SA S K atch e wa n
event hosting strategy
There’s
always
something
going on.
WHAT IS THE SASKATCHEWAN EVENT HOSTING STRATEGY?
The Saskatchewan Event Hosting Strategy is a framework for working with communities and
stakeholders to grow tourism and make Saskatchewan a top destination for hosting national
and international events.
WHY IS THE STRATEGY IMPORTANT?
Tourism is a key player in the Saskatchewan economy. In 2012, travel spending exceeded $2.1
billion and there were over 12.5 million visits to and within the province. More than 57,000
Saskatchewan citizens work in tourism-related jobs.
Our tourism resources are substantial, ranging from 100,000 lakes to an enviable parks system
to numerous festivals and attractions that showcase talent and celebrate history and culture.
Saskatchewan is home to some of the friendliest people on the planet and the hospitality here is
second-to-none.
Our province’s tourism sector has experienced steady growth in recent years. This progress
is due, in part, to the successful hosting of national and international events such as sport
championships and cultural showcases. In 2013, events such as the JUNO Awards, MasterCard
Memorial Cup and 101st Grey Cup raised Saskatchewan’s profile and attracted impressive
numbers of visitors. The economic impacts of these and other events are substantial.
Events not only factor into the economic prosperity of the province, they benefit the quality of
life through nurturing cultural activities, promoting sports and a healthy, active lifestyle and
contributing to the well-being of society.
Tourism Saskatchewan has created the Saskatchewan Event Hosting Strategy to work with
communities, event organizers and key stakeholders to continue to expand the province’s
profile, build on momentum and success, and grow tourism.
The following vision, mission and objectives have been developed
from industry and stakeholder consultation and will be used to
guide the Saskatchewan Event Hosting Strategy as it works to fulfill
directions outlined in Tourism Saskatchewan’s Strategic Plan.
Vision:
Saskatchewan will be an enticing destination that attracts and successfully hosts national and international events.
The Saskatchewan Event Hosting Strategy will support events that contribute to the provincial economy and enhance
quality of life for residents.
Mission:
To assist stakeholders in attracting and hosting events through promotion, collaboration,
advice and financial support.
Objectives:
Tourism Saskatchewan is in the unique position to:
• foster the growth of Saskatchewan’s reputation as a successful event hosting destination; and
• steward the growth of capacity and expertise at the community, regional and provincial levels
by working with stakeholders.
Tourism Saskatchewan’s role
in leading and administering the program
focuses on the following:
Awareness
Working with stakeholders
and government partners to
promote Saskatchewan as a
key event hosting destination,
while fostering understanding
of the community, cultural and
social benefits provided by
events, including volunteerism
and community pride.
Collaboration
and Communication
Facilitating the development
of best practices and measures
for economic impact and
return on investment,
supporting communication
and coordination between
event hosting groups and
potential sponsors and
engaging in partnerships
to deliver successful events.
Accountability
Supporting projects which
advance the mission and
vision, ensuring sound event
management and post-event
evaluation of all support
provided.
Our consultations told us very clearly that we needed to have
distinct program streams with defined criteria. As a result,
four funding streams have been designed to foster the growth
of the tourism industry through events.
Community Annual Events
The Community Annual Event Category will provide project-based funding to help organizations develop
tourism festivals and events in communities across Saskatchewan. By helping organizers enhance
programming, improve services and elevate the overall quality of their tourism festivals and events, the
Community Annual Event Category will help organizations give visitors and residents a compelling reason to
visit Saskatchewan’s communities.
Tourism Saskatchewan defines a Community Event as one that:
• is a public celebration with a total operating budget of less than $100,000;
• is organized as a series of events or activities over a set time period;
• demonstrates a capacity and intention to develop itself as a tourism driver over the long term; and,
• is promoted and marketed to tourists.
Through strategic project-based funding, the Community Annual Event Category will help new or existing
Saskatchewan tourism festivals and events to enhance programs, activities and services that will lead to longterm improvements and attract more tourists.
It is Tourism Saskatchewan’s expectation that these new or improved tourism festivals and events will
stimulate increased incremental tourism visitor attendance and tourism visitor spending.
Each Community Annual Event application will be assessed to determine its relevance to the following
expected results:
• demonstrated increase in attendance and extended geographic reach;
• demonstrated increase in tourist visitation and tourist receipts; and,
• demonstrated improvements in quality of tourism festivals and events and stronger organizations.
2 Marquee Annual Events
The Marquee Annual Event Category will provide project-based funding to help organizations develop
tourism festivals and events in communities across Saskatchewan. By helping organizers enhance
programming, improve services and elevate the overall quality of their tourism festivals and events, the
Marquee Annual Event Category will help organizations give visitors and residents a compelling reason to visit
Saskatchewan’s communities.
Tourism Saskatchewan defines a Marquee Event as one that:
• generates significant economic, social and cultural benefits to Saskatchewan;
• attracts national and or international participants and spectators;
• has a significant profile outside of the region in which it is being held;
• typically has an operating budget of over $100,000; and,
• generates media coverage in markets of interest.
Through strategic project-based funding, the Marquee Annual Event Category will help new or existing
Saskatchewan tourism festivals and events to enhance programs, activities and services that will lead to longterm improvements and attract more tourists.
It is Tourism Saskatchewan’s expectation that these new or improved tourism festivals and events will
stimulate increased incremental tourism visitor attendance, tourism visitor spending and enhance the image
of Saskatchewan.
Each Marquee Annual Event application will be assessed to determine its relevance to the following
expected results:
• demonstrated increase in attendance and extended geographic reach;
• demonstrated increase in tourist visitation and tourist receipts;
• demonstrated improvements in quality of tourism festivals and events and stronger organizations; and,
• demonstrated ability to enhance the image of Saskatchewan as a destination for travel, business
and quality of life.
3
National and
International Events
The National and International Events Category will provide support to encourage the attraction and hosting
of one-time, national and international sporting and cultural events to Saskatchewan. This category provides
funding to assist organizations to bid for and/or host one-time events of a size and scope sufficient to draw
significant visitation to the province, and to showcase Saskatchewan’s communities nationally and globally.
Tourism Saskatchewan defines a National or International Event as one that:
• demonstrates sufficient national or international reputation to draw tourists;
• demonstrates a national or international reputation that attracts significant media exposure; and,
• does not recur annually in Saskatchewan, but travels nationally or internationally to host destinations.
Through strategic project-based funding, the National and International Events Category will assist
municipalities, organizations and businesses to host these major one-time events. Funding is provided for:
• Support for applicants to bid on the rights to host one-time national and international events.
• Support for programs, activities and services specific to the delivery of a one-time national or international event in Saskatchewan.
It is Tourism Saskatchewan’s expectation that these one-time national and international events will stimulate
increased tourism visitation and tourism visitor spending.
Each National and International Events application will be assessed to determine its suitability to achieve the
following expected results:
• demonstrated increase in tourist visitation and tourist receipts in Saskatchewan;
• demonstrated increase in national/international profile for Saskatchewan; and,
• demonstrated economic impact and legacy development for Saskatchewan that align with wider government objectives.
4 Special Tourism Projects
The Special Tourism Projects Category will support activities that positively contribute to the image and
perception of Saskatchewan as an enticing tourism destination and demonstrate strong potential to generate
significant visitation to Saskatchewan.
Tourism Saskatchewan defines a Special Tourism Project as an initiative that:
• is organized as a series of events or activities over a set time period;
• demonstrates a capacity and intention to draw tourists;
• is promoted and marketed to prospective tourists; and,
• highlights Saskatchewan as a top-of-mind travel destination.
Through strategic project-based funding, the Special Tourism Projects Category will assist municipalities,
organizations, and businesses in completing initiatives targeted to enhance the image of Saskatchewan to
prospective visitors and increase tourism visitation and expenditures.
Each Special Tourism Project application will be assessed to determine its suitability to achieve the following
expected results:
• Demonstrated enhancement of the image of Saskatchewan to prospective visitors.
• Demonstrated potential for increase in tourist visitation and tourist receipts.
It
Starts
Here
For more information, visit: TourismSaskatchewan.com and industrymatters.com