Merritt shines at tourism conference

Mayor Susan Roline and Mike Fairfield of the Great Canadian Bike Rally teamed up and attended the BC Tourism Industry Conference in Victoria from October 24 – 26.

Organizers invited them to speak about organizing and hosting community events.

Merritt was chosen out of all the communities in BC by Thom Tischik, marketing manager of the Revelstoke Accommodation Association, who organized part of the conference.

According to Mr. Tischik, Merritt stands out in the crowd because of the excellent cooperation of the city with festival organizers.

Not only does the Merritt Mountain Music Fest have a positive track record, the Great Canadian Bike Rally follows right in its footsteps, he said.

He commended the City of Merritt for recognizing the economic benefits of a well-organized event, while even enhancing the marketing profile of the community.

Tischik said the presentation of the Merritt delegation was very well received.

During Roline’s presentation she talked about the background and history of the Merritt Mountain Music Fest; the benefits this festival has brought to the community as far as recognition in the world of country music and said that programs that ensued have made a very positive impact on the economy and infrastructure of the city.

She said the branding of Merritt as the Country Music Capital of Canada, which started in 2003, was another result of the publicity Mountain Fest has brought to the community. Even though the festival has somewhat changed in recent years and the majority of its visitors stay at the Music Fest site, the positive impact on Merritt is lasting, Roline said.

Fairfield’s presentation focused more on the First Annual Great Canadian Bike Rally, which was held only in July 2011.

A bike rally with entertainment, a street mall and a whole variety of events catered towards the biking community, and this newest addition to Merritt’s lineup brought all the action back into town, he said.

Fairfield’s presentation, much like Roline’s, stressed the importance of a close relationship between the City and event organizers.

From policing to fire safety and public works ensuring street closures, the city and Rally organizers started working hand in hand almost nine months before the rally – and the efforts paid off.

Roline said that for every 25 people that called her or talked to her about the Rally, 24 had nothing but positive comments. A lot of the supporters were actually of the older generation – they really enjoyed having all the action downtown and were reminded of days past, when downtown Merritt was a social hub, bustling with energy, she said.

The Second Annual Great Canadian Bike Rally, set to take place in July 2012, can look forward to continued support from the city, said Roline.

Another speaker at the Tourism Conference was Robyn Cyr, economic development officer of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, who said that the community of Salmon Arm will not be hosting the Sturgis North Bike Rally next year.

According to the Five-Year Strategy for Tourism of the Province of BC, which was also released at the conference, one of the goals is to increase visitor numbers and revenue from tourism by five per cent each year for the next five years. Judging by the numbers for the first year of the Canadian Bike Rally and the potential for the second year, Merritt is well on its way to shining again.