Tourism Biz Bites from the 7

Wasaga Beach Adventure Park

Located in beautiful Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Wasaga Beach Adventure Park is Canada's premier indoor/outdoor paintball mega park and has been in operation since 1992. Owner Donna Langman walks us through the business and gives us a taste of what it’s like to operate one of the best paintball facilities in Canada. Donna was one of the first participants in the T3 Accelerator Program, and she explains what she learned from the coaching program.

Retail Marketing for the Tourism Business

Tourists are different from your average retail shopper, which means taking a different approach to your retail marketing strategy. In this episode, learn tips, tricks and advice from the T3 Accelerator Program’s business coaches and the region’s top tourism businesses to learn how to optimize your retail marketing strategy. 
Featuring T3 Accelerator coach Wayne Greer who has 37 years of experience in the Canadian Retail and Foodservice industries. Michelle Ubell, owner of IWA Spa Blue Mountain Village. Curtis Schmalz, CEO of Maclean’s Ales. Donna Langman, owner of Wasaga Adventure Park.

Small Business - Big Data

Can small businesses utilize big data? Absolutely - and it’s imperative to understand market trends and patterns to make smart decisions as a tourism operator. In this episode, host Tracey Strnad chats with Grey County Business Enterprise Center Manager Courtney Miller on where tourism businesses can turn to learn about the resources available to tap into the vast pool of data available. RTO7 Tourism Experience Development Specialist Kim Clarke defines how small tourism businesses can utilize data to grow their business and gives tips on how to get started. Tourism Maverick and T3 Accelerator Coach Dallyce Macas sheds light on the tourist visits that are occurring in Tourism Region 7, as well as smart advice on the use of surveys to capture data.

Georgian Hills Vineyards

South Georgian Bay is emerging as a notable wine region, and Georgian Hills Vineyards was one of the first to establish a sustainable winery. Nestled in the beautiful Beaver Valley overlooking Georgian Bay, Georgian Hills Vineyards has focused on growing cold-hardy grape varieties suited to the unique micro-climate. In this episode host Tracey Strnad chats with Andrea O’Reilly, Marketing Manager at Georgian Hills Vineyards. Andrea talks about how the company pivoted their strategy during the pandemic to take advantage of outdoor experiences, its award-winning wines, and how it grew its e-commerce channels.

Experience Development

Experience Development is a powerful tool that small tourism businesses can use to create a big impact on their bottom line. The RTO7's Tourism Experience Development Specialist, Kim Clarke, walks us through how tourism operators can implement Experiences into their offerings, and gives great feedback on how to elevate the experiences that you already offer to your guests. Kim also gives great advice on how to navigate decisions like pricing, how to maximize the monetization of your experiential product, and tools and resources you can tap into to get started with Experience Development. 

11 Rooms

Conceived by local facilitator and community-builder, Sandra Kahale, and designed collaboratively with a diverse team of artists and creatives, 11 Rooms is much more than a boutique hotel. In this episode, host Tracey Strnad sits down with Sandra Kahale to discuss how a seasoned entrepreneur pivots into an entirely new industry, the highs and lows of opening a hotel during a pandemic and gives a tour of the stunning 11 Rooms Boutique Hotel and retreat space.

Start with Strategy

Strategic Planning is an often overlooked and under-utilized tool in small businesses - but it can be incredibly effective to reach your goals. In this episode, host Tracey Strnad speaks with tourism titan and strategic planning expert Scott Allison, who is also a coach with the T3 Accelerator Program. Scott breaks down what strategic planning means for small tourism businesses, and how owners and operators can effectively utilize strategic planning. Tracey also interviews seasoned entrepreneur Sandra Kahale, who talks about her newest venture - a boutique hotel and retreat space in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada. 

Planning is Everything

Planning is everything in business, and writing a business plan can be an overwhelming experience - but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, the T3 team weighs in on how you can approach your business planning goals and tips to make the process manageable for new and existing businesses. Featuring: Gillian Fairley, General Manager of Community Futures South Georgian Bay, Courtney Miller, Manager of the Grey County Business Development Centre, T3 Accelerator Coach Scott Allison, Patti Bowden and Shane McLaughlin of Collingwood - Blue Mountain Adventure Tours. 

Meet the T3 Team

Learn what the T3 Accelerator Program is all about and the incredible people and organizations that make it happen. Featuring Gillian Fairley, General Manager of Community Futures South Georgian Bay, Amanda Pausner, Experience Coordinator with RTO7, Courtney Miller, Manager of the Grey County Business Development Centre, and the T3 Accelerator Coaches: Michael Agema, Scott Allison, Kim Clarke, Wayne Greer, Dallyce Macas, Wendy Malkin, Kirsty Stevenson. 

Tourism Biz Bites From The Seven - Trailer

Listen to the trailer for "Tourism Biz Bites from the Seven". From RTO7, Community Futures South Georgian Bay, and Experience Simcoe County, hosted by Tracey Strnad.