28 Jun 2009
Speed dating format boosts tourism forum's effectiveness
The effectiveness of networking at the first Eastern Bay of Plenty Tourism Forum held in Whakatane in May was boosted considerably by the adoption of a "speed dating" type format.
More than 40 tourism operators from Opotiki, Whakatane, Kawerau, Murupara and Ruatahuna were each given just three minutes to meet and market their businesses. The concept was a big success and meant all of the operators made the most of their time.
“It was fast and furious with a great deal of hilarity, but at the end people were just buzzing,” said Toi-EDA manager Mary Hermanson. “In fact they enjoyed it so much I had to remind them that it was time to go home.
“For us to meet our objectives of working together, operators need to know about each other so they can on sell the area and get visitors to stay longer in our region.”
The forum's main focus was presentation of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Tourism Strategy, which aims to encourage tourism operators in the region to work together. Toi-EDA has also set up a tourism advisory group to be the “eyes and ears” of the industry and help the economic development agency set priorities for further development of tourism in the Eastern Bay.
The evening started with a brief presentation of the strategy, followed by the introduction of the advisory group. Marketing manager Nicola Burgess outlined the marketing opportunities operators could take advantage of, and events manager Mike van der Boom highlighted coming events.
Feedback from the evening was fantastic and there is a huge amount of goodwill towards what Toi-EDA is trying to achieve..
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