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2018PARTNERSHIP KIT

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WRTMC partners also have the exclusive opportunity to buy into the following marketing add-ons:

2018/2019 OFFICIAL TRAVEL GUIDEThis is an opportunity to land in the hands of both leisure and corporate visitors. The guide is distributed to 10 Ontario Travel Information Centres across the province and at US border crossings, and another 125 locations including attractions, hotels and restaurants across Southern Ontario.

The guide is also shared on Explore Waterloo Region’s social media channels and digitally published onexplorewaterlooregion.com. Every ad also includes an outbound link to the partner website.

WRTMC PARTNERSHIP $400 per year• A dedicated 300-word listing in the

explorewaterlooregion.com directory with keywords, tags, photos, and video that is focused on growing organic non-paid search engine results.

• Shares on WRTMC social media channels: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook when #ExploreWR is used.

• Opportunity to participate in Waterloo Regional Tourism public relations, FAM & media programs.

• Exclusive industry updates through our monthly Partner Insider electronic newsletter.

• Priority allotment of Explore Waterloo Region 2018/2019 Travel Guides.

• Voting privileges and invitation to the Annual General Meeting and networking events.

• Explore Waterloo Region membership logo for placement on your website with a link to explorewaterlooregion.com.

TOURISM GUIDE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIESThe Official Explore Waterloo Region Travel Guide and the Festivals & Events Guide are distributed via targeted print and digital channels, reaching an audience of tens of thousands. Our digital reach in reads and page views for these guides continues to grow and, as of 2017, all ads included an outbound, clickable link, allowing for more interactive engagement with our readers.

2018/2019 FESTIVALS & EVENTS GUIDEThe Festivals & Events Guide is distributed by WRTMC Tourism Ambassadors at major festivals and events throughout the peak months of May to October. Additional guides are distributed at local hotels, attractions and restaurants.

The guide is also published on explorewaterlooregion.com and shared on WRTMC social media channels. Every ad includes an outbound link to the partner website.

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Travel Guide & Festivals Guide EventCalendar Listing (15-word description) $50Additional Travel Guide + Website Listing $150

Festivals Guide Outside Back Cover Ad $1,500Festivals Guide Inside Front Cover Ad $1,000Festivals Guide Inside Back Cover Ad $750Festivals Guide Full Page Ad $500Festivals Guide 1/2 Page Ad $250Festivals Guide 1/4 Page Ad $125

WEB MARKETING OPPORTUNITIESTraffic to explorewaterlooregion.com has been on a steady rise in 2017 with an increased reach from web visitors beyond Waterloo Region.

1. EXCLUSIVE HEADLINER FEATUREBe front and centre on explorewaterlooregion.com as the first image to appear on all homepage views. Highlight your special event, exhibition, opening date, attraction, etc. and drive traffic to your website or Feature Blog (See next page for Feature Blog).

Peak Month*: $750/MonthOff-Peak Month**: $650/Month

2. WHAT’S HOT FEATUREBe one of three partners featured in the What’s Hot homepage bar, which includes a What’s Hot landing page with a direct link to your website.

Your What’s Hot Feature will also be promoted via three posts on Explore Waterloo Region’s social media channels.

Peak Month*: $600/MonthOff-Peak Month**: $500/Month

SAVE WITH A BUNDLEFestival Guide Full Page Ad + Travel Guide Full Page Ad $1,850Savings of $150!

*Peak Months: May, June, July, August, September**Off-Peak Months: October, November, December, January, February, March, April

Travel Guide Listing (30-word description) $50Travel Guide Premium Listing $100(30-word description + Photo)

Travel Guide Outside Back Cover Ad $4,000Travel Guide Inside Front Cover Ad $3,000Travel Guide Inside Back Cover Ad $2,000Travel Guide Full Page Ad $1,500Travel Guide 1/2 Page Ad $750Travel Guide 1/4 Page Ad $375

Exclusive For Festival and Event PartnersFestival Guide Profile Page + Festival/Travel Guide Event Listing $400Savings of $150!

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SAVE WITH A BUNDLEFeature Blog + Exclusive Headliner

$950 One Peak Month as Headliner$850 One Off-Peak Month as HeadlinerSavings of $100!

3. FEATURE BLOGShowcase your business within the frequently visited Local Buzz section of explorewaterlooregion.com. WRTMC’s marketing team will craft a 300-word blog post on a topic of your choice with your input. This is an opportunity to highlight a special event, attraction or exhibition.

Your blog will also be promoted via three social media posts on Explore Waterloo Region’s social media channels.

$300/Blog

4. DIGITAL AD (formerly Big Box Ad)These 300 px by 250 px digital ads appear on interior, frequently visited pages on explorewaterlooregion.com and are an effective way to increase brand awareness and direct traffic to a landing page of your choice, such as a ticket purchase page or an event page.

These high-performing ads see an average clickthrough rate of 3%, which is 2.94% higher than the average rate of all display ads across all formats.

Peak Month*: $250/Month Off-Peak Month**: $200/Month

*Peak Months: May, June, July, August, September**Off-Peak Months: October, November, December, January, February, March, April***Average clickthrough rate of display ads across all formats and placements is 0.06% Source: Display Benchmarks Tool

5. FEATURED DIGITAL LISTINGYour listing will appear at the top of your of category (e.g. See & Do, Stay, Food & Drink, etc.) in the partner directory on explorewaterlooregion.com for one month. Featured listings will also be labelled and identified as “Featured”. Take advantage of more views on your listing and be sure that visitors who are browsing a particular category will see you first.

Peak Month*: $150/MonthOff-Meak Month**: $100/Month

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12 OR 24 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Expand your reach with your choice of 12 or 24 social media posts on Twitter or Facebook. This is an opportunity to leverage our audience of over 22,000 followers to drive traffic to your partner listing on explorewaterlooregion.com and increase awareness of your business.

Our team will craft your messaging in consultation with you so that it aligns with both your brand and the Explore Waterloo Region brand.

12 Posts $125/Year Facebook and/or Twitter24 Posts $200/Year Facebook and/or Twitter

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

LIVE SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGEA WRTMC team member will attend your event and provide live social media coverage and interact with event attendees while your event is happening. This coverage includes photos and live video (Instagram story, Facebook Live), along with tweets. A total of 12 posts (leading up to, during, or after your event) are included.

$300/Event

15,000+ followers

4,000+ followers3,000+ page likes

WRTMC offers its partners these unique co-op advertising opportunities at the Region of Waterloo International Airport with the opportunity for exposure to approximately 120,000 international and domestic airport visitors.

BROCHURE RACKHave your printed collateral (4” x 9”) displayed on brochure racks located in both Arrivals and Departures.

$250/Spot

DIGITAL SIGNAGE15-second spot on digital screens located throughout the airport terminal building.

Peak Month*: $100/Month Off-Peak Month**: 80/Month

AIRPORT MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES

#EXPLOREWR As a WRTMC Partner, use #ExploreWR on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the opportunity to have your content shared via retweet or repost on Explore Waterloo Region’s social media channels.

*Peak Months: May, June, July, August, September**Off-Peak Months: October, November, December, January, February, March, April

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FIELD TRIP PLANNER GUIDEAttractions Ontario‘s Are We There Yet? Field Trip Planner was developed in consultation with the Student Youth Travel Association, Ontario Motor Coach Association, tour operators, retired teachers, and School Board representatives. In 2015, Attractions Ontario created a digital version of the guide that is sent directly to teachers via school board internal e-mails; 53 school boards agreed to distribute this on our behalf. The next issue is October 2018.

WRTMC partners who participate will also be featured on the Explore Waterloo Region itinerary page.

Full Page $9001/2 Page $450

Full Template $800Half Template $400

DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES

PASSPORT MAGAZINEThe Passport magazine and coupon book is issued every spring and provides exposure in 650,000+ copies distributed across Ontario and border states. It is also distributed through the 1-800-ONTARIO regional travel information service, Ontario Travel Information Centres and through Torstar info boxes at over 1,500 locations across the GTA.

WRTMC partners who participate will also be featured in the two-page Explore Waterloo Region editorial.

ATTRACTIONS ONTARIO GUIDES AND DIGITAL MARKETINGAttractions Ontario is the authority on Attractions & Trip Motivators in Ontario, the voice of the industry and the source for consumers to discover Ontario’s destination experiences. Take advantage of unique co-op advertising options with Attractions Ontario at discounted rates available only to WRTMC partners.

Full Page + Coupon (Print & Electronic) $10,5501/2 Page + Coupon (Print & Electronic) $5,550

1/4 Page + Coupon (Print & Electronic) $3,0001/6 Page + Coupon (Print & Electronic) $2,250

WRTMC partners who participate in either the Passport or Field Trip Planner Guide have the opportunity to purchase website advertising on attractionsontario.ca for special rates.

HORIZONTAL BANNER Summer Season*: $500/MonthTop fold of website Regular Year**: $300/Month676 px by 100 px $3,500/Year

BUTTON BANNER Summer Season*: $180/Month200 px by 170 px Regular Year**: $100/Month $800/Year

*Summer Season Months: May, June, July, August**Regular Year Months: September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April

SAVE WITH A BUNDLEHorizontal Banner & Button Banner $350/MonthSavings of $50! Regular Year Months Only

Horizontal Banner & Button Banner $2,500/8 MonthsSavings of $900! Regular Year Months Only

Horizontal Banner & Button Banner $3,800/YearSavings of $700!

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ATTRACTIONS ONTARIO: BECOME A NEW MEMBERWhen you become a partner of Attractions ON, you receive:

• Listing in the Passport magazine (different from ad)

• Listing on attractionsontario.ca.

• Unlimited free event listings on attractionsontario.ca

• Opportunity to submit press releases.

• Eligibility to participate in the Reciprocal Admissions Program.

• Opportunity to participate in radio and online promotions such as web contests.

• Access to research and survey results.

• Regular newsletters, bulletins and industry updates.

• Participation in a co-op marketing program with the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corp. (OTMPC) including a co-branded email campaign and a joint digital advertising program.

$125 (Exclusive offer for new Attractions Ontario members)

ATTRACTIONS ONTARIO GUIDES AND DIGITAL MARKETING

WRTMC presents a unified approach in attracting meetings and conventions to the region. By participating in our meetings partnership you receive enhanced visibility and business leads with the meetings audience, and have the opportunity to collaborate with WRTMC to promote the region to potential clients. The meetings partnership includes:

• Access to qualified leads.

• Profile listing on explorewaterlooregion.com under Meetings.

• Attend or receive representation on sales missions.

• Opportunity to participate in FAM’s and site visits.

• Representation at industry events.

• Exposure on Waterloo Region’s Destination “Hub” on ignitemag.ca and the opportunity to participate in our 2018 campaign with Ignite Magazine, reaching a highly targeted meetings audience.

Partners can also leverage their investment into co-operative sales and marketing initiatives by attending key trade shows/conferences.

MEETINGS PARTNERSHIP $750 per year

2017 Ignite Lure Brochure & Online Hub

Attractions Ontario & OTMPC co-op e-mail campaign

TRADE SHOWS:CSAE Tête-à-TêteOttawa | Jan. 31, 2018 $300IncentiveworksToronto | Aug. 21 & 22, 2018$500CSAE NationalOttawa | Oct. 24 - 26, 2018$300

SPONSORSHIPS:CSAE Trillium Summer SummitJuly 2018$200CSAE Trillium Winter Summit Niagara | Feb. 8 & 9, 2018$200

Partner responsible for the cost of membership/registration.

@AttractionsOntTag Attractions Ontario on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the chance to have your content shared on their social media channels.

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WEDDINGS $150 per yearIn 2017, WRTMC launched a new Weddings landing page and directory on explorewaterlooregion.com, which includes highly visible placement on the homepage navigation menu. This Weddings page is also pushed through WRTMC’s social media channels. Promote your venue or services to future brides and wedding planners with a 150-word listing in this directory, which can include keywords, tags, photos and video.

By participating in our travel trade partnership, WRTMC will represent you at several proposed marketplaces throughout 2018 including:

• American Bus Association - ABA Marketplace | Charlotte, N.C. | Jan 26-Jan. 30, 2018

• Rendezvous Canada | Halifax | May 12-16, 2018

• Bienvenue | Rivière-du-Loup,QC | Oct. 22-24, 2018

• Ontario Motor Coach Association – OMCA | Windsor | Nov. 11-14, 2018

The travel trade partnership also includes:

• Business listing featured on the Travel Trade page on explorewaterlooregion.com.

• Access to qualified leads.

• Be represented on OTMPC sales missions (Ontario/Quebec/USA).

• Opportunity to participate in sponsored events for tour operators.

• Opportunity to participate in FAM’s/site visits.

• Listing on the sport page on explorewaterlooregion.com.

• Opportunity to participate in FAM’s and site visits.

• Opportunity display collateral at The Aud.

• List sharing of all event business (including organizer contact info) at municipally owned facilities: The Aud & Arenas, RIM Park, Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, Wilmot Recreation Centre and Woolwich Township Recreation Centre.

SPORT PARTNERSHIP $300 per year

TRAVEL TRADE PARTNERSHIP $750 per year

MINTO SCHNEIDERCEO519.585.7517 Ext. 250mschneider@wrtmc.org

JENNIFER EDDINGSDIRECTOR OF SALES519.585.7517 Ext. 210jeddings@wrtmc.org

SHEILA SCOTTMARKETING MANAGER519.585.7517 Ext. 230sscott@wrtmc.org

MALLORY MANCHURCONTENT MANAGER519.585.7517 Ext. 240mmanchur@wrtmc.org

EMILY DECKERTSALES COORDINATOR519.585.7517 Ext. 260edeckert@wrtmc.org

NINA VASICMARKETING COORDINATOR519.585.7517 Ext. 220nvasic@wrtmc.org

CONNECT WITH US When you partner with Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation, our team is only a phone call away to offer you support in achieving your business goals for 2018.

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EMILY DECKERTSALES COORDINATOR519.897.5269 ext. 260edeckert@wrtmc.org

JENNIFER EDDINGSDIRECTOR OF SALES519.897.5269 ext. 210jeddings@wrtmc.org