Businesses in Wellington North held a brainstorming session at an economic development forum Dec. 5 at the Sports complex here.
About 20 business owners attended the event to hear a report from April Marshall, the township’s tourism, marketing, promotion manager, who talked about events held this year and plans for next year.
Marshall said the renowned Butter Tart Trail continues to be a main focus of economic activity in Wellington North. The trail promotes tours to about 16 businesses scattered throughout the township where butter tarts, among other items, are available for those taking the tour.
The plan is to update the tourism brochure for Wellington North which encourages visitors to “Simply Explore” the township and features the Butter Tart Trail. Some 20,000 brochures are printed and sent out to tourism booths and other businesses within a two to three-hour driving radius of the township.
“We want to give our visitors an experience when they are here,” Marshall told those attending the meeting, which also saw food prepared by four local restaurants that are part of the trail.
“The idea is to combine tourism and marketing efforts by creating 2013’s edition of our tourism brochure for Wellington North that highlights experience, accommodations, adventure, local food and other tourism related businesses. A showcase of the Butter Tart Trail is to be featured within the tourism brochure piece, with a pull-out map and photo contest,” Marshall said in a handout at the event. “This approach will avoid duplication and continue to brand the township of Wellington North as a great place to explore, whether to stay overnight, or as a day trip away from the city.”
Marshall said the brochure will also be distributed at trade shows and other promotional marketing events. The township also has a designated website promoting the township at simplyexplore.ca.
She pointed out the trail was part of a feature in the Globe and Mail that labeled it a “culinary trail worth travelling.”
The tourism manager said she has found it difficult to attract other media outlets, with the exception of local media, to do stories on the Butter Tart Trail in a bid to expand coverage.
Potter Paul Kaye, who is also involved in the trail tour with the studio he shares with potter Elsa Mann, also noted local coverage has been good.
“The biggest response we get is from articles that are written locally,” he said.
Marshall also credited Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece with making a presentation on the Butter Tart Trail in the Ontario legislature.
Lindsay Lingard of the Kenilworth Country Kitchen said a program held this summer that saw those taking the trail getting cards stamped when they visited businesses on the tour did not always work because some businesses didn’t know about the program when asked by visitors.
Marshall said the program allowed people taking the tour to have a card stamped when they visited 12 of the 16 businesses on the tour. In 2013 the stamp program will be replaced with a photography contest where visitors can submit pictures they’ve taken to the township to win prizes.
“The format will stay the same for 2013, but instead of collecting stamps, we’re going to ask them to submit photos of their experience along the trail for a chance to win prizes,” Marshall said.
She added businesses should contact her with any ideas for marketing and promotion to be considered in the township.
