Schedule 3

Business CaseJuly 07, 2014

TRI-MUNICIPAL REGIONAL EVENT HOSTING STRATEGY

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 What is an Event Hosting Strategy? 3

Why is it Needed? 5

3.0 What is an Regional Strategy? 6

Tri-Municipal Region 8

Spruce Grove 8

Town of Stony Plain 9

Parkland County 10

4.0 Benefits of a Regional Approach 11

Non-Financial Benefits 13

Financial Benefits 15

5.0 Challenges of a Regional Approach 20

6.0 Examples of Successful Events Hosted in the Region 22

7.0 Conclusion 28

Table of Contents

[ ii ]

1Introduction

SECTION

[ 1 ]

Asset Inventory & Analysis

» Inventory of event hosting assets.

» Inventory of events hosted.

Best Practices & Trends

» Examine other communities.

» Secondary research.

Stakeholder Input

» Interviews with key stakeholders in the region.

» This may include: event organizers, Chambers of Commerce, etc.

Stakeholder Workshops

» Gather input from the “grassroot” organizations regarding a hosting strategy and its components.

Committee Workshop

» Enlist the Committee to provide input into the strategy.

Regional Event Hosting Strategy

» Develop the strategy including toolkit and implementation plan.

Business Case for Regional Event Hosting

Regional Event Hosting Strategy

The Tri-Municipal Region communities (City of Spruce Grove, Town of Stony Plain, and Parkland County) along with the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre are working together to examine the development of a regional event hosting strategy.

Each of the municipalities currently serves as a host for a variety of events throughout the year; this is expected to continue certainly for the smaller, community specific events. The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre (TLC) is a host facility for many of these events. As the premier multiplex facility in the area, the TLC offers a significant amount of space and amenities in a single location to accommodate a myriad of events. Each of these partners however does not have a formalized strategy for event hosting.

Rather than develop their own event hosting strategies and to accrue the benefits of a regional approach, the partners (the three municipalities and the TLC) have made a decision to pursue the development of a strategy collectively. This Business Case is one deliverable in the process for the strategy’s development. It provides a point in the process for the partners to re-discuss the merits of having a regional event hosting strategy and to discuss components of it. The general process implemented is outlined to the right.1

This Business Case will outline and discuss the following questions:

» What is an event hosting strategy and why is it needed?

» What are the benefits from hosting events?

» What are the benefits of developing this strategy regionally?

» What are the challenges of developing a regional strategy?

» What are some examples of events hosted in the region?

1 Public and Stakeholder review are elements that will be utilized prior to the finalization of the strategy.

[ 2 ]

2What is an Event Hosting Strategy?

SECTION

[ 3 ]

An event hosting strategy is a structured approach to identify and attract events to a community or region. It does this in a manner that recognizes and measures the benefits and supports volunteers and other partners so that these benefits can be achieved. Obviously, the development of a strategy is not critical; new events can be attracted to the region and existing events can continue to be hosted without a strategy. Virtually all communities host events of varying types and scales due to the efforts of community members. A strategy, however, can help identify and attract events. A structured approach inherent with a strategy can help take a longer, broader view towards event retention and attraction.

Events can be the result of a top down approach (municipality to grassroots volunteer) or a bottom up approach. While there certainly are instances in which a top down approach can work, often the greatest successes occur when members of the grassroots volunteer community (groups or individuals) seek out or bring forward event ideas. The preferred approach for the partners in the Tri Municipal region is a grassroots approach. Events can be significant undertakings and having community members invested in attracting and hosting the events helps achieve success. The role of the municipalities is to provide supports—it is these supports that comprise a portion of the strategy. It is important however to recognize that even with a top down approach, the success of an event can often depend upon the support of community groups.

Frequently a top of mind thought, when it comes to event hosting, is sport tourism. While sports and recreation are significant types of events they are not the only types. Other types of events that need to be considered include business events (e.g. Alberta Chambers of Commerce meetings), conferences and meetings, trade shows, social events, and cultural events. The possibilities are endless and it is important that a strategy not limit the types of events to consider. This is not to suggest, however, that strategic decisions are not made to target or focus on particular types of events. These decisions may be made to leverage assets in the community (facilities, volunteers, etc), for profile or any other number of reasons. An event hosting strategy will provide a rationale for identifying and supporting the pursuit of certain events.

An event hosting strategy is an approach

to identify and attract events to a region.

Ideally, these events are supported by

the community; this support helps

ensure success of the event.

An event hosting strategy should capture not only the approach to attracting, managing, and hosting events but also how all stakeholders, including the private, public, and non-profit sectors, can benefit from events as they occur and beyond. Demonstrating and measuring the impacts of events in the region is also a key component to garnering current and future strategy buy-in.

[ 4 ]

Why is it Needed?

Attracting events is a competitive exercise amongst communities and regions. While locally based events are valuable and should be reflected in an event hosting strategy, bringing events that include non-local visitors into a community most often involves competing with other jurisdictions. A few Alberta municipalities recognize the value of bringing events into the local economy and therefore have processes and supports in place to attract events. Although these examples exist, this is not commonplace. The competitive landscape in Alberta (and across western Canada) requires municipalities to increasingly be more structured and strategic in their approach and tactics.

An event hosting strategy includes tools that can prove very helpful to community organizations and members bidding on events. Included in these tools are pieces of information regarding potential venues as well as supporting amenities (e.g. hotels, restaurants, etc) that can prove critical in bringing events and people to the region.

A strategy can help avoid the duplication of efforts among organizations which may be trying to bring events to the region. A strategy will also ensure support is offered to organizations in the community who may be instrumental in the hosting of an event.

Hosting events in communities also requires coordination in that major events are staggered where possible so that tangible and intangible benefits are optimized. A strategy will outline how this can best be achieved.

Developing a strategy can additionally help the municipalities, and more importantly the collective region, identify strengths, weaknesses and existing conditions which will influence the capacity to attract and retain events in the future. Understanding the current state and availability of existing events and facilities is a key consideration when contemplating future strategic approaches to event hosting. This assessment can play into infrastructure planning undertaken at the municipal level. Assessments undertaken when determining which events to pursue can provide information that can be used by municipal economic development staff as well. For example, it may be determined that there is a dearth of support amenities needed to attract an event. This information may prove helpful in the work of the municipalities in attracting development. A strategy can help harmonize efforts in

the region. It helps ensure that resource

are applied efficiently to attract and

convene events. The benefits of hosting

events are plentiful and varied. As such,

attracting events can be quite competitive

amongst regions and municipalities.

[ 5 ]

3What is a

Regional Strategy?

SECTION

[ 6 ]

The intent is to develop an event hosting strategy on a regional basis. The partner municipalities that comprise the region are the Town of Stony Plain, the City of Spruce Grove, and Parkland County. The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre is also a partner in this regional strategy. This regional approach then will see all facilities (potential event hosting sites) be included in the portfolio of assets that can be utilized to host events.

It is important to recognize, however, that a regional strategy does not necessarily mean that every event will be convened throughout the entire region. Because of the unique characteristics of the three municipalities, some events may be better hosted in one or two of the municipalities rather than all three. There may be occasions where all three municipal partners are obviously part of an event but that may not always be so. Likewise, some events may be held in the TLC while for some, that venue may not be appropriate. The strategy is truly regional because it makes available the resources of each partner and positions the region holistically as a single entity when an event is being pursued.

A regional event is one in which the event leads to measurable benefits (economic or other) in more than on regional municipality. Furthermore, events can be considered regional if they involve community organizations from more than one of the partner municipalities working together. Events that are hosted in more than one of the partner municipalities can be considered regional as well.

Each of the municipal partners recognizes the benefits of hosting events and of working collaboratively and cooperatively as evidenced by the following excerpts from the respective strategic plans.

Each of the municipal partners recognizes

the benefits of hosting events and of

working collaboratively and cooperatively

as evidenced by the following excerpts

from the respective strategic plans.

[ 7 ]

Spruce Grove

Tri-Municipal Region

PARTNERSHIP FOR PROSPERITY: SPRUCE GROVE’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2010 – 2020

» … Sports tourism is now seen as one of the highest growth potential “industries” in the City.

» … Considerable progress has been achieved in developing sports tourism…. The time has come to take these efforts to the next level.

» The goal remains to draw in more sports tourists from across the Capital Region, Alberta and Canada—and to capture the associated retail, commercial, and hospitality expenditures associated with these visitors.

» Proposed action items:

– develop a targeted results oriented sports tourism strategy in cooperation with our regional partners;

– continue to develop sport and recreation facilities—and related hosted events—as an economic driver, including opportunities to partner with other municipalities;

– establish sports tourism coordinator and budget to assist in attracting major events, in cooperation with our regional partners;

– promote investment in complementary hospitality services; and

– consider the establishment of a multi-stakeholder committee to advise on sports tourism matters in cooperation with our regional partners.

RECREATION & CULTURE INDOOR FACILITY STRATEGY 2009

» Strategic Vision:

– Indoor recreation and culture facilities in the Tri-Municipal Region are... enjoyable by regional residents, non-local users, and tourists alike...

» The strategy outlines future priorities for indoor leisure facility development.

SPRUCE GROVE CORPORATE PLAN 2011 – 2013 » Creating an environment that fosters a sense of community

spirit and pride. » Strengthen ties between the City and community and service

groups and organizations. » Engage with other municipalities and organizations in the

region to coordinate, where possible, investment, promotion, and marketing efforts.

» Promote the growth of Spruce Grove’s tourism and hospitality sector.

» Define the role of the City in tourism development, in alignment with the regional sports and tourism strategy.

» Develop our sports and recreation facilities and plan for the promotion of the city’s sports, recreation, and hospitality sectors.

» Develop partnerships to promote local sports, tourism, and hospitality sectors.

THE CITY OF SPRUCE GROVE “YOUR BRIGHT FUTURE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN" 2010 – 2020

» Pursue opportunities and partnerships to develop sport tourism and hospitality related infrastructure and services to attract tournaments and conferences to the community.

» Continue to encourage a diverse range of community events and festivals.

» Strengthen Spruce Grove as a regional sports tourism destination by reinvesting in existing facilities and enhancing their potential as economic generators.

[ 8 ]

Town of Stony Plain

TOWN OF STONY PLAIN MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN—2005 – 2020

» Continue to implement the economic development and tourism strategy.

» Foster community economic development and tourism to diversify the economy, attract new investment, create jobs, and expand the tax base.

» Increase tourism visitation and expenditures through co-operative marketing and the development and enhancement of tourism attractions, services, and infrastructure.

» Work in partnership with neighbouring municipalities, service clubs and other organizations to meet the parks and recreation needs of the community.

» Investigate and pursue potential shared services enhancing co-operation and partnerships.

TOWN OF STONY PLAIN CULTURAL MASTER PLAN 2012

» Strengthen regional partnerships an collaboration.

» Establish a community-driven calendar of events.

» Develop a festivals strategy.

– Increase the economic impact of a number of the larger and more successful festivals.

COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY PLAN 2007 » Create a business development plan focused on

business attraction, tourism, and marketing to promote economic diversity

[ 9 ]

Parkland County

COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN (JUNE 2010) » Cooperate with the Town of Stony Plain and

City of Spruce Grove in providing economic development.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TOURISM STRATEGY 2009 – 2013

» Develop a three-year plan for professional development in the economic development sector, including municipal staff but also key community leaders and decision-makers

» Undertake an Aggressive Public Relations Strategy (that) will also be very effective for attracting visitors and investment retention / attraction in all sectors.

» Support the existing tourism sector through strategic partnership with neighbouring communities…

» Undertake background work with successful tourism operators who can attest to the payback of investments in improvements (inspiring stories) and would be prepared to let their experiences stand as examples to others. Invite all tourism operators in Parkland to attend.

RECREATION, PARKS & OPEN SPACES MASTER PLAN 2009

» Regional collaboration strategic framework describes the County's involvement in the planning, development, and operations of recreation, parks, and open space resources.

[ 10 ]

4Benefits of a

Regional Approach

SECTION

[ 11 ]

A regional approach to event hosting involves all partners. It takes long term vision and belief that all partners will benefit from the events that are hosted in the region. A regional approach involves big thinking; it involves a forward perspective; it is based on the premise that the collective is greater than the sum of the independent parts.

A regional approach brings a larger player to the table—a region with more facilities and venues, more support amenities, a larger volunteer base, and a larger pool of participants and spectators. Working regionally leverages the resources of all and pools resources. The Tri Municipal region has more capacibility to host events as a region than does either of the partners independently. Working together in this manner helps the region as it competes with other regions and / or communities. Due to the uniqueness of each of the partners, a regional approach brings some additional diversity that may positively impact the bid for an event or the promotional aspects of an event itself.

There are innumerable benefits to approaching event hosting on a regional basis. These reasons can be classified into financial / tangible and non-financial / intangible benefits. In some instances, one of the partners might realize more direct financial benefits than another partner. More total benefits might be realized by one partner compared to the others. A key tenet to taking a regional approach is to consider what all the benefits of a portfolio of events may bring to each partner, its facilities, and its residents / rate payers. In order to be successful, the benefits of this strategy need to be viewed as incurred by the region as opposed to any one of its constituent partners. The two primary benefit types are explored as follows.

[ 12 ]

Non-Financial Benefits

Municipal governments exist to provide services to their residents. Governments are concerned with providing basic services and working to enhance the quality of life of residents. Having events in the community does provide benefits for both residents and businesses. Residents can attend events as spectators and they can be participants. When it comes to events, people really do not recognize boundaries. Residents in Spruce Grove will “take in” events that occur in Parkland County and vice versa.

A benefit of hosting events is the promotion of the region. Any event that brings non local people to the region helps in the promotion of the community. These non-local people have a chance to see a region that they may have previously been unfamiliar with. This may lead to return visits. Larger events with more prominence can lead to broader exposure to a region. Some of these events may receive coverage through the media which, in turn, can focus the spotlight on the local area. Coverage of an event like the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Showcase can help promote the regional facilities and features. Promotion of the region can prove beneficial by helping attract other events, enticing future visitation, attracting new residents, and attracting new businesses.

The facilities and amenities are often promoted through these events as well (to both local and non-local people). Attendance at a concert at the Horizon Stage may lead to patrons considering attendance at other events at the venue or may lead to a future rental. Attendees at any number of events at the TLC may lead to their use of the many amenities there (e.g. they may use the fitness centre while at the TLC for a soccer tournament). Events are a very good way of promoting the facilities to the community’s own residents as well.

The hosting of significant events can bring legacies to a region. For example, a community may develop new facilities or improve existing facilities in order to host the event. Local residents will benefit from any new facility development or facility improvements long after the event has concluded. The event legacy may also take the form of scholarships or program funds that will serve as a regular reminder of the community’s event hosting. Identification of these types of legacies during the event bid process can be important during the adjudication process and can also help regional municipalities quantify expected event hosting benefits.

[ 13 ]

As community organizations work to attract and host an event there is local volunteer capacity and expertise being developed. Those residents involved, often volunteers, gain skills from undertaking the tasks, build enhanced pride in their region, and become catalysts for community development. This enhanced expertise can benefit organizations in the region as the heightened skills and expertise are applied in different areas and become a legacy for the delivery of traditional ongoing community based programming.

Exposure of a sport or activity to a broader audience can be an outcome of hosting an event. This exposure can, in turn, lead to greater participation. It also can enhance the health and well-being of the new participants. Hosting a provincial curling championship may expose the sport to non-curlers. This may lead to an increase in interest and participation in curling. While certainly helping the sustainability of the local curling association, increased participation also broadens the overall benefits of participation throughout the region.

Volunteers are critical for an event’s success. Bringing in events to a community provides opportunities for its volunteers. Depending upon the scale of the event, volunteers may need to be drawn from an expanded pool. For example the cadre of existing volunteers in the region was most likely enhanced by the addition of new volunteers in order for the Tri-Municipal Region to successfully host the 2012 Alberta Winter Games. People volunteer for a variety of reasons including to enhance their own skills, to enrich their community, and for enjoyment. Attracting events to a community can provide residents with these opportunities. The new and strengthened skills acquired by these volunteers can be put to use in the community once the event has finished. In this manner an event can act as a community development exercise. The nature of events being defined in term of timing (i.e. with a specific end date) is conducive to the changing nature of volunteers and the types of opportunities sought.

Events are also beneficial to a community and its residents for more esoteric reasons. Events can provide occasions for residents to connect to each other and the community; enable people to spend time with each other; bolster regional pride; and celebrate the experiences together. This helps explain why there are annual events in many communities and regions. The events bring the regional community together. Partnerships between community organizations, municipalities, and the business community can be enhanced through these event opportunities as well. The TLC facility project was initially rooted in the hosting of a regional event.

There are innumerable non-financial

benefits with hosting events in the region:

» Promotion of the region.

» Facility marketing.

» Event legacies.

» Volunteer development.

» Exposure of an activity.

» Volunteer opportunity.

» Enhanced community cohesiveness.

[ 14 ]

Financial benefits can be accrued through

non-local spending; facility rentals; and the

pooling of resource from regional partners.

Financial Benefits

The benefit that often gets the most prominence is the economic benefit accrued through the hosting of an event. Directly these benefits can include fees gathered by the municipality or facility operator for use of the facility or space (i.e. the fees collected through rental of a hall space for an event). Additional funds may be raised through any equipment rentals or catering at the facilities.

Consider an event at the TLC. Funds are raised through the rental of the space (and potentially for any equipment / catering services.) Someone who attended the event may use other amenities at the TLC after becoming aware of them while attending the event. All three municipalities will accrue some benefits as well as the TLC is utilized as all municipalities are partners in the ownership and operations of the facility.

Utilization of facilities due to special events helps support the overall facility cost recovery which in turn has a positive impact upon the facility operator. For use of the TLC, all three partner municipalities benefit as owners and funders of the facility.

Providing a regional strategy means a pooling of resources. This has financial savings that can be accrued because it is less expensive for the three municipal partners to share the costs of promotional materials, staffing, and other operating costs than each providing their own.

Having an event in a community and broader region may bring non-local spending as event participants or spectators come to the area. Consider a business conference. Typically these events are held over several days and attract people from outside the region. Local business can benefit as delegates incur expenses for lodgings, food, and even transportation. These delegates may purchase items in local stores as well. Similar kinds of expenditures can be noted with participants in sporting tournaments (e.g. softball tournament), spectators / patrons of events (e.g. attendees to the Blueberry Blue Grass Festival).

[ 15 ]

Consider the following examples to illustrate this economic benefit.

2012 TELUS CUPHost in Leduc from April 23 – 29, 2012, the TELUS Cup is Canada's National midget hockey championship. The tournament features five regional champions plus the host team. The Canadian sport Tourism Alliance conducted an economic impact assessment.

» The spending of event participants and spectators, the event organizers in hosting the event, and the capital upgrades generated an estimated net economic activity (GOP) of $2.9 Million in the province of which $1.9 Million occurred in Leduc.

TABLE 2.2 VISITOR SPENDING PER PERSON

EDMONTON SAMEDAY

VISITOR SAMEDAY

VISITOR OVERNIGHT AVERAGE

ACCOMMODATION $0.00 $0.00 $566.51 $280.79

RESTAURANT $115.74 $283.93 $368.85 $261.13

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT $5.88 $10.49 $24.05 $14.74

EVENT MERCHANDISE $20.00 $60.91 $46.35 $40.27

OTHER SHOPPING $11.09 $24.68 $187.50 $91.99

VEHICLE EXPENSES $47.94 $123.10 $49.35 $64.40

TOTAL $200.65 $503.11 $1,242.63 $753.31

TABLE 2.3 AGGREGATE VISITOR SPENDING

EDMONTON SAMEDAY

VISITOR SAMEDAY

VISITOR OVERNIGHT AVERAGE

VISITORS 220 232 335 787

ACCOMMODATION $0 $0 $189,930 $189,930

RESTAURANT $25,412 $65,918 $123,663 $214,993

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT $1,292 $2,436 $8,063 $11,790

EVENT MERCHANDISE $4,391 $14,142 $15,541 $34,074

OTHER SHOPPING $2,436 $5,730 $62,862 $71,028

VEHICLE EXPENSES $10,527 $28,578 $16,547 $55,652

TOTAL $44,058 $116,805 $416,605 $577,467

[ 16 ]

TABLE 2.4 VISITOR EXPENDITURES (PER PARTY PER TRIP)

SAM

ED

AY

VFR

**

CO

MM

ER

CIA

L

AC

CO

MO

DA

TIO

NS

AB

UN

DE

R 2

00

KM

OT

HE

R A

B

RE

GIO

NA

L

LON

G-H

AU

L

AV

ER

AG

E

SAMPLE SIZE n=64 n=88 n=188 n=95 n=73 n=120 n=55 n=343

PARTY SIZE 2.52 2.14 2.62 2.29 2.58 2.49 2.70 2.49

ACCOMMODATION $0.00 $0.00 $1,151.11 $264.32 $557.40 $761.95 $1,166.82 $645.51

RESTAURANT/BAR/CONCESSION* $69.84 $70.42 $276.84 $107.07 $169.66 $208.75 $300.09 $186.92

GROCERY/OTHER F&B $104.53 $166.42 $276.31 $149.26 $204.45 $247.96 $262.20 $213.65

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT* $7.81 $24.89 $58.85 $36.84 $47.26 $34.37 $70.55 $43.60

RETAIL CLOTHING* $27.89 $53.86 $82.65 $40.53 $90.41 $47.00 $117.69 $65.78

OTHER SHOPPING $39.06 $115.17 $148.64 $92.11 $168.48 $101.25 $143.27 $119.76

CAR RENTAL (IN EDMONTON) $0.00 $3.98 $31.30 $3.16 $15.07 $16.17 $52.64 $18.18

VEHICLE EXPENSES $180.53 $80.92 $113.55 $154.86 $124.33 $111.03 $56.55 $117.27

TAXI/AIRPORT BUS $10.78 $28.17 $47.98 $15.27 $6.99 $35.16 $112.18 $36.01

PUBLIC TRANSIT $4.88 $16.27 $44.10 $16.02 $18.48 $35.60 $59.07 $30.30

TOTAL $445.33 $560.10 $2,231.32 $879.44 $1,402.52 $1,599.23 $2,341.05 $1,476.96

* Note that Roar of the Rings tickets, spending at the Keith’s Patch, and Roar of the Rings merchandise expenditures are not included in the total to avoid double counting; these are included as revenues in the event organizers’ budget.

** VFR = "Visiting Friends & Relatives"

TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS— 2009 CANADIAN CURLING TRIALSIn December 2009, Edmonton hosted the Canadian Curling Trials—Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings. An economic impact assessment of the event was conducted using the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s (CSTA’s) Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (Professional Version). Some interesting findings from that study are presented below.

» For visitors to Edmonton, the largest expenditures were on accommodations (44%), followed by groceries (15%), restaurants (13%), other shopping (8%), and vehicle expenses (8%).

» Short haul Alberta visitors (those that travelled less than 200 km, one way to Edmonton) spent an average of $383 per person for the full event, rising to $545 for the average long-haul visitor. Considering per trip, the short haul visitor spent $176.72.

» Factoring in operational expenditures with visitor expenditures and total revenue resulted in economic activity of $12.3M throughout the Province of which $8.5M occurred in the City of Edmonton.

[ 17 ]

TABLE 2.5 TOTAL VISITOR EXPENDITURES

AB

UN

DE

R 2

00

KM

AB

OV

ER

20

0K

M

RE

GIO

NA

L

LON

G-H

AU

L

TO

TA

L

TOTAL SPECTATORS 2,577 1,924 2,695 1,211 8,407

ACCOMMODATION $296,832 $416,390 $823,989 $523,833 $2,061,044

RESTAURANT / BAR / CONCESSION $120,246 $126,739 $225,747 $134,723 $607,454

GROCERY / OTHER F&B $167,626 $152,731 $268,147 $117,712 $706,216

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT $41,374 $35,305 $37,165 $31,671 $145,515

OTHER RETAIL CLOTHING $45,512 $67,539 $50,827 $52,836 $216,714

OTHER SHOPPING $103,436 $125,859 $109,494 $64,321 $403,109

CAR RENTAL (IN EDMONTON) $3,546 $11,257 $17,483 $23,631 $55,917

CAR EXPENSES (GAS, ETC. IN EDMONTON) $173,914 $92,877 $120,074 $25,386 $412,251

TAXI / AIRPORT BUS $17,153 $5,219 $38,021 $50,363 $110,756

PUBLIC TRANSIT (BUS) $17,992 $13,805 $38,499 $26,520 $96,815

TOTAL $987,631 $1,047,719 $1,729,444 $1,050,996 $4,815,791

[ 18 ]

OTHER EXAMPLESOther examples are illustrated below and include events hosted in Leduc.

Note: "Induced Impact" refers to amounts in wages and salaries supported that are associated with the spending.

BLACK GOLD RODEO—2010 (4 DAY EVENT)

Total Economic Impact (EIA) for the hosting of the event for the Province of Alberta was $1,494,979 while the City of Leduc realized an EIA of $996,453.

ALB

ER

TA

IM

PA

CT

LED

UC

IM

PA

CT

RE

ST O

F

ALB

ER

TA

DIRECT & INDIRECT $1,084,241 $812,798 $271,444

INDUCED IMPACT $410,737 $183,655 $227,083

TOTAL IMPACT $1,494,979 $996,453 $498,526

BLACK GOLD HEALTH FOUNDATION DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL—2010 (2 DAY EVENT)

Total Economic Impact (EIA) for the hosting of the event for the Province of Alberta was $291,489 while the City of Leduc realized an EIA of $190,933.

ALB

ER

TA

IM

PA

CT

LED

UC

IM

PA

CT

RE

ST O

F

ALB

ER

TA

DIRECT & INDIRECT $206,166 $152,868 $53,298

INDUCED IMPACT $85,322 $38,065 $47,257

TOTAL IMPACT $291,489 $190,933 $100,555

ALBERTA DAIRY CONGRESS—2010 (3 DAY EVENT)

Total Economic Impact (EIA) for the hosting of the event for the Province of Alberta was $347,655 while the City of Leduc realized an EIA of $249,498.

ALB

ER

TA

IM

PA

CT

LED

UC

IM

PA

CT

RE

ST O

F

ALB

ER

TA

DIRECT & INDIRECT $238,247 $200,575 $37,672

INDUCED IMPACT $109,498 $48,923 $60,485

TOTAL IMPACT $347,655 $249,248 $98,157

REGIONAL SCOTT FIREFIT—2012 (2 DAY EVENT)

Total Economic Impact (EIA for the hosting of the event for the Province of Alberta was $283,084 while the City of Leduc realized an EIA of $187,098.

ALB

ER

TA

IM

PA

CT

LED

UC

IM

PA

CT

RE

ST O

F

ALB

ER

TA

DIRECT & INDIRECT $194,886 $143,635 $51,251

INDUCED IMPACT $88,198 $43,463 $44,735

TOTAL IMPACT $283,084 $187,098 $95,986

AAC NATIONAL DOG AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIPS—2013 (4 DAY EVENT)

Total Economic Impact (EIA) for the hosting of the event for the Province of Alberta was $1,381,643 while the City of Leduc realized an EIA of $915,130.

ALB

ER

TA

IM

PA

CT

LED

UC

IM

PA

CT

RE

ST O

F

ALB

ER

TA

DIRECT & INDIRECT $943,769 $698,958 $244,812

INDUCED IMPACT $437,873 $216,172 $221,701

TOTAL IMPACT $1,381,643 $915,130 $466,513

[ 19 ]

5Challenges of a

Regional Approach

SECTION

[ 20 ]

There are, however, challenges that will be encountered as a regional strategy is being developed.

The partner municipalities need to think beyond their own boundaries and take a regional perspective. They each need to see the “bigger picture” and recognize the benefits of working together are greater than working independently. When a special event could be sited in one of the three municipalities, a regional perspective must be maintained and decision making must occur without a bias to any of the partner facilities for reasons other than the appropriateness of the venue for the event.

The partners will need to take a long term perspective and ensure they consider the non financial returns when they judge the success of the strategy. It will be difficult to find a single event that will bring equal benefits to each partner. Rather, over the long run each municipality will benefit because special events have been brought to the region. Some may take solely a financial perspective on the success of the event hosting strategy initiative. That presents a challenge. Often the benefits are intangible and are not as easy to quantify.

Each municipality does not have the same values, mission, and so on. That can present a challenge, however the onus will be on recognizing their similarities and tying success to achieving the regional goals of the strategy—goals endorsed by all partners.

While there needs to be a recognition that equitable is not equal, there may be occasions in which efforts will need to be made to bring events into the region that will benefit one municipality more than the others. While regional in nature, over the long term there does need to be some appreciation for the specific interests of each partner municipality. For example if all events were to be held in Spruce Grove some consideration needs to be given to bringing in events that the other two municipalities can consider as the primary beneficiary. There is a need to ensure that events, and associated benefits to the immediate local area, occur in each municipality.

The separate identities of each municipality should be viewed as a strength and not as a barrier to success. Ultimately when it comes to the attraction and hosting of events on a regional basis, the rising tide raises all boats. Traditional competition among regional municipalities needs to be set aside.

For the governance of this initiative care must be taken that each partner has an equal voice and equal representation. There are some challenges that accompany

the development of a regional strategy.

It is important that the partners take a

long-term regional perspective. Not each

partner will benefit equally from each event,

however over the long-term each partner

will accrue some benefits.

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6Examples of

Successful Events Hosted in the Region

SECTION

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There is a broad list of events that have been hosted in the region. While many of them have been hosted solely by a single community, there are examples of others that reflect a regional interest and regional roll-out.

REGIONAL EVENTSThe following list demonstrates the variety of events that are regional in nature and which illustrate the partners working together.

MINI MONSTER BASH

The Mini Monster Bash is a fun and active Halloween event with a focus on children 8 years of age and younger. This event was last convened at the Heritage Park Pavilion (Stony Plain) on the last Saturday in October. There are multiple activity stations and each child attending receives a give-away bag. Approximately 950 children attended the event; total attendance was approximately 1,300.

TRI-COMMUNITY FESTIVAL OF TREES

Held late November or early December, the festival is organized by the Tri-Community Health and Wellness Foundation to raise funds to support: the purchase of new equipment for the Westview Health Centre; subsidized pass to the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre; and community health & wellness programming. Residents and businesses throughout the three regional municipalities support the event through their attendance, participation, and purchases. Events have included fine craft sales, breakfast with Santa, food and fashion fiesta, children’s activities, seniors and family tea, and an evening gala. Local businesses and organizations contribute Christmas related items and decorated Christmas trees.

GREAT WHITE NORTH TRIATHALON

The Great White North Triathlon is a long course event covering distances of 2 km of open water swim, 90 km on the bike and a 21 km run. This is an annual event that starts at the Allan Beach Resort and ends in Stony Plain. Competitors are required to be 18 years of age and older. There are approximately 800 competitors that register each year from across Alberta and beyond. Approximately 550 volunteers are required to field the event. This year’s event will be on July 6th, 2014. The full event begins on the Friday and runs through Sunday’s race day.

2012 ALBERTA WINTER GAMES

The Alberta Winter Games is an impressive example of the regional partners working together to deliver a high-profile, provincial special event.

The Alberta Winter Games are held every two years and are a celebration of youth through sports. The Games provide an opportunity for the province’s elite athletes to experience competition at a provincial level. Aside from the sport competitions, the Games provide the host community the opportunity to showcase itself. Over 2,800 athletes, coaches, officials, and performers participated in the event.

Timing: February 2012

Facilities Used: TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, Chickakoo Lake, Stony Plain Toby Kazeil Pavilion; Spruce Grove Agrena, Glenn Hall Centennial Arena, etc

Benefits:

» The event was a partnership of the three municipalities (Spruce Grove, Parkland County, and Stony Plain). Hosting this initiative required the support and cooperation of innumerable community organizations (including the school jurisdictions, business community, etc)

» Significant profile was garnered from the visitors to the event and the media coverage of the event in the region.

» Visitors brought dollars into the area for lodging, food, gas, etc. Visitors included participants, officials, coaches and spectators from the region itself and beyond.

TRI REGIONAL INFORMATION & REGISTRATION EVENINGS

This event, held twice a year, allows residents the opportunity to learn about the variety of sports, recreation and wellness organizations, businesses, programs, and services available in the Tri-Municipal Region. The event is held at the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre (Spruce Grove) in the fall, while the spring session is hosted in the Heritage Park Pavilion (Stony Plain). In the fall session approximately 1,000 residents “attended” the evening that included 63 not-for-profit organizations and 10 for profit entities.

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CHAMBER GALA

An annual event, the Spruce Grove and Stony Plain Chambers of Commerce hosts this event. Each of the regional municipalities is a title sponsor and each, in turn, presents its own award. In addition, each Chamber has its own awards which may include Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, and so on. Approximately 400 people attend this black tie event which has been hosted at the Catholic Church (Boundary Road), the River Cree Casino, and the Heritage Park Pavilion (Stony Plain).

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

The Parkland and Area Volunteer Appreciation Committee organize and host this event. Representatives from each of the three regional municipalities sit on the committee; each municipality also provides some funding to the event. Held at the Heritage Park Pavilion (Stony Plain), the event is an evening affair during which volunteers are recognized with free entry, dessert, live band, and various activities. Dignitaries from each of the municipalities also bring greetings.

GO GIRL

This is an annual event held in collaboration with the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, the Town of Stony Plain, the City of Spruce Grove, and Parkland County. This is a one day workshop that promotes and supports healthy, active lifestyles for girls aged 12 – 17 years living in the Tri-Municipal Region. A variety of activities and sport opportunities are provided to the girls, exposing them to the possibilities available in their communities.

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OTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENTS HOSTED IN THE REGION

PARKLAND COUNTY

Acreage Days

Each spring, Parkland County’s Agriculture Services department hosts Acreage Days. This tradeshow-type event includes information booths with County departments as well as outside government agencies and other local groups with valuable information to help you make the most of County living.

Dragonfly Festival

This annual event takes place in the Village of Wabamun in late June. This year the event runs from Friday to Sunday (June 20 – 22). It is a family event with a variety of activities for all. Events include Fireworks, Council’s pancake breakfast, a parade, art show, kid’s carnival, music festival, and parade. It is also a celebration of the summer solstice.

Devon Grand Prix Road Race

The Grand Prix is an event that is sanctioned by the Alberta Bicycle Association. One of the three legs—the Juventus Geness Hills Road Race—that includes portions of the course across Parkland County. The start and finish is at one of the halls in the County. (In 2013 the Holburn Community Hall served this purpose.) This year’s race will occur on June 21 & 22, 2014.

Wildwood Bronc Bustin

This annual event will be hosted in Wildwood on May 30 and May 31, 2014. This is a sanctioned event that brings the best of saddleback riders. Aside from the rodeo there is a stage show on the Saturday night.

Entwistle Rodeo

The rodeo will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on June 28 & 29, 2014. The event brings in competitors from across the province and rodeo enthusiasts from the Tri-Municipal Region and beyond. Rodeo events include steer wrestling, team roping, bull riding, sheep riding, and more.

Rangeton Folk Festival

This festival is held in Rangeton Park along the Pembina River. It is a full weekend of music with performers encapsulating country, folk, blues, and rock. The event will be held over three days from July 6 – 8, 2014.

Pembina River Nights

Similar in setting and in entertainment to the Rangeton Folk Festival, Pembina River Nights takes advantage of the natural setting in Rangeton Park. Held on July 11 & 12, the event offers music for “folkies”. Camping is available as well.

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SPRUCE GROVE

Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Showcase

This is an annual event that is held at the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre on the last weekend in September. The Showcase is part of the regular season for the AJHL with each of the sixteen league teams playing two games as part of the weekend. The purpose for the event is to showcase the league’s players to scouts from the NCAA, NIA, CIS, and the NHL. In 2013 there were approximately 120 scouts in attendance. Spectator at each of the games averages approximately 175 with some games standing room only. The event is recognized by the AJHL and by visiting scouts as being very well run. This is due, in part, to the 60+ volunteers onsite and the 300+ hours of volunteer time on the weekend.

Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Big Kahuna Soccer National Championships

This was a one time event held in November 2010. It was a four day tournament running from Wednesday to Saturday that included two games per day. One game was at 11:00 a.m. the second game started at 2:00 p.m. Fuhr Sports Park was the host site. There were six teams from both the men’s and women’s leagues from across Canada including the University of New Brunswick and Vancouver Island College. NAIT was the host team.

Grove Cruise

Since 2003, the city of Spruce Grove has sponsored and hosted this event held in mid August. This is a family themed 3-day event that is run by local car enthusiast volunteers and is completely funded by the City of Spruce Grove and local businesses. The Grove Cruise includes a Poker Run on the Friday night and the big Saturday Show & Shine. Approximately 100 participants are in the Poker Run and the Show & Shine includes approximately 450 cars. Other events include a parade, swap meeting and sale, and a stereo competition.

Moon Day Soccer Tournament

This four day tournament is held annually in July to commemorate Neil Armstrong’s moon landing. There are four tiers of competition that includes teams from U10 through to U18. Over 60 teams enter this tournament and they come from B.C., NWT, Saskatchewan, and throughout Alberta. Fuhr Sports Park is utilized as are two smaller fields in Spruce Grove

Canada Day Celebration

The City of Spruce Grove organizes and hosts this annual festival. Activities include street performers, stage entertainment, fireworks, as well as food vendors, exhibitors, demonstrations, and other activities. The event begins with a pancake breakfast and ends with the fireworks. Using approximately 200 volunteers, approximately 9,000 people attend the events throughout the day. Jubilee Park is the primary venue for the celebrations.

Ringette Sweetheart Tournament

Held annually in February around Valentine’s Day, this tournament includes approximately 60 teams from across Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. These teams and their families comprise approximately 800 people. The TransAlta TriLeisure Centre is the primary venue utilized but games are also scheduled at the Spruce Grove Agrena (Stu Barnes and Grant Fuhr Arenas) and the Glen Hall Arena (Spruce Grove). The tournament is hosted by the Spruce Grove Ringette Association and includes teams from U7 through to U19.

World Curling Tour—Spruce Grove Cashspiel

The Spruce Grove Cashspiel is an annual bonspiel that takes place at the Spruce Grove Curling Club. It is one of the development series events and is part of the World Curling Tour. The event is held in late November and includes 16 teams that play a round robin format. The total purse for the event is $8,000. The event has drawn teams from far afield including a men’s team from Korea who stayed in Spruce Grove for two weeks practicing prior to the event. The tour’s first year was 2012.

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STONY PLAIN

Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival

Canada’s largest bluegrass festival is held annually the first weekend in August at Heritage Park and utilizing the Heritage Park Pavilion. The festival was first held in 1985 at the Golden Spike Community Hall. Attendance can reach approximately 5,000 with many of the attendees camping onsite for the entire weekend. Activities revolve around the music on the main stage but there are also other activities including workshops, concessions and crafts, Sunday morning gospel, and a slowpitch jam.

Kinsmen Farmers’ Day Rodeo and Exhibition

This is a three day festival jointly planned by the Town of Stony Plain and the Stony Plain Kinsmen Club. There is a midway and rodeo as well as a parade, pancake breakfast, as well as beer gardens, three on three basketball tournament, and many other events. The arena in Stony Plain is used for the event as is Heritage Park. The event is held the last weekend of May; attendance approaches 10,000.

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7Conclusion

SECTION

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There are innumerable benefits to hosting events accrued by the region, its residents, and the individual municipalities. While there will always be a place for each municipality to attract and host its own events, a cooperative and regional approach to event hosting is important. In fact it is only through this regional approach that some events can be secured. While working regionally can be a challenge, there are many successful examples of this regional approach. Often it is an appropriate attitude, a long term perspective, and an appreciation of all the benefits that lead to a successful partnership.

While not all events can bring significant economic benefit to the region, there is some potential for significant benefit. For example, an event like the Natural Dog Agility Championships, hosted over four days, would result in an economic impact to the region of over $900,000.

Isolationism and “silo thinking” is no longer an effective or beneficial approach. Communities within regions cannot work in that manner anymore. Collaborations between regions and organizations is the approach that will lead to future success of all parties, and ultimately move a region forward. The Government of Alberta is certainly encouraging collaborative and regional approaches. Working in this manner can be viewed positively and has helped, and will continue to help, position the Tri Municipal Region favourably with other levels of government.

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