The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is proud to announce Canada-e-Connect, the first ever Canadian e-Tourism Strategy Conference. Canada-e-Connect will bring together more than 300 travel and tourism industry leaders. They will determine the impact that the internet and other emerging technologies are making on Canada’s ability to compete globally as a premiere, four-season tourism destination.

“Today, it is crucial not only to build targeted, successful online campaigns that result in bookings,” says Michele McKenzie, President and CEO of the CTC. “It has become vital to create strategies and synergies with the rest of the companies, organization and – in the case of bloggers – individuals that build and protect the Canadian brand.”

Looking at how to leverage contemporary tools and technologies, the conference will focus on the future of travel and tourism marketing. The main elements of the travel distribution life cycle – Consumer Acquisition, Consumer Experience, and Customer Intelligence – will be addressed in order to tackle the bigger question: how do we effectively market Canadian travel experiences to the world?

“We are asking e-marketing experts to consider lessons from the past, to challenge the present, to debate the future, and to share their vision of what we can achieve together with the best and brightest in tourism marketing and online travel,” says Jens Thraenhart, Chair of Canada-e-Connect and Executive Director of Marketing Strategy and CRM at the CTC.

Hosted in beautiful Vancouver from November 7-9, 2007 (right after the TIAC Canada Tourism Leadership Summit in Victoria), the event will feature some of the best speakers in the industry, including Anthony D. Williams, co-author of the bestselling book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything.

Canada-e-Connect will be held in conjunction with the first Canadian e-Tourism Awards, on November 8. These prestigious awards will recognize excellence in website design, online campaigns, and innovation in three sectors: public, private and small and medium-sized enterprise. Awards will also go out to travellers for user-generated content, including best story or blog, best video or short-film, and best photo.

Supported by industry partners – the Travel Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and Hospitality Sales and Marketing International (HMSAI), Canada-e-Connect is unlike any other in the world of online travel conferences. It includes:

• > a ‘by-invitation-only’ half-day Canadian e-Tourism Council Summit just before Canada-e-Connect
• > sponsored workshops that engage the audience in interactive sessions, exploring emerging media and technologies led by subject matter experts
• > a student competition that will offer Canadian graduate and senior undergraduate students the opportunity to win a scholarship to participate in the first Canada-e-Connect Conference.
• > co-hosted inaugural Canadian E-Tourism Awards, with a call for entries August 1-31.

Full information about Canada-e-Connect, the Canadian e-Tourism Awards and related initiatives can be found at www.canadaeconnect.com. In addition, visit http://spaceshare.com/canadaeconnect/, a unique online community that engages attendees, speakers, and tourism marketers in Canada and around the world.

See www.canadaeconnectblog.com for behind-the-scenes insight – independently edited by Vancouver-based hospitality blogger Chris Clarke – into the making of the Canada-e-Connect e-tourism strategy conference and latest conference developments through interviews, news updates and more.