Event & Webinar Recordings

Ginger Brunner, go2HR’s Manager of Industry Human Resources & Mental Health shared psychologically safe onboarding practices and practical tips and tools to use when recruiting and onboarding new employees. You can now watch the recording and download the slide deck.

TOTA’s Energy Analyst hosted a webinar with Jordan Fisher, Chief Decarbonization Officer of FRESCo, on how hotels and tourism businesses can access Energy Efficiency updates, support, and financial savings.

This webinar showcased:

• How to access FortisBC rebates and government tax credits

• Two Free FortisBC programs that can help reduce building operation costs

• Free energy assessment to identify opportunities

• Free engineering support to implement building upgrades

• Free water saving devices

Watch Recording →

Host: TOTA & eLearningU

Want to elevate your team's digital marketing skills? Learn about the Tourism Digital Marketing Course by eLearningU and how to get a discounted price through TOTA.

Watch Recording →

Host: TOTA & GreenStep

Taking action to reduce your tourism operations carbon footprint is a tremendous opportunity to decrease costs, engage your team, and build your brand as a responsible tourism provider. Measuring your carbon footprint for small and mid-sized businesses is easy with the EcoBase software and guidance from GreenStep.

Watch Recording →

Host: TOTA & go2HR

There is no denying it, the COVID-19 pandemic has in many cases changed not only how we work, but where. As workforce trends (and worker preferences) across the globe shift in favour of remote or hybrid workplaces, BC tourism and hospitality employers who are in a position to do so, are considering their options. While the idea of having employees work entirely or partly from home may seem attractive, it brings new challenges for the workplace. There are important HR, mental health, health and safety, and legal responsibilities and impacts to consider.

If you are considering or recently moved towards remote or hybrid work for your employees, join go2HR for this practical and informative webinar.

This webinar is ideal for employers, managers, supervisors, and business owners.

Watch Recording →

TOTA and GreenStep Solutions hosted an Energy Savings Webinar to assist tourism operators in understanding what goes on in an energy audit that will help businesses reduce their energy bills and thereby reduce their overall carbon footprint.

View Recording →

Host: TOTA / Symphony Tourism Services / BCRTS

On May 12, learn how to integrate research into your marketing plan with this 3-hr interactive, online workshop for up to 20 participants in the Thompson Okanagan region. The engaging and collaborative workshop is intended to guide tourism operators in answering questions regarding their business and ideal customer/target markets.

Participants will build a better understanding of how to apply the data to implement marketing strategies through insights and data gathered from the Weekly Tracker, Monthly Visitor Highlights, EQ & Prizm Profile for the Thompson Okanagan region.

Tourism operators will leave the workshop knowing how to identify their ideal customer, tailor their message, and implement practical actions for reaching those customers.

Hosts: Women of Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Association, BC Tourism Resiliency Network, and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA)

In the Seat at the Table webinar, Joanna Jagger, President of WORTH Association, examined why women aren't dominating in a female dominated industry and how we can work collectively to ensure more women take a seat at the table.

The webinar includes findings from a research project with industry leaders and a Gender Equity Audit co-created by women in leadership roles, with recommendations and best practices.

Get the WORTH Gender Equity Audit:

• Fillable Spreadsheet Checklist (click File > Make a Copy)

• Printable PDF Checklist

Host: BCRTS / Symphony Tourism Services / TOTA

As the tourism industry navigates the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the British Columbia Regional Tourism Secretariat (BCRTS) and the regions, including Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), have produced reports with recent and ongoing regional market research to support tourism professionals in making business decisions.

To expand on this research, the BCRTS has partnered with Symphony Tourism Services, a subsidiary of TOTA, to deliver training programs on how to analyze the data and ensure you are using your marketing efforts in the most effective and efficient way possible.

The webinar will result in a better understanding of the customer segments, social values, and travel patterns of people visiting and living in your area for you to then better market to them.

By learning how to interpret and utilize this market research, you will be able to better design marketing strategies that will target the right audience at the appropriate time of year for your business or organization.

This interactive webinar will introduce market research reports available to inform tourism businesses, including:

• Canadian Travel Patterns

• Weekly Tracker

• Monthly Visitor Highlights

• EQ & Prizm Profiles

• And more

Host: go2Hr and BC Hotel Association

As pandemic restrictions across the province and country continue to ease, hoteliers and accommodation employers across BC have turned their attention towards recruiting for the upcoming summer season. As many employers impacted by the pandemic seek to rebuild their teams, recruiting top-talent within today’s competitive recruitment environment is not easy and many organizations are recognizing the importance of building positive workplace cultures that attract, and retain employees.

In this webinar, Ginger Brunner, Senior HR Specialist with go2HR shared insights and practical resources to help employers understand what workplace culture means and what they can do to build and foster a positive workplace culture within their organization.

Host: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) & Sustainable Life App™

TOTA and Sustainable Life App™ recorded a webinar on how Thompson Okanagan tourism companies can connect with eco-conscious customers online.

Sustainable Life App™ is a downloadable mobile map-based app that connects eco-conscious consumers with sustainable businesses and brands from where they are. The app is free to download on Android and Apple. With 4,000+ listings, 10,000+ downloads, and 6,000+ users, the app is growing in popularity across Canada and internationally.

Host: Destination Canada

Destination Canada invites you to join their upcoming industry webinar where they will delve deeper into the key trends outlined in their latest report, Tourism’s Big Shift: Key Trends Shaping the Future of Canada’s Tourism Industry.

While these trends will have an impact on Canada’s travel and tourism industry as whole, this webinar will focus on the implications and opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses specifically. There will be an opportunity for questions, and they welcome an open dialogue on these important new findings.

Download Slides & View Recording →

Host: Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)

Join the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) for a fireside chat with the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, The Honourable Randy Boissonnault.

The discussion, moderated by ITAC’s President and CEO, Keith Henry and will include ITAC’s strategic recovery plan, Building Back Better: Strategic Recovery of Indigenous Tourism in Canada 2022-2025, the Tourism Relief Fund and ITAC’s 2022 National Indigenous Tourism Conference.

Henry will be hosting the fireside chat on his personal Facebook Live Page. The fireside chat will also be available to view on ITAC's Corporate Website afterwards.

Watch Recording →

Host: go2HR

There are some simple steps you can take to bring more equity, inclusion, and diversity into your workplace One option is to suggest employees identify their pronouns in their email signatures, LinkedIn profile, and even Teams/Zoom title. This is a great way to underscore that inclusivity is important to your organization.

Watch Recording →

When employees struggle to manage difficult guests or personal situations outside of work, it can negatively impact their mental health in the workplace. As a manager, responding to employee concerns in a crisis can be very challenging. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to support them.

Join the BC Tourism Resiliency Network, go2HR, and the Canadian Mental Health Association for a free 45 minute webinar about how tourism business managers can support employees in difficult times.

This webinar will include practical information and resources on:

• How to support employees when faced with difficult guest situations

• How to respond when an employee approaches you in crisis

• When to bring in additional help

• The importance of offering choices to employees as they cope

In times of frequent change and crisis, clear communication is an essential soft skill for tourism professionals and leaders. With limited staff and resources, every interaction is an opportunity to establish, build, and maintain relationships with guests and team members.

Fortunately, communication is a soft skill that can be developed as a foundation of success. By understanding expectations and responding decisively, we can avoid disappointment and instead connect in a meaningful way.

Join the BC Tourism Resiliency Network and John Singleton, Okanagan College Expert Business Mentor, for a free 45 minute webinar on The Art of Communication Through Challenging Times. Learn how to develop communication skills for yourself and your team members, in order to minimize conflict and instead capitalize on interactions to build relationships.

COVID-19 and climate change have caused frequent disruptions and major changes to the workplace for tourism and hospitality businesses. As this trend of change will likely continue, business leaders can prepare by developing a dynamic and resilient team.

Watch the webinar recording by Angela Pomeroy, Engagement and Leadership Development Consultant and Okanagan College professor, for insights on the principles of Change Management, followed by a pre-recorded video with exercises to develop change management skills for individuals or teams.

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is hosting a virtual info session for B.C. tourism companies on the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle Platform and how it can help track your progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and develop a Sustainable Tourism Plan.

As we approach the next steps of the BC Restart Plan and begin to welcome visitors back in British Columbia, the BC Tourism Resiliency Network is bringing together a panel of five tourism industry organizations to help you leverage key resources towards resiliency.

Stress is apart of our everyday lives, especially for leaders making decisions in the days of COVID uncertainty. People feel and perceive stress differently. Perceptions of stress can overwhelm and impact decision making and relationships in the workplace. Join Angela Pomeroy for this free, 90-minute interactive Workshop.

In a time of great uncertainty, how can tourism & hospitality business operators plan ahead, prepare for the summer season, and take advantage of the available resources? During this free webinar with Professor Mark Ziebarth of Okanagan College, you will learn 10 steps to take now to plan ahead for short and long-term business success.

Are you interested in improving efficiency or addressing climate change but not sure where to start? During this 45-minute webinar plus Q&A, you’ll learn about simple strategies for reducing building operating costs through improvements to energy efficiency.

Join Angela Pomeroy for this FREE, interactive, 90-minute Workshop on what Emotional Intelligence is and why is it important for leadership. What do leaders need to be better at in this climate of change and uncertainty? What do we have control over during uncertainty? Rapid, disruptive change is today’s normal. To cope, leaders need to be agile, resilient and compassionate – some qualities that demonstrate Emotional Intelligence.

Learn about various FREE Digital Support Services, including one-on-one support, educational webinars, and other resources.

TOTA has partnered with go2HR to present a session focused on providing tourism and hospitality employers with practical tips to help them adjust their recruitment practices as they prepare for the upcoming summer season.

During this 45-minute Webinar workshop followed by a Q&A session, Stacey Barber of Okanagan College demo’s the Shopify and SQUARESPACE platforms and review pro’s, con’s and pricing for each system.

During this 45-minute Webinar workshop followed by a Q&A session, Stacey Barber of Okanagan College will talk about digital marketing ideas as well as partnership marketing in today’s local and provincial market.

Why does solar energy make sense for businesses in B.C. and how can you benefit from it without spending thousands?

During this free 1-hour Webinar including Q&A, Rob Baxter, co-founder of Vancouver Renewable Energy Cooperative (VREC) and TOTA's Energy Analyst Thivya Viswanathan will discuss energy efficiency, why it matters, and how you can harness solar energy for your business without the upfront capital cost.

2021 brings with it new hope, but many of the same challenges as 2020 for businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry. During this 45-minute strategy Webinar followed by a Q&A session, Devin Rubadeau of Okanagan College will introduce techniques that every tourism business can use to pivot towards success.