British Columbia Municipal Destination Marketing Organizations Commit to Enhanced Performance

VANCOUVER BC, February 27, 2009 – The newly created British Columbia Destination Marketing Organization Association (BC DMO Association or BCDMOA) held their first Annual General Meeting on February 13, 2009. The overall goal of the BCDMOA is to improve organization and industry performance in the BC communities where Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are active. The association believes that through mutual exchange and collaboration BC DMOs will achieve enhanced professionalism, accountability and performance.

“The BC DMO Association is positioned to support performance growth for existing Destination Marketing Organizations; but more importantly to support the effective initial formation of new DMOs,” states Dan Stefanson, Executive Director of Tourism Abbotsford and the inaugural Chair of the BCDMOA. “Through effective exchange and collaboration, DMO senior executives and boards of directors can discover the best way to operate their organizations resulting in program delivery that maximizes revenue opportunities for their business partners and tourism operators”.

The primary action items for the group moving forward are to: identify solutions for issues and challenges facing DMOs; distribute and recommend the adoption of the 2007 Best Practices Study; collaborate with government and industry stakeholders to define benchmarks and standards for effectiveness and raise the awareness of the resources and opportunities available through Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). The BCDMOA strongly recommends that all DMOs adopt the core principles of DMAI, consider membership in DMAI and work toward DMAI Accreditation as a long term corporate goal.

The BCDMOA membership is open to all municipal DMOs with no cost to join. The Board of Directors will meet quarterly going forward and will begin their effort by providing information about the goals of the BCDMOA to the broader tourism community and ensuring that all DMOs have copies of the British Columbia Destination Marketing Organization Association constitution & bylaws as well as the membership application form.

During the February 13, 2009 meeting the inaugural Board of Directors was elected to guide the BCDMOA. The 11-member Board is made up of a diverse group of talented professionals and DMO representatives including

- Dan Stefanson (Chair) - Executive Director, Tourism Abbotsford
- Robert Gialloreto (Vice-Chair) - President & CEO, Tourism Victoria
- Lee Morris (Secretary/Treasurer) - President & CEO, Tourism Kamloops
- Miro Micovsky - Marketing Director, Tourism Golden
- Tracy Lakeman - Executive Director, Tourism Richmond
- Nancy Cameron - Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Kelowna
- Bruce Wishart - Executive Director, Tourism Prince Rupert
- Brian Coombes - Executive Director, Tourism Chilliwack
- Deborah Kulchiski - Executive Director, Tourism Langley
- Blain Sepos – Executive Director, Oceanside Tourism
- Gladys Atrill – Coordinator, Tourism Smithers

Please note that copies of the study “Best Practices for the Effective Use of Additional Hotel Room Tax Revenue in British Columbia” and the Constitution & Bylaws of the BCDMOA are available upon request.