In 2018/19, I led Thunder Bay’s bid to host GoMedia Canada 2021, Destination Canada’s premier international travel media marketplace.
Traditionally only held in major urban centres, Destination Canada had never considered a city like ours... until we gave them reason to.
I pitched a creative “downtown convention district” concept that I created in collaboration with a local developer, using existing venues, waterfront hotels, and a transit loop to tie it all together.
I successfully secured $350,000 in funding from the CEDC, letters of support from over a dozen key partners, and helped push Thunder Bay into the final two cities under consideration before the event was ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic.