Camping In Ontario Update Newsletter June 2019 March 2013 | Page 2

CAMPING IN ONTARIO UPDATE | 2 Executive Director’s Message While many of you have been enjoying well-deserved holidays, we have been busy handing out the directory to the camping public at consumer shows for the past two months. In addition to our regular show circuit this year, we added consumer shows in Quebec City and Winnipeg. Through our partnerships, we were able to have our directory available at shows all across Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Alberta and British Columbia). We were also able to increase our presence in the United States by partnering with Campground Owners of New York (CONY) and Michigan ARVC. This is in addition to the shows that we already have a presence in through our contract with Anderson’s Distribution. We continued to off-set the Northern Travel Information Centre closures by having a larger distribution network in Michigan. We started working with a new distribution company in Michigan and have been told the Directory has been well received. I’m certain you will agree that this is a great return on your marketing dollars! Another project that has kept us busy over the past couple of months is the redesign of the website. We have made substantial changes to the consumer search function as well as how your listing will appear. I strongly urge you to attend a regional meeting for a demonstration on the changes. If you are unable to attend in person please ensure you call the office to set up a time to go over the changes to the website as this affects you directly. The redesign of the website will make it easier for a camper to find your campground and, more importantly, fill your vacancies. At the end of February, Erin Cacciapuoti left working in the office to start a new life in Edmonton, Alberta. While she is no longer in the office, she has agreed to do a couple of shows for ONTARIO PRIVATE CAMPGROUND ASSOCIATION 305 Milner Ave, Suite 206, Toronto, ON, M1B 3V4 TOLL-FREE 1 877 672 2226 TEL [phone] FAX [phone] WEB www.campinginontario.ca EMAIL [email protected] PUBLISHER Guida Williamson DESIGN Sandra Friesen Design www.sandrafriesen.com Published 4 times per year, Update is the newsletter for the campground owners, operators and suppliers who belong to the Ontario Private Campground Association (opca). us during the next month. On behalf of the Association I wish her and her family all the best and thank her for her years of service. In February we also welcomed the newest member to the team, Jonathan Peluso. Jonathan brings with him a background in advertising, marketing and non-profit as well as French proficiency. Jonathan will be taking over the campground membership portfolio in the office and I encourage you to call and introduce yourself to Jonathan. Lastly, I hope to see all of you at the upcoming Regional meetings. These meetings are very important for not only catching up on what the Association is doing, or the latest news from the Government, but also provide an opportunity to discuss what is happening in your specific part of the Province. Knowing what is going on at the municipal level as well as what your RTO is doing is important for your business. It is this sharing of information that makes our Association strong and better able to serve you our members. See you soon and I wish you a smooth opening of your campground for the 2013 camping season. Alexandra Anderson executive director