Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Industry Forum 2023

The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM) Industry Forum is being held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. This year’s agenda will include lots of time for networking and reconnecting with the tourism industry in the region. Join us and register now! There will be a maximum of 200 registrations for the event.

This Forum is geared towards large and small tourism businesses, along with Community Destination Management Organizations (CDMOs) in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region. The purpose of the event is to present updates on industry programs offered by Destination BC. Registrations will be reviewed to ensure all attendees have a professional connection to the VCM Tourism Industry.

Destination BC uses Eventbrite to manage attendance for corporate events. Destination BC is collecting your personal information through Eventbrite under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Registration through Eventbrite is voluntary. Please be aware that IP addresses, event responses and personal email addresses (if supplied in place of a business email) will be collected by Eventbrite, and this information will be stored by Eventbrite outside of Canada. By clicking on the Attend Event or Register button, you are consenting to your personal information (IP address, event response and email address) being stored in the United States. Your consent is effective as soon as you register.

If you do not wish to register through Eventbrite, please email vcm@destinationbc.ca who will register you separately.

We are striving to make the VCM Industry Forum event inclusive and accessible so that all individuals can fully engage and participate. Please contact us at vcm@destinationbc.ca if you have questions about accessibility or would like to request an accommodation need.

AGENDA

8:30 am Registration Opens

9:00 am – 9:10 am Opening Comments
Alison McKay, Vice President, Destination Management, Destination BC

9:10 am - 9:30 am Welcome
Richard Porges, President & CEO, Destination BC

9:30 am – 10:30 am Keynote Speaker - AI and the Tourism Industry
Charlie Grinnell, CEO, RightMetric

10:30 am – 11:00 am Networking Break – light refreshments provided

11:00 am – 11:45 am Invest in Iconics Strategy Update: Rainforest to Rockies Launch
Destination BC
Erica Hummel, Director, Destination Development & Stewardship
Jordan Saunderson, Senior Specialist, Brand & Creative

11:45 am - 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Accessibility Considerations and Learnings for Businesses
Nancy Harris, Access BC Regional Development Liaison, Spinal Cord BC

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm Introducing the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Sustainability Playbook & Toolkit
Shaylyn Robertson, Senior Sustainable Tourism Specialist, GreenStep Solutions Inc.

2:15 pm – 2:45 pm Networking Break – light refreshments provided

2:45 pm – 3:15 pm The Impacts of Outdoor Recreation in Rural BC Communities
Ximena Diaz Lopez, Fund Development Officer, Outdoor Recreation Council of BC

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Destination Management Update
Alison McKay, Vice President, Destination Management, Destination BC

3:30 pm – 3:55 pm Indigenous Tourism BC
Chatman Shaw, Corporate Services Lead

3:55 pm – 4:00 pm Closing Comments
Destination BC Alison McKay, Vice President, Destination Management