Events Forum Planned for December 4th

As part of the Community Coordination project, led by Golden Community Resources Society (GCRS), Golden & Area A residents are invited to the upcoming ‘Events Forum.’

As we work toward having a Community Team in place by the end of 2013, this particular meeting asks: “How can we work together to support events that fit the community and ensure that the events, and the groups involved, thrive?

In an effort to bring together Golden's great event ideas and planners, Pat Bavin, a leader in the Columbia Cultural Tourism Association (CCTA) based out of Invermere, will be providing an update to their progress, challenges and future plans on December 4th, 2013 from 11:30am to 1:30pm at The RockWater Grill.

While Mr. Bavin is the keynote speaker, the public is invited to hear from Golden's event planners about their successes, challenges and opportunities for collaboration toward sustainable event management and community development.

For more information about the Community Coordination project, please see http://www.goldenloom.ca/arts-culture--heritage.html.

When: 11:30am - 1:30pm, Wednesday December 4th, 2013.
Where: The RockWater Grill, 9th Ave N, Golden, BC.
Who: Everyone who is interested and involved in culture, events and tourism.
RSVP: To Ryan at nonprofits.gcrs@gmail.com by November 29th.

The Community Coordination project team appreciates your interest and needs your participation.

- 30 -

For more information:
Ryan Watmough BSc MBA
Consultant
Golden Community Resources Society
Phone: 250-344-8610
Skype: ryan.watmough
Email: nonprofits.gcrs@gmail.com

Here's an excerpt from the CCTA's recent report:
"Canada’s leading advocate for place-based cultural tourism, Steven Thorne, was in the Valley for a very intensive 12 day tour at the end of August. His interviews and site visits gave him a thorough overview of what the Columbia Valley has and what it still needs, and a cautious respect for Pat Bavin’s backroad driving skills. In the coming months Steven will be completing interviews and compiling his insights; he will return to the Valley in January, 2014, to present his final report and strategy to the CCTA Board.

Some of Steven’s initial impressions which he shared with the Board:

We are starting fresh with cultural tourism, without the entrenched cultural ‘turf wars’ he sees      in other parts of Canada. This is a great plus.
Our farmer’s markets and visual arts heritage assets are far advanced for an area of our size and population.
The mixed-itinerary travelers who already visit the Valley but don’t know all we have to offer are our near-term target, with improved, coordinated communication and a comprehensive Web information hub a priority task.
There is work to be done in the coming years to foster underdeveloped venues and attractions      in the Valley in order to have a cultural tourism package we can take to the broader market.
Steven will present his final strategy and recommendations to [the CCTA] in January, at which time the CCTA will announce [their] future plans.

We are all climbing a learning curve as we seek to understand the needs and desires of this large and diverse group known as the Cultural Traveller. With the help of you, our stakeholders, we will be adding the ‘lure of the local’ into our blueprint as we build a solid foundation for the CCTA’s product development. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Columbia Cultural Tourism Association as we continue to evolve a collaborative vision for Valley tourism." - The CCTA Board of Directors, 2013.