Tourism Biz Bites from the 7
RTO7
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Learn from tourism business experts as they share stories and wisdom about the tourism industry in Bruce, Grey and Simcoe County, which makes up Tourism Region 7 in Ontario, Canada. The Tourism Biz Bites From The 7 Podcast will introduce you to the coaches and business owners from the T3 Accelerator Program - a program that supports tourism businesses in Tourism Region 7 with coaching assistance to further develop their business and to succeed. Join award winning media producer Tracey Strnad as she interviews tourism industry experts, and the business owners and entrepreneurs behind T3’s most exciting businesses, who share wisdom and valuable insight into owning and operating a successful tourism business. The Tourism Biz Bites From The 7 Podcast is brought to you by RTO7 in partnership with Community Futures South Georgian Bay, with generous support from Tourism Simcoe County. For more information about the T3 Accelerator Coaching Program, visit RTO7.ca.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Jun 20, 2022
Dallyce Macas
Meet Dallyce Macas, one of the coaches from the T3 Accelerator who brings an incredible background in tourism and travel to the program. In the episode, Dallyce provides candid, practical tips for tourism entrepreneurs to implement in their own businesses.
Dallyce is the owner of eminence Canada, a sales & marketing agency aimed at providing strategic growth in Canada for international travel companies. eminence is your experiential travel brand partner in Canada. Inspired to generate sales growth for unique, niche-focused travel partners through representation to all sectors of the travel industry and the media. Small is our business; a powerful brand voice is a result. Eminencecanada.com
About the T3 Accelerator: Owners of independently owned and operated tourism businesses in BruceGreySimcoe can now access support through the T3 Accelerator program. Launched by RTO7 and Community Futures South Georgian Bay in Collingwood in 2019, the program provides tourism businesses, who have been operational for more than 12 months, the opportunity to apply for coaching assistance to further develop their business and to succeed.
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Jun 13, 2022
Blue Mountain & Collingwood Adventure Tours
In this business profile episode, host Tracey Strnad speaks with Patti Bowden and Shane MacLaughlan of Blue Mountain Collingwood Adventure Tours about the company’s history, experience development, and more.
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Jun 6, 2022
Staffing Solutions
Continuing our conversation about staffing small tourism businesses in Tourism Region 7, we spoke with tourism and hospitality expert Michael Agema, who provides insight and potential solutions to the issues facing tourism businesses today. Featuring Michael Agema, Founder of AGEMA Work; Wendy Malkin, Owner of The HR Annex Consulting.
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May 30, 2022
Recruiting and Retention
There’s no way to sugarcoat the fact that the Canadian tourism industry faces a labour shortage and many are referring to it as a crisis. Because tourism, at its core, is a business that relies on people, skilled people - to capitalize on its economic potential. Before the pandemic, most tourism employers in Bruce, Grey and Simcoe were understaffed. The pandemic tightened a labour market that was already bursting at the seams. In this episode host, Tracey Strnad speaks with tourism experts and business owners about challenges and opportunities. Featuring: Wendy Malkin, Owner of The HR Annex Consulting; Courtney Miller, Manager of the Grey County Business Development Centre; Dallyce Macas, Owner of Eminence Canada Consulting and T3 Accelerator Coach; Steve Fitzsimmons, General Manager of Hanover Raceway; Curtis Schmalz, CEO of Maclean’s Ales; Donna Langman, owner of Wasaga Adventure Park; Andrea O’Reilly, Marketing Manager at Georgian Hills Vineyards.
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May 24, 2022
Hanover Raceway
In the latest episode of our podcast, we spoke with Steve Fitzsimmons, General Manager of Hanover Raceway to learn about harness racing at the heart of a unique tourism offering in beautiful Hanover, Ontario. Steve talks about how the business has sought to attract new customers and measure success, and how he got involved in T3 Accelerator coaching program.
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May 16, 2022
Scaling
This episode covers scaling for the small tourism business and managing the challenges that come with business growth.
Featuring: Courtney Miller, Manager, Grey County Business Enterprise Centre; Wendy Malkin, Owner at The HR Annex Consulting, T3 Accelerator Coach; Curtis Schmalz, CEO of Maclean’s Ales; Wayne Greer, T3 Accelerator Coach; Dallyce Macas, Owner of Eminence Canada Tourism Consulting, T3 Accelerator Coach.
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May 9, 2022
IWA Spa Blue Mountain Village
In the latest episode of our podcast, we’ve profiled an incredible luxury wellness spa, yoga studio and boutique at the forefront of exceptional customer service. Michelle Ubell, owner of IWA Spa Blue Mountain Village has a fascinating story to tell about IWA - Inspiring Wellness Always.
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May 2, 2022
Human Resources
Host Tracey Strnad chats with Human Resources expert and T3 Accelerator Coach Wendy Malkin, who provides tips, tricks and advice on how to manage the most important resource in your organization: People.
Featuring: Wendy Malkin, Owner of The HR Annex Consulting; Michelle Ubell, Owner of IWA Spa Blue Mountain Village; Dallyce Macas, Owner of eminence Canada.
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Apr 25, 2022
MacLean’s Ales
Learn the fascinating story of how one of the region’s most iconic craft brewers, MacLean's Ales, got started in Hanover, Ontario. MacLean's Ales CEO Curtis Schmalz chats with host Tracey Strnad about the craft beer industry in Tourism Region 7.
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Apr 18, 2022
Business Partnerships
Business partnerships can level up your business to new heights. This episode features Tourism Region 7’s business experts who deliver anecdotes and advice on how to start, grow and get the most out of tourism business partnerships.
Featuring Dallyce Macas, T3 Accelerator Coach; Kim Clarke, Tourism Experience Development Specialist with RTO7; Sandra Kahale, Owner of 11 Rooms Boutique Hotel and Retreat; Scott Allison, T3 Accelerator Coach; Curtis Schmalz, CEO of Maclean’s Ales; Wayne Greer, T3 Accelerator Coach.
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Apr 11, 2022
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.
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Apr 4, 2022
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.
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Mar 28, 2022
The Marketing Plan
We’re talking Marketing Plans with entrepreneur, author and T3 Accelerator Coach Kirsty Stevenson.
Kirsty gives advice on laying out the foundation for your marketing plan, how to tighten your social media strategy and focus on your strengths, and what advice she gives to small tourism businesses as a coach with the T3 Accelerator.
Kirsty Stevenson is the author of ‘The 3 Step Marketing Plan’ - an excellent guide for small businesses to understand and create a marketing plan. Learn more about Kirsty and her book: kirstystevenson.com
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Mar 21, 2022
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.
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Mar 14, 2022
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.
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Mar 7, 2022
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.
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Feb 28, 2022
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.
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Feb 21, 2022
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.
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Feb 14, 2022
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.
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Jan 31, 2022
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.
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Jan 11, 2022
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.
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