Tourism Winnipeg, EDW’s official destination marketing organization, is celebrating its 2020 Stella Award win for its WPG M&C Action News campaign. Tourism Winnipeg's campaign won in the category of Best Convention & Visitor Bureau (CVB)/Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) - International and U.S. Territories for its engaging 'newscast,' event activation and online campaign.
Winnipeg often competes alongside some of the biggest cities in the country for events and business dollars, so in order to get the attention of meeting planners, the Winnipeg story must be told in an innovative and compelling way. Especially, given the current challenges around COVID-19.
“We know recent events have changed the landscape for booking meetings and conventions in our city. But we also know awards and initiatives like these will keep Winnipeg top of mind and help us fill up the pipeline for future business. Our team isn’t just rescheduling cancelled events, it is looking ahead to potential events two to three years down the road. When it’s safe to host again, we’ll be ready,” says Economic Development Winnipeg, CEO & President, Dayna Spiring.
The Stella Awards, established by Northstar Meetings Group recognizes hotels, convention centres, conference centres, airlines, cruise lines, DMO/CVBs and DMCs that consistently deliver quality service and innovation to meeting and events professionals.
Winning this international award will help to introduce new association executives to the Winnipeg advantage, and reengage those who are cautiously looking forward to future events.
No format is more trusted to deliver high-quality content that connects with their audience than the nightly news. The concept for WPG M&C Action News, which utilized a satirical newscast, booth activation and promotional assets, was to not only raise awareness about why Winnipeg is an ideal meeting and convention destination, but also profile Tourism Winnipeg’s Business Development Managers, who are critical to fostering relationships and securing events. The mock newscast, which featured our outgoing team as reporters, allowed the organization to inject a lot of humour into their pitch while at the same time showcasing some of the amazing attractions and event spaces Winnipeg offers.
The campaign debuted in January 2020 at Tête-à-Tête, one of the country’s key industry events for meeting planners and association executives. Cardboard cutouts of the WPG M&C Action News team dotted the venue, leading people to Tourism Winnipeg’s booth. Attendees had an opportunity to slide behind the anchor’s desk themselves and create their own on-air segment which got them talking about Winnipeg. The 30-second spots were not only pushed out on Tourism Winnipeg’s social channels, but participants could use them on their channels which helped to spread the Winnipeg brand even further.
“Planners will be looking for destinations that can provide a best-in-class experience. This award is great because it shows off Tourism Winnipeg’s which is an unparalleled, full-service team ready to provide delegates with customized experiences from start to finish. It also draws more attention to our city, its unique venues, world-class attractions and cutting-edge culinary scene,” adds Spiring.
The WPG M&C Action News concept has received many accolades from clients, partners and other tourism bureaus, and will help to solidify Tourism Winnipeg’s reputation for delivering unique marketing concepts for the meeting and convention industry. You haven't see the lasts of our M&C Action News team. The crew is busy working on its next special report. Follow the team on Twitter @MeetingWinnipeg.