1. COMOX VALLEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY
2018 Spring Update
City of Courtenay
April 16, 2018

2. 2017 Q4 Highlights Small Business Support Agriculture
Destination Marketing
Communications
BC Seafood Festival, Expo & Buyers Mission
2018 Q1 Highlights
Economic Development Strategy
2017 Q4 Highlights

3. SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
SMALL BUSINESS / CLIENT SERVICES
Total Small Business Reach 823
Information/Referrals Provided 75
Individualized Business Plan Assistance 30
Business Site Visits 43
Workshops Hosted (325 attendees)
Seafood Expo Registrants 350
DOWNTOWN INTERACTIVE MAP
Current Opportunities Profiled 13
Developments Highlighted 42
Unique Pageviews (partial year) 935
WEBSITE UNIQUE PAGEVIEWS
BusinessComoxValley.com 7,574
Events page ,402
Resources pages 3,164
Start a business pages
Contact us/Staff directory page 922
SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

4. AGRICULTURE Small Scale Food Processors Assoc.
Community Food Analysis Lab
Internship Program – Lab Technician
Canadian Angus Assoc. Annual Conference
Abattoir Training
CV Growers Guide; 100k distribution
Collaboration;
CV & Mid-Isle Farmers Institute
CV Exhibition
CV Farmers Market
CV Agriplex (Multiplex)
Islands Agriculture Show
BC Angus Association and Canadian Angus Association
BC Cattlemen’s Association
Certified Organic Association of BC
AGRICULTURE

5. DESTINATION MARKETING
2017 Visitor Centre True Visitors: +8%
2017 Hotel Tax (MRDT): %
Grant and Private Sector Leveraging: $350k+
WINTERFEST/AWESOME ALL WINTER CAMPAIGN:
Après events presented:
Digital and Social Media Clicks: 71,581
Unique Page Views: ,185
New Social Media Fans/Followers: 1,774
TV Contest Entries: 9,963
Jan. MRDT: %+
BC SEAFOOD FESTIVAL:
Digital and Social Media Clicks: 91,148
Unique Page Views: k
New Social Media Fans/Followers: 16k+
TV Contest Entries: 9,500
June MRDT: %
DESTINATION MARKETING

6. DESTINATION MARKETING
OUTDOOR CAMPAIGN:
Unique Page Views: ,193
Digital and Social Media Clicks: 9,848
New Social Media Fans/Followers: 2,135
Jul. – Sep. MRDT: %
TWO WHEELS / FARM CYCLE TOUR CAMPAIGN:
True Visitor Parties: 2,009
Digital and Social Media Clicks: 8,700
New Social Media Fans/Followers: 1,717
Riders/Cyclists:
MRDT: %
DESTINATION MARKETING

7. COMMUNICATIONS EARNED MEDIA & Communications Outreach
Earned Media: $1.5m+
Local Government Presentations: 6
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY E-NEWS
New contact added to database 10,900+
Tourism Industry 8
Consumer
Expo
Business
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media management platform & new user manual implemented
followers: 2,232 (+5%)
followers: 15,786 (+46%)
Facebook CVEDS followers: (+24%)
Facebook VIVisitorCentre followers: (+40%)
Instagram new followers
COMMUNICATIONS

8. BC SEAFOOD FESTIVAL & EXPO
Friday June 15:
New - Shucked! Canada’s Largest Oyster Bar Happy Hour
Gala Dinner
Saturday June 16
Expanded - BC Seafood Festival Signature Weekend Day Events
New - Baked n’ Boiled! Kitchen Party Clam Bake
Live! Filberg Park Open-Air Concert 
Sunday June 17
Bounty! A Brunch Seafood Cook-out
BC Seafood Festival Signature Weekend Day Events
EXPO
June 11 – 12 - Native Sons, Florence Filberg & Sid Theatre venues
Program Partners include; BC Salmon Farmers Association, BC Shellfish Growers Association, Fish Safe BC, Pacific Organic Salmon Association, Excel Career College, Ministry of Jobs, Trade & Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Bioenterprise BC
International Buyers Reception - June 11
International Buyers Delegation (est ) – Producer site tours, meetings and event attendance; June 11-16
BC SEAFOOD FESTIVAL & EXPO

9. 2018 Q1 Highlights Export Navigator Program Renewed
Online Tech Database Tool Development
BC Seafood Festival, Expo, & Buyers Mission development
All Winter / WinterFest Campaign
Destination BC Cooperative Marketing Collaboration
2018 Q1 Highlights

10. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
5 YEAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Process Considerations
Launch process in mid-2018
Completion by March 31, 2019
Strong focus on ag, tech & innovation
Definition of economic development
Update Appendix B
High level of collaboration & stakeholder
engagement
Appendix C - Strat Plan Process
Review of governance and further
integration with local government
i.e. new CVRD building
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

11. THANK YOU & QUESTIONS PRESENTATIONS AND UPDATES LOCAL GOVERNMENT
April 10, Comox Valley Regional District
April 16, City of Courtenay
May 9, Town of Comox
May 24, CVEDS 2017 AGM – 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery