Efforts to create a destination management strategy for the town took another small step forward as council approved policy to establish the Destination Olds Collective Fund last Monday (March 27).
This has been in the works for about two years, said chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff. A bylaw was passed in December 2015 imposing taxes on private enterprises operating on the Olds College campus.
Council subsequently directed that these funds - which are expected to be $130,000 each year - support a new tourism strategy. Last September, the Destination Olds Collective Fund was presented to council as the focus of the Discover Olds Tourism Strategy.
"The town would like to focus on a strategy of how we make Olds a place, not just to come and visit, but a purposeful place to come and visit," said Wagstaff.
The fund aims to position Olds as a hosting community, he said, with the intent of attracting arts, culture or sports activities that haven't considered using Olds for their events or programs.
Money in the fund will be used for public relations endeavours, such as regional advertising or marketing initiatives to target new clients to the area.
"We'd like to be able to prime the pump and attract them with a little bit of support," said Wagstaff.
Wagstaff said the Tour of Alberta, which rolled through Olds last September, is a good example of the type of event this fund might support in the future, as well as Oldstoberfest, which will be making a comeback this fall.
The next step will be to set up a fund advisory committee, which will include members from the Town of Olds, as well as its partners: the Olds Institute, Olds College, Olds & District Chamber of Commerce and the Olds Regional Exhibition. The advisory committee will review strategies and make recommendations to the chief administrative officer (CAO).
While the policy establishing the fund is fresh on the books, some of the money from the tax, which was implemented in 2016, has already been allocated. Last fall, council's budget included partial funding to help bring the Olds Institute and the chamber of commerce into their own offices in Uptowne.
While the advisory committee will work with the CAO to approve specific projects, council will provide guidance on what types of events the community would like to see in the future.
"This is a tremendous opportunity," said Wagstaff, "because these things already come to council and they ask for support, and this gives that resource to be able to say ëyes.'"
"The town would like to focus on a strategy of how we make Olds a place, not just to come and visit, but a purposeful place to come and visit." Doug Wagstaff
