Festivals & Events Ontario Welcomes Two New Festivals into the Level of Distinction
Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) was honoured to induct Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival into the prestigious Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario. The 2010 recipients were announced last Thursday, during the FEO Annual Conference. The Honourable Mr. Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, was onsite to welcome delegates and recognize all members of the FEO Level of Distinction.
The Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario represent a select group of 20 of the most well-known and respected celebrations in the province. Recipients are selected by FEO on the basis of their ability to generate significant international, trans-border, domestic or intra-provincial tourism travel, while commanding top-of-mind levels of consumer awareness and levels of respect from peers within the genre in which they operate.
“FEO feels privileged to welcome Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa International Chamber Festival into our Level of Distinction. The economic impact these festivals have on their respective communities is undeniable,” states Gary Masters, Executive Direct for FEO.
From their small beginnings in 1999, Rogers Bayfest has grown to be a multi-stage, several day festival featuring world-renowned musical artists. In 2009 they attracted over 75,000 people from across Canada and the United States. With a similar start, the Ottawa International Chamber Festival now hosts almost 100 concerts and attracts 800,000 visitors annually.
A full list of the Festivals and Events of Distinction in Ontario can be found online at www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.
2010 Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario Revealed During Annual Conference
This year’s Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario list was released this weekend at the Festivals & Events Ontario Conference held this year in Ottawa and eight Ottawa Festivals made the annual list.
Congratulations to Canadian Tulip Festival, TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Canada Day Celebrations, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Rideau Canal Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival and Winterlude.
Below is the announcement released at the conference by FEO:
Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) announced the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario last night as part of the Association’s President’s Gala, a celebratory conclusion to its annual conference.
Sponsored by VIA Rail Canada, The Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario designation is presented to a select few of more than 2,000 that occur annually within the province. Among the winners were household names like the Scotiabank Caribana Festival, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. It also featured many smaller, festivals such as the Lanark Highlands Art of Being Green Festival, the Cobourg Sandcastle Festival and the Rideau Canal Festival. In conjunction with the Top 100, FEO also announced its 2010 Achievement Award winners. Achievement Awards acknowledge individual festival and event excellence and best practices across a broad range of categories.
The President’’s Gala is a follow up to a Welcome Reception that was held on Wednesday night. The Honourable Mr. Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture was in attendance to welcome guests and announce the 2010 Festivals and Events of Distinction. This year’’s inductees were Rogers Bayfest and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival.
“Solicitations for submissions were issued towards the end of the previous calendar year, and an independent jury of industry peers conducted the selection process just prior to the Conference,” explains the Association’s Executive Director, Gary Masters.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, 93% of recreational travelers are seeking cultural and entertainment experiences, such as festivals and events, when they plan a vacation. Over the past two years, approximately 2,000,000 people who visited a festival or event say it was the primary reason for their vacation.
“With so many options for the festival-goers here in Ontario, it can be hard to know which festivals and events offer the most rewarding experiences. As the provincial Association for this industry, we believe it is our responsibility to set these standards and present the results to our consumers in an easily accessible and recognizable brand,” states FEO’s President, Sarah Wood.
The winners of this year’s Top 100 will be highlighted in the annual Festivals and Events in Ontario Guide distributed in both a printed and online format. A list of the 2010 winners can be found on the Association’s website, www.festivalsandeventsontario.ca.
Ottawa Festivals and Events Recognized Amongst the Best in the Province
Seven of Ottawa’s most prominent festivals have been recognized by Festivals and Events Ontario at a ceremony held during their annual conference in Burlington.
Canadian Tulip Festival, TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Canada Day, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest and Winterlude received awards of distinction; while Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival and Rideau Canal Festival were named to the list of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals.
“The residents of our city take great pride in hosting and participating in these wonderful events which make an enormous contribution to the vibrancy and spirit of Ottawa,” declares Delores MacAdam, Manager of Licensing Programs and Special Events for the City of Ottawa.
Ottawa Rideau Canal Festival was honoured as the Best New Festival or Event. Held in August 2008, the festival was produced to celebrate the historic waterway, which was recently named a UNESCO world heritage site.
“It was a great event and their timing was perfect,” says Barbara Stacey, Executive Director at Ottawa Festivals, “Michelle Gauthier and his staff really delivered a first class event that, while celebrating our heritage, also incorporated innovative new ideas such as using technology to help visitors offset carbons used to travel to the festival. The recognition was well deserved.”
“We really have an embarrassment of riches here,” says Julian Armour, President of Ottawa Festivals and Executive Director of Canadian Tulip Festival, “We have so many world-class and internationally recognized events that take place in Ottawa. These events contribute to the Ottawa brand as being a thriving, fun capital city that is rooted deep in cultural and artistic activities.
“There has been a lot of talk of the economic climate we are in,” continues Armour, “Festivals in Ottawa offer tremendous value and continue to attract tourists to our city and give local residents exciting activities throughout the summer.”
The economic impact is great as well. The 2003 Ottawa Festival Visitor Impact Study found that total economic activity in Ottawa attributable to just 21 of the region’s more than 45 festivals was almost $94-million. The resulting spending supports over 1,100 full-year jobs.
