March 14, 2007
In this issue:

How to Attract, Retain and Develop a World-Class Workforce
Looking for Trails, Wildlife Viewing, Rare Bird Information
BC Restaurant Hall of Fame
VCM Publishing Report 2007-2008
Web Listing Opportunity - Enhance Your Presence on www.VCMBC.com!
Staff Profile - Jason Knibbs

How to Attract, Retain and Develop a World-Class Workforce

Tourism British Columbia, in partnership with go2, has released the newest Tourism Business Essentials guide, Employees First-The Essential Human Resources Guide for Tourism Operators. The guide provides British Columbia’s tourism employers with valuable information on how to attract, retain and develop a world-class workforce as we face increasing labour shortages.

With an easy-to-use format, the Employees First guide offers insights on great people practices from leading tourism operators as well as templates that enable tourism employers to put this knowledge to work. The guide demonstrates how tourism employers can successfully put employees first and reap the rewards in their tourism business and bottom line.

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Looking for Trails, Wildlife Viewing, Rare Bird Information

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region is looking into producing two new niche product publications this year! One will feature Hiking & Backpacking in the region, the other will feature Wildlife Viewing. In order to make these publications the best they can be, we are researching trails, wildlife viewing areas, rare/endangered birds & animals in the area, as well as related businesses and tour operators, etc.

We are contacting you, our valued Partners, for information on these two topics for use in editorial, special features, etc. Please email Rebecca at rebecca@vcmbc.com with any information from your community on these topics. Also, if your business offers tours or services that would appeal to this market, or if you have any suggestions we would love to hear from you!

BC Restaurant Hall of Fame

On Monday, April 23, 2007, members of British Columbia’s culinary scene will gather to celebrate their finest at the third annual BC Restaurant Hall of Fame induction gala. “ The BC Restaurant industry is equal to the world stage. Throughout the years, the BC individuals contributing to its distinction have been recognized repeatedly. A great example of our vibrant restaurant industry and the excellence of the industry’s individuals are highlighted each year with the amount of nominees,” said Richard Floody, Chair, BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

Leading the list of the 2007 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame inductees are Jack Evrensel of the Top Table Group and the Fuller Family of Earls, Joeys and Saltlik, who are named in the Active Category, which celebrates the exceptional restaurateur who is currently active in the BC restaurant industry.

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VCM Publishing Report 2007-2008

It would be a grand understatement to say that the last 4 months of 2006 were ‘a little busy’ in the Publishing Department at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains. Sleep was exchanged for many late nights and weekends spent completing editorial, proofing ads and finalizing layouts for not one, not two or three, but a total of nine publications - by far a record for the association. And while the Marketing staff at VCM put in their share of hard work, the majority of the credit must be given to West 2nd Design, who brought each publication to life, with countless hours of formatting, ad proofs and cutting edge design.

Read all about publications ...

WEB LISTING OPPORTUNITY - Enhance Your Presence on www.VCMBC.com!

Visitors use www.VCMBC.com to plan their trips, and while they're planning their trip, make sure that your business is highlighted!

www.VCMBC.com - the official website for the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism Region:

• Receives over 150,000 page views and 70,000 unique visitors per month
• Has over 500 pages of information about what to see and do in the region
• Many visitors spend up to 30 minutes looking for information on the site
• Due to the rich content on the site we regularly rank higher in search engines than many individual business sites

Read about the different options available ...

Now your afternoon chuckle… here is the very creative bio of Jason Knibbs, Sales Manager - Travel Trade

A 3rd generation competitive thumb-wrestler and descendant of gypsy carnival folk, Jason spent the first part of his life traveling from village to village, righting wrongs and dealing out his own brand of justice. A keen eye for future trends, Jason was one of the first to buy into the emerging movie rental craze that was soon to sweep the land. After stepping down as CEO of a chain of BETAMAX movie rental stores (“Much BETA than VHS!”), under mysterious circumstances, Jason returned to his first love – working as a bouncer at small town roadhouse bars, mostly in the Florida everglades. It was during this time that his legend grew - children wrote poems and sang songs about his daring deeds, villagers erected monuments to his greatness, parades were thrown in his honour, women swooned at the mere whisper of his name. Unfortunately, in 1989, an ill-advised intellectual property lawsuit launched against Patrick Swayze and the producers of the hit movie “Roadhouse” forced Jason to return to Canada and into his parents' basement.

Read more about Jason .... If you dare!