renovations and reinvestment construction to minimize impact on guests.
Trip Participants Will:
• Participate in presentations, panels and/or peer-to-peer exchanges with successful business owners and operators;
• Participate in a variety of unique on-site tourism experiences from a visitor perspective;
• Learn about innovative businesses and tourism experiences within the region;
• Spend time with Northern Ontario colleagues; and
• Take home actionable tourism improvement ideas and tasks.
Who is Leading the Mission? Chris Hughes, BC Hughes Inc.
Chris Hughes is president and partner of BC Hughes Inc. a Destination Development, marketing and tourism management firm in Southwestern Ontario. Chris is meticulous about the little things that make great destinations. Signage and wayfinding, parking, customer service, washrooms, and maps are critical to making people happy and often are overlooked. Chris’ extensive experience working on the ground in tourism product development contributes to the firms combined 30 years of experience in destination development and management. Chris’ straightforward, realistic, approach, coupled with extensive Northern Ontario knowledge ensures you’ll take home a lot of little ideas you can easily implement in your own operation.
When: Early morning Tuesday, May 8th to early afternoon Thursday, May 10th, 2018.
Cost: Participant Trip cost is $500 / individual. Participants must apply and have their applications approved.
This cost will cover all travel, accommodation, set meals and activity fees during the three-day trip. Additional discretionary spending will be the responsibility of participants. You are responsible for travel arrangements and related costs to/from North Bay, Ontario.
Participant Details:
• You are responsible for your own transportation and costs for travel to and from North Bay, ON.
Space is limited so apply nowItinerary:
Day 1 May 8th
• 9:45 – 11:15 am Depart from Hampton Inn by Hilton, North Bay to Hidden Valley Resort, Huntsville
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch and welcome at Hidden Valley Resort
• 1:00 – 3:00 pm Tour and discussion with Hidden Valley Resort Management Team
• 3:15 pm Check into rooms at Hidden Valley Resort
• 5:30 pm Depart Hidden Valley Resort
• 6:00 – 9:00 pm Dinner and presentation at 3 Guys and a Stove Restaurant
• 9:15 pm Return to Hidden Valley Resort
Day 2 May 9th
• 8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast Hidden Valley Resort
• 9:00 am Check out of Hidden Valley Resort and board bus for Deerhurst Resort
• 9:30 – 11:30 am Welcome to Deerhurst Resort and discussion on effective staff strategies
• 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Lunch catered by Deerhurst Resort
• 12:45 – 1:45 pm Travel from Deerhurst Resort to Northridge Inn & Resort
• 2:15 – 4:30 pm Welcome and discussion/tour with Northridge Inn & Resort Management Team
• 4:30 pm Check into individual rooms at Northridge Inn & Resort
• 6:00 – 9:00 pm Dining at the Renard Room at Northridge Inn & Resort
Day 3 May 10th
• 8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast served at Northridge Inn & Resort
• 9:30 – 11:00 am Check out of Northridge Inn & Resort and Travel to North Bay
• 11:15 am – 12:30 pm Welcome & accessibility discussion with Hampton Inn Management Team in North Bay
• 12:30 – 2:00 pm Lunch and Best Practices Mission wrap up at Hampton Inn
• 2:00 pm Best Practices Mission participants return home