Project: Fire and Ice Media Event

Client: Travel Alberta

Date: 2009

Task: To organise and host a media hospitality event around the annual Spotlight Canada Show in London to showcase the different aspects of Alberta: The Rockies, snowsports, cuisine, urban landscapes, sightseeing and shopping.

Implementation: A two stage media event held at Below Zero in London, starting in the Ice Bar sampling iced vodka and canapés, then moving on to the warmth and comfort of the Moose Dining Room to sample authentic Albertan food, network with the Alberta partners and listen to live music.

Results: Feedback on the event from the media included the following:

Michelle Porter, GMTV

“Thanks for the dinner. It was great to be there and I will definitely bear Alberta in mind for future projects.”

Amanda Statham, Cosmopolitan & Your Wedding

“I had a great dinner and cocktails, please pass on my thanks to everyone. It was good to hear about the Calgary Stampede, would like to send someone from Cosmo at some point!”

Louise Cahill, Freelance journalist

“I had such a good time. Thank you all so much. I loved everything – where I sat, the venue, the company, atmosphere, food, drinks, Icebar experience and gorgeous goody bag. The evening was fantastic. Please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone who was involved in making the evening such a success.”

John Ruler, Freelance equestrian specialist

“Thank you. Venue up to your usual standard i.e. Imaginative. And the menu was one of the best. It was good, too, to catch up with some familiar faces. I’ll be back to Alberta in due course.”

An innovative Media Event to support Spotlight Canada

The KBC team prides itself on being the best in the business in terms of organising media events which fit the client’s brief and budget.

Our imagination and flair have contributed to producing many landmark events for Travel Alberta including the Spotlight Media Evenings at The Cookbook Café, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Tower of London.

In 2009, we were again tasked with organising and hosting a media hospitality event around the annual Spotlight Canada Show in London to showcase the different aspects of Alberta: The Rockies, snowsports, cuisine, urban landscapes, fashion and shopping.  Since this is an annual event, we have to reinvent it every year to keep it fresh and ensure good attendance.  We researched many different venues, and decided upon a Fire and Ice experience at Below Zero in London.

We held a two stage event, starting off in the Ice Bar where the media were dressed in floor length cloaks and hoods to keep them warm within the bar, made entirely from ice.  They sampled vodka and canapés and Albertan cocktails.  After the allocated half hour (the maximum time people are allowed to remain within these conditions), everyone moved on to the Moose Dining Room within the same venue.  Here, along with the Travel Alberta partners, we hosted a full sit down dinner serving Albertan food, including Albertan bison sourced especially for the event by KBC.

The event allowed us to position the dual aspects of Alberta, using the surroundings to position the product messages.  Not only is Alberta a great wintersports destination and the gateway to the Rockies, it also offers a wonderful spectrum of ‘warmer’ experiences such as fabulous cuisine, vibrant cities, shopping and sightseeing.

We are not able to put a monetary value on the relationships built through successful events such as these.  However, turn out figures were exceptional and the attendees included national press, magazines, broadcasters and the travel trade papers.  Feedback on the event from the media included the following:

Ian Belcher, Freelance journalist

“it was great fun – loved the bison!”

Michelle Porter, GMTV

“Thanks for the dinner. It was great to be there and I will definitely bear Alberta in mind for future projects.”

John Ruler, Freelance equestrian specialist

“Thank you. Venue up to your usual standard i.e. Imaginative. And the menu was one of the best. It was good, too, to catch up with some familiar faces. I’ll be back to Alberta in due course.”

Amanda Statham, Cosmopolitan & Your Wedding

“I had a great dinner and cocktails, please pass on my thanks to everyone. It was good to hear about the Calgary Stampede, would like to send someone from Cosmo at some point!”

Louise Cahill, Freelance journalist

“I had such a good time. Thank you all so much. I loved everything – where I sat, the venue, the company, atmosphere, food, drinks, Icebar experience and gorgeous goody bag. The evening was fantastic. Please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone who was involved in making the evening such a success.”

Peter Morrell, www.aboutmygeneration.com

“My thanks to you, Tanya and the Travel Alberta team for the dinner on Monday evening. It really was most enjoyable, great food, friendly people and the Ice Bar experience was unmissable.”

In addition to these memorable evenings we have run successful ski events, drinks receptions and a Canada Day media event.

All events have produced direct results in terms of increased awareness of the province and media visits. Feedback from Travel Alberta’s stakeholders has been continually high and these functions have provided excellent opportunities for partners to network and seed story ideas.

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