Regina Regional Opportunities Commission

Growing the Regina region through tourism and industry development

2015 Business Plan

THE BUSINESS GROWTH AND TOURISM POTENTIAL FOR REGINA AND REGION IS UNLIMITED.

Regina Regional Opportunities Commission’s (RROC) role to advance a bold, collaborative vision and to build a foundation to ensure economic prosperity for the Regina region in the years ahead has never been more important.

The City of Regina anticipates a population of 300,000 by 2040 along with 50,000 new jobs.

Under the guidance of an engaged and committed board and our shareholder, the City of Regina, we have conducted significant research and analysis with specific outreach to community and business leaders, all levels of government, and other stakeholders.

This has formed the basis of our strategic shift and subsequent business plan; as well as provided insight and direction into our 2020 vision that supports the City’s Official Community Plan: Design Regina.

This is an exciting time for the City, the region and RROC is committed to providing the leadership necessary to ensure successful development outcomes.

Regina skyline

“Regional growth is essential to the long-term success of Regina and the surrounding area. By working together with RROC, we can create a regional plan that will encourage private investment, support business development, and enhance growth.

As one of the fastest growing regions in the country, good decisions now will make for sustainable communities of the future.”

- Mayor Michael Fougere City of Regina

“Our strategic alliance with RROC is generating measurable returns on our investment and we are excited about our new and continuing initiatives. These include Tourism Regina, Events Regina and the enhanced marketing activities that work to promote Regina and generate economic impact.”

- Cari Lemieux President RHA Board of Directors

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Board Direction

Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza

In October of 2013, the RROC Board of Directors identified the following challenges and opportunities that they directed management to address:

Create value that builds an even stronger base of support for the future impact RROC can have in our community.

Seek out gaps that RROC can fill to support the growth of our City and region, create a compelling value-proposition and garner support to proceed.

Engage the tourism sector to activate and re-energize support for value-adding collaborative action.

Position RROC as a leader in advancing collaborative regional economic development that creates outcomes to benefit all stakeholders.

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Aerial of Regina

“The Regina & District Chamber of Commerce membership continues to view the availability of skilled labour as key business risk and a substantial constraint to sustainable regional prosperity.

In collaboration with RROC we will develop, gather and analyze key strategic and competitive intelligence that will contribute to identifying and solving emerging labour issues and opportunities for Regina region employers and work force.”

- John Hopkins CEO Regina & District Chamber of Commerce

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Regina at dusk

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Cities, towns, and regions need to develop new and improved partnerships. The top recommendation is that Saskatchewan needs to diversify through value added industries.

— Think BIG! Saskatchewan study conducted by: Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Saskatchewan, in cooperation with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

The results from our consultations with community and business leaders, and analysis of the best practices of some from Canada’s leading regional economic development organizations, led Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (RROC) to conclude the following:

We need to bring clarity and confidence to our structure.

We need to redefine our relationships with our stakeholders within the economic development system.

We need to get back into the industry development business where ‘business/industry’ is our customer.

We need to become the change we want to see in the marketplace – strategic versus ‘stick-fetching’.

Lead Practice Analysis

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The primary (and strategically important) economic development gap in the Regina region is in the area of strategic sector ‘smart growth’ that encompasses strategic/competitive intelligence, business retention, and growth.

The need for RROC to take a leadership role and act as a tourism industry catalyst.

The main areas of tourism focus are identified as: strategic event, tradeshow and convention attraction, local activation and visitor services, and regional marketing strategies.

Our internal effectiveness review has shown that our current capacity (financial & human resources) necessitates strategically prioritizing the focus of RROC to bring the greatest possible value and impact to and for stakeholders. This will include determining where gaps exist and not duplicating the efforts of other industry organizations.

These discussions, consultations and extensive internal and external reviews, have resulted in the identification of RROC’s strategic intent for both long-term and short-term success. The role and contributions of RROC to other current initiatives will also be further evaluated for effectiveness and value.

“Strategic leadership is imperative for the growth and success of the tourism sector in Regina. The work of the Tourism Leadership Council will be instrumental to ensuring the success of cultural institutions like the Saskatchewan Science Centre, community attractions, and businesses that rely on tourism. RROC’s role in the creation and support of this council is critical to the economic success of this sector in the years ahead.”

- Sandra Baumgartner Executive Director Saskatchewan Science Centre

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Gyro machine at Saskatchewan Science Centre

Our MandateThe following mandate was established as Regina City Bylaw #2009-20:

Create and implement an economic development strategy to grow and sustain prosperity in the Regina region.

Encourage the retention, development, attraction, and growth of business and tourism products and services for those who live, work, visit, and invest in the Regina region.

Market and promote the Regina region for business and tourism.

Identify, develop and promote opportunities that advance economic prosperity for the Regina region.

Our Mission

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Aerial of University of Regina campus

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“The continuing collaboration between the University of Regina and RROC will ensure our mutual commitment to advancing social, economic and educational development in the Regina region.

We look forward to working together to develop shared strategies that will help attract and retain talented people from around the world, align business and educational needs with those of the community, promote entrepreneurship, and help make the Regina region a destination for people from around the world.”

- Dr. Vianne Timmons President and Vice-Chancellor University of Regina

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Our Vision

The greater Regina region prospers as a vibrant and diversified economy for investors, a strong destination

experience for visitors, and a place of choice with a high standard and quality of life for residents.

“Saskatchewan manufacturers have a reputation as world-class exporters, both domestically and around the globe. But with more than $200 billion in major capital projects slated across Canada over the next decade, the largest business opportunity for the Regina region — and indeed all manufacturers in the province — isn’t beyond our own borders; it’s in the supply chain. Capitalizing on that potential, however, is no easy task. And there’s where our relationship with RROC comes in.”

- Derek Lothian Vice President Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters

Co-op Refinery Complex - reactor heavy lift

Regina Region 2020 +Eight key sectors have emerged with sector teams who drive activity, awareness, intelligence and excellence.

• RROC has initiated the development of centres of excellence in specific sectors that are widely known in Canada and the World for leading edge thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation – prompting individuals and businesses to relocate to Regina region resulting in GDP, workforce, tax revenue, and population growth.

RROC is the catalyst for driving economic growth and advancement in the Regina and region.

• RROC is regarded as the top of mind agency in the community to lead economic development initiatives and the champion of Regina’s place brand.

• RROC is the ‘hub’ of information, intelligence and analysis of regional economics and key sectors.

• Our work is about the people who have jointly embraced the region and all of its potential to make it the most desirable place to live and work in Canada.

Regina, and surrounding region, is perceived to be the most desirable place to live and work in Canada.

• The Regina brand is known worldwide for advancement, innovation and excellence in key sectors, and attracts people from around the world for professional opportunity and safe family lifestyle.

• Regina is the model city that other Canadian cities aspire to.

Citizens of Regina are bursting with confidence and pride for their city.

• Residents of Regina have a positive attitude about where they live, the things they’ve accomplished and the future opportunity to lead the country as the most desirable city to live in Canada.

• The Regina region embraces family values balanced with business opportunity that attracts people of all nationalities.

Events, tradeshows and conventions drive over $50 million annually to the local economy.

• The Regina region has the infrastructure, facilities, people and processes to attract and support world class events, tradeshows and conventions.

• The new stadium, new neighborhoods, redeveloped CP Land, and revitalized downtown have all contributed to attracting people and events to visit, live and work in Regina.

• Regina engages visitors with exceptional hosting by people who are passionate about sharing our city with world.

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Sector Strategy

Global Transportation Hub aerial footprint

While community leaders everywhere, look for ways to enhance the prosperity of their cities, the most effective ones in the economic development arena are those that pursue a strategic approach – identify the very best and sustainable growth opportunities and then cultivate them. Smart growth is achieved by the manner in which communities pursue that objective.

To understand where you want to go, you must first know where you are. In economic development parlance this entails understanding your community’s current circumstances, including where its key competitive advantages lie.

Upon examining numerous economic development strategies and consulting with various practitioners, RROC concluded that the most effective communities do the necessary work to understand which sectors or industries will best support smart growth.

Growth is typically much more sustainable when a hub or a cluster of companies from a specific sector or industry develop - as their geographic proximity will contribute to:

• lowering supply costs

• improving research and development collaboration

• enhancing the development of a skilled work force

Once these industry hubs are clearly identified, forward thinking economic development leaders focus on developing their entire supply/value chains.

There has been $485 million of private investment at the Global Transportation Hub, and it currently has a import/export capacity of 4,600 trucks weekly.

Source: Global Transportation Hub Authority website

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The central goal of this value chain approach to private sector development is to accelerate sustainable economic growth.

Toward this end, RROC will undertake a participatory, stakeholder-driven approach to exploit opportunities for investment and growth in industries where the Regina region has identifiable strategic and competitive strengths.

This approach to economic development analyzes the firms in an industry – from input suppliers to final buyers – and the relationships between them.

It also analyzes the factors influencing performance, including access to - and the requirements of - export markets.

This identification of the Regina region’s key competitive hubs and then mapping and analysing their value chains will be the first steps in developing a comprehensive economic development strategy for the Regina region, and will form the core of RROC’s business expansion/retention and investment attraction plans.

Tourism is a key industry that will form one of the three or four strategic hubs that RROC will seek to further develop and grow, in the immediate term

This integration of its tourism and industry development resources, strategies and efforts will support RROC’s economic development objective of further contributing towards building and sustaining prosperity in the Regina region.

“We value our close working relationship with RROC, in developing a sector growth strategy that showcases the GTH and highlights our strategic location in the Regina region.

The challenge is to ensure the economic development opportunities associated with this key strategic asset are maximized to the benefit of Saskatchewan and its citizens.”

- Bryan Richards CEO Global Transportation Hub

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Shared vision and outcomes

Business Model

Panoramic view of Regina

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• RROC is the leader and catalyst for economic development

• Facilitates the rapid advancement of strategic industry sectors

• Coordinates sharing and exchange of ideas, pooling resources, and leveraging of community investments

• Successful project implementation

• Insights and idea generation which identifies promising and emerging opportunities/needs

• Industry intelligence to assist in informing and guiding industry and entire sectors on growth and expansion strategies

The greater Regina region prospers as a vibrant and

diversified economy for investors, a

strong destination experience for

visitors and a place of choice with a high standard and quality of life for residents.

Value Proposition

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RROC is responsible for providing leadership for economic growth to the City of Regina and the community with specific accountability for the following core functions:

• Support industry growth and diversification through retention, development and attraction of business and tourism.

• Find innovative ways to support the community in sustaining growth while effectively addressing the challenges of growth.

• Market and promote the Regina region for business and tourism.

• Ensure the Regina region prospers as a vibrant and diversified economy for investors, is a strong destination experience for visitors, and a place of choice with a high quality of life for residents.

Strategic Intent

ENTERPRISE - The entrepreneurial spirit will power the Regina region to consistently achieve superior economic performance.

1. Engage business, community leaders, and partners to enhance alignment and leverage efforts.

2. Develop a business retention/growth strategy based on strategic sectors/hubs where the Regina Region has a distinct advantage.

3. Develop an investment attraction strategy that complements the needs of the existing Regina region business community – with focus on sectors/hubs of strategic priority.

4. As the aggregator, lead the development of strategic/competitive business intelligence capacity that will guide RROC and business in exploiting existing, new and emerging opportunities.

5. Facilitate the development and promotion of entrepreneurship.

ENTERPRISE

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CORPORATE - To be recognized as a ‘best in class’ organization that embraces service, excellence, and operating principles.

1. Build and grow a ‘RROC Culture’ focusing on the customer experience, creating energy, and performance.

2. Create a high performance, scalable organizational structure and build leadership capacity.

3. Commence the development of a long-term strategic plan (2020) that supports the Official Community Plan: Design Regina for completion in 2015.

4. Initiate the development of a ‘Strategic Place Branding’ strategy with the City of Regina and other stakeholders.

5. Design and implement a performance based, balanced scorecard that measures return on investment.

6. Enhance stakeholder engagement and communication.

CORPORATE

TOURISM

1. Establish the regional market as the primary tourism customer base.

2. Provide tourism products that drive activity from our target audiences.

3. Attract high value events, festivals, conventions, and tradeshows.

4. Engage leaders, stakeholders, and partners in the tourism industry to increase alignment and enhance leverage on effort.

5. Design and implement measurements and a reporting process that creates frequent and open communications with the industry.

TOURISM - Make the Regina region into a top performing regional tourism ecosystem.

Murad Al-Katib, RROC Board ChairPresident and CEOAlliance Grain Traders Inc./SaskCan Pulse Trading

Frank Hart, RROC Vice-ChairPresident and Managing DirectorGreystone Managed Investments Inc.

Tony CoppolaChief Financial OfficerSaskatchewan Gaming Corporation

Neil Donnelly Vice President Events and EntertainmentEvraz Place

Michael FougereMayorCity of Regina

Dale GriesserPresidentAvison Young Commercial, Real Estate

Rick KriegerPartnerMcNally’s Tavern and Broken Rack Billiards

Mark LangPartnerKPMG, LLP

Cari Lemieux Saskatchewan Operations Manager, d3h hotelsGeneral Manager, Days Inn East Regina

Marla PrestonHospitality Consultant

Vianne TimmonsPresident and Vice-ChancellorUniversity of Regina

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Board of Directors

President and CEOJohn D. Lee

Commemorative statue of Walter Scott in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature Building

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2015 Business Plan - Growing the Regina region through tourism and industry development

Overview

RROC is committed, focused and poised to execute a phased and disciplined approach to deliver a implementation plan to create success in the following areas:

TOURISM• Creation, growth and attraction of events, conventions and tradeshows• Establishing the regional market as our primary tourism customer base• Enhancing visitor services and destination experience

ENTERPRISE• Strategic sector identification and development • Development and aggregation of strategic/competitive intelligence capacity• Development and promotion of entrepreneurship

CORPORATE• Shareholder & stakeholder engagement• Build and grow a ‘RROC Culture’• Development of a long-term strategic plan (2020)• Initiate a strategic place branding stradegy

Our board, stakeholders, partners and, most importantly, our shareholder are integral to our success. We are energized by their commitment to ensuring the Regina region prospers as a vibrant and diversified economy for investors, a strong destination experience for visitors, and a place of choice with a high standard and quality of life for residents. Aligning our resources to the aforementioned strategies will achieve superior performance and focus, ensure alignment to the City of Regina Official Community Plan and provide an acceptable return on investment for our shareholder and other investors.

The opportunity for our community to make our vision a reality, be bold and possess an enviable, globally recognized City brand is now. The role of RROC as the economic development agency has never been more important.

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Regina Farmers’ Market at City Square Plaza

Contact usRegina Regional Opportunities Commission1925 Rose Street Regina, SK S4P 3P1P: 306-789-5099TF: 1-800-661-5099F: 306-352-1630E: info@reginaroc.comreginaroc.com I tourismregina.com

Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (RROC) is the agency responsible for advancing economic development and tourism in the Regina region.