WinterBites Fun Zone - Discover Comox Valley

What is WinterBites?
WinterBites is a new, major 16‐day Comox Valley festival that will take a bite out of winter by offering a dynamic combination of multi‐venue concerts, a unique outdoor skating rink within the WinterBites Fun Zone, and ski package deals offering 50% off lift tickets when combined with festival accommodation packages.
Key Dates:
• Festival: January 16 – 31, 2014
• Kick Off Concert: January 16, Rockin’ the Filberg with Chilliwack
• Live concerts: January 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30
• Comox Valley Minor Hockey Jamborees, January 18‐19, 24‐26, January 31‐February 2
• 50% off lift passes with accommodation stay from January 17‐31
Why create a WinterBites Festival?
The Comox Valley Destination Marketing Advisory Committee has ratified the regions 2014 Destination Marketing Tactical Plan, which includes a significant focus on creating or expanding destination level events as a way to drive increased awareness, visitation and thereby economic activity to the region; in particular during the shoulder season. WinterBites is the first of a series of new and existing events being developed or expanded to achieve this objective.
Destination Marketing Advisory Committee Members
Bill Anglin ‐ Chair, CVEDS Appointed Representative
Brad Knight ‐ Old House Village Hotel & Spa
Grant Smith ‐ Holiday Inn Express and Suites
Linda Bridgman ‐ Best Western PLUS the Westerly Hotel
Gregor Mowatt ‐ Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
Tansy Pauls ‐ Courtenay Travelodge
Abel O'Brennan ‐ Coastal Black Estate Winery
Brent Curtain ‐ Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Carolyn Touhey ‐ Two Eagles Lodge
Edd Moyes ‐ Blackfin Pub
Susan Wood ‐ MusicFest / Nautical Days
Current Partners & Sponsors
Key Festival Components:
• Multi‐Venue Concerts – produced by Vancouver Island MusicFest
• WinterBites Fun Zone – in partnership with Comox Valley Minor Hockey and the City of Courtenay
• 50% off Lift Tickets with overnight accommodations – in partnership with Mount Washington Alpine Resort and select Courtenay accommodations
• WinterBites Restaurant Events
• On‐Mountain Events – many events at Mount Washington Alpine Resort including The Ski for MS
Preliminary Concerts, Dates & Venues; 2000+ tickets total
Thursday, January 16th ‐ Rockin' The Filberg with Chilliwack at the Florence Filberg Centre Friday, January 17th ‐ West African Dance Night with Alpha Ya Ya Diallo at the Best Western Plus – the Westerly Hotel
Saturday , January 18th ‐ Pianorama (Battle of the Blues Pianos!) with Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne and
David Vest at the Best Western Plus – the Westerly Hotel
Wednesday , January 22nd – An Intimate Evening with Barney Bentall at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
Thursday , January 23rd – Country, Blues and Soul Night at the Best Western PLUS – the Westerly Hotel
Friday, January 24th ‐ Rockin' The Filberg with The Grapes Of Wrath and the Odds at the Florence Filberg Centre Saturday, January 25th ‐ Ashley MacIsaac at the Native Sons Hall
Wednesday, January 29th ‐ Acoustic Blues Double Header with Blind Boy Paxton and Suzie Vinnick at Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
Friday, January 31st – Rockabilly Boogie at Best Western PLUS the Westerly Hotel
WinterBites Fun Zone
Pond Hockey Jamborees & Interactive Activities In partnership with the Comox Valley Minor Hockey and the City of Courtenay, the WinterBites Fun Zone venue offers visitors and locals alike the chance to skate outdoors on a unique synthetic rink created by BH Skating International, surrounded by a series of family‐fun activities and event booths.
Location: Simms Park, downtown Courtenay
Activities: Hockey Jamborees, public skating, competitions, interactive activities including tobogganing and Snow Day Play with fresh Mount Washington snow, Boys and Girls Club activity tent, animal petting pen, horse and rolling sleigh rides, special events, apple cider, s’mores, tasty treats, and much more!
Comox Valley Minor Hockey Jamborees: January 18‐19 (Initiation), January 24‐
26 (Novice), January 31 – February 2 (Atom)
Ski & Save Packages
Guests who stay at select accommodation properties in the Comox Valley from January 17th to the 31st have access to 50% off (per person, per night) lift tickets to Mount Washington Alpine Resort.
Current Participating Ski and Save locations include:
Best Western PLUS – the Westerly Hotel
Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community
Old House Village Hotel & Spa Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites
Travelodge Courtenay
Leverage $120k+ Multi‐Media WinterBites Campaign
• Online, print and earned media
• Online – interactive landing page, winterbitesfestival.com, targeted pay‐per‐click, e‐newsletters with latest news and specials, sweepstakes and social media campaign
• Print – Full colour ads in targeted Vancouver Island newspapers • 7k+ high gloss, full colour printed WinterBites program inserted into key VI markets
• Earned Media – extensive press releases, media outreach and coverage with BC & Alberta media groups and bloggers
• Vancouver Island Newspaper Group distribution; 1 million+ readers
• Dynamic social media promotion via Discover Comox Valley, Vancouver Island MusicFest & Mount Washington Alpine Resort
WinterBites and the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre
• Book an overnight stay in the Comox Valley by phone or in person at the VIVC
• Open 7 days a week
• Up‐to‐date information regarding all WinterBites events • Ticket vendor for the WinterBites Fun Zone Skating Rink, concerts and overnight packages
Contact the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre staff by:
Email ‐ info@vivccomoxvalley.com
Phone ‐ 855.400.2882
In‐person at 3607 Small Road, Cumberland
Contact the WinterBites Development Team:
Sponsorship Opportunities & Event Coordination
Kelly Barnie, kelly@discovercomoxvalley.com
Media Outreach and Support
Kate Rogers, Tartan Group, kate@tartangroup.ca
Multi‐venue Concerts Producer
Doug Cox, Vancouver Island MusicFest, dougcox@shaw.ca
Mount Washington Alpine Resort, Media and Brand
Brent Curtain, pr@mountwashington.ca
Comox Valley Minor Hockey Association
Bruce Dyke, 1st VP, rbdyke@gmail.com
Discover Comox Valley, Event Development, Ashley Coulter, ashley@discovercomoxvalley.com