The Vancouver Winter Olympics and a “powerful” marketing strategy have catapulted Canada to No. 1 in a worldwide study of country brands.

The BBC World News-partnered FutureBrand Country Brand Index, now in its sixth year, put Canada on the top for the first time in 2010, ousting the United States from the spot.

Canada is “the most respected country brand in the world,” according to the survey. The brand rankings are aimed at measuring the “intangible asset” of how the country is perceived globally.

Full story: Canada ousts U.S. for No. 1 spot in global country branding study

Go Canada!

Photo by Charles Lewis / Buffalo News

Communities that seek to host major sporting events just to make money are missing the point, the chief organizer of this year’s Winter Olympics said Thursday.

Not once did he mention economic impact, hotel room nights, multiplier effects or any of the other typical buzzwords surrounding big events.

The economics weren’t neglected, of course. Furlong said in an interview that the Games broke even and left a legacy of many new roads and buildings, designed for adaptive reuse once the athletes were gone.

The Games left Vancouver with a new infrastructure and a better attitude. “The city is smiling,” Furlong said.

Read the full article: Vancouver Games organizer downplays economics when hosting major events

Marc Charron gets a warm fuzzy feeling when he thinks about summertime in Ottawa. That’s peak festival season, of course, and being able to see fantastic concerts outdoors night after night is one of Charron’s favourite things about his hometown.

Twelve finalists in four major award categories will be recognized:

New Company of the Year

Éco-Odyssée, a paddleboat experience
UrbanQuest.com, an urban treasure hunt
Innovation of the Year
Coventry Connections, using GPS technology to improve taxi service
Tours of Parliament, streamlining the system for booking tours on Parliament Hill

Event of the Year

Camouflage exhibit at the Canadian War Museum
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival
2009 IIHF World Junior Championship
Tourism Partnership of the Year
Downtown Rideau BIA and Arts Court for a summer theatre program in 2009
National Capital Commission and 26 partners for the 2009 Genie Awards
Ottawa International Airport Authority and Air Canada for their promotion of Ottawa-Frankfurt direct flights
Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival and Rideau Canal Festival for A Musical Breeze, combining a cycling event and chamber music performances, in 2009

Two additional industry awards will be presented for Tourism Volunteer of the Year and Tourism Leader of the Year.

An embargoed release announcing the winners will be sent on the morning of March 25.

Three other award winners will be recognized at the event:

Alec Ross won the Ottawa Tourism Travel Writing Award for an article called A Capital Idea published in the September 2009 issue of Canadian Geographic Travel

Sampson Nabigon will be congratulated for being named the 2009 Star of the City

Debbie Morris, a student in Algonquin College’s School of Hospitality & Tourism, will receive the annual Tourism Scholarship

Over 200 tourism industry leaders are expected to attend this event in the Casino’s Théâtre, followed by a celebratory dinner.

Tickets can be purchased for $150 each or a table of 8 for $1,200.

The Ottawa Tourism Awards are coordinated by Ottawa Tourism and celebrate the individuals, organizations and events that have set high standards and demonstrated outstanding achievement, contributing to the growth and development of tourism in Ottawa and Canada’s Capital Region. Visit Ottawa Tourism at www.ottawatourism.ca.

Festivals & events industry professionals exude two very notable qualities – passion & commitment. The Festival and Events Ontario (FEO) Awards Program is created to give recognition to the countless hours spent on creating world-class festivals/events here in Ontario.

January 8th, 2010, is the deadline for applications. That means there are only two weeks left to get them into the FEO office. This is an opportunity you do not want to miss!

Past recipients will tell you that being a Top 100 Festival has helped in building community spirit and support. They will also share with you that being a Top 100 festival is a strong marketing tool and can be used when generating sponsorship, looking for media support, or filling out grant applications.

Our Achievement Awards are dedicated to featuring special qualities and/or components of a festival or event. Whether it is an interactive virtual campaign, or a go-green idea, we want to see what makes your festival stand out. Every festival has something that makes them distinct from any other festival. Show us what makes yours unique.

As an added bonus, if you are a FEO Top 100 or Achievement Award recipient, your festival/event will be highlighted in our annual guide.

Applications can be found using the links below, or on our website at www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.  Hope to see your applications soon!