Canada-e-Connect 2011 Spotlight on Erica Ehm

Reading Erica Ehm's résumé makes me tired. She's crazy! (in a good way). Erica has been in the public eye in Canada for a couple of decades (and she's still young).

"Erica’s career in television spans two decades. She was co-creator, writer and host of Yummy Mummy, a parenting show for the music video generation. Other shows include Baby and You - Rogers Television, Popstars: The One - Global, Real Life with Erica Ehm - Life Network, Power Play - Discovery Channel, and The Company - TVO. Currently, Erica is the host of the ongoing television specials Live at the Concert Hall broadcast on Bravo. Ehm's talents extend to songwriting. She has won two Junos, three Country Music Awards and three SOCAN Awards. She co-wrote the theme for the film and series Pippi Longstocking. Love Me Even More was the theme song for the film Some Things That Stay." YummyMummyClub.ca

Ms. Ehm is a tireless creative entrepreneur who understands communication. Social Media being all about communication, so it's no surprise that Erica has become one of the best users of Social Media to do business, to communicate with friends and fans and to increase her standing as an influencer in the Canadian marketplace. Her current focus is women with children, the Yummy Mummies (and thereby their DelishDad husbands). We all know that, when it comes to travel decisions, women have the final word (according to various studies women influence between 85% and 90% of all travel decisions). Paraphrasing Woody Allen as he put it in a movie when talking to his son: "Well, no, I am the boss, your mother just makes all the decisions." Erica understands her audience very well and has surrounded herself with like minded, brilliant women. I think her YummyMummy Club was a brilliant idea.

See Erica's blog post about her Banff vacation

Erica Ehm will be one of the distinguished panellists on the "Building a Social Media Department" session at the Canada-e-Connect eTourism Strategy Conference next week in Toronto. I very much look forward to meeting her in person.

Jaime

Canada-e-Connect 2011 Spotlight on Amber Mac

"Amber Mac is a technology host, journalist, and strategist, with experience both online and offline. She writes a regular column forThe Globe & Mail, Yahoo! Tech, American Express Open Forum, among other outlets. She has worked as a technology TV host with tech guru Leo Laporte on G4TechTV, hosting/producing more than 500 episodes of a popular how- to call in show. She now hosts a live TV show called Webnation on Toronto’s number one news station (watch the show here)..." http://www.ambermac.com/about/

I am very much looking forward to listening to Amber Mac at Canada-e-Connect 2011. I have followed Amber virtually for some time now. She always has something interesting up her sleeves. Last year she published her book "Power Friending" (Penguin Books Ltd.) In a lucky strike, I won a copy of her book on a Twitter contest and I have read it a couple of times. I have added it to the other three books I consider very helpful in this new era of pull: DigiMarketing by Dr. Ian Fenwick, Conversational Capital by Bertrand Cesvet and colleagues, and Made to Stick by the Heath Brothers. Power Friending is a well written book that demystifies social media. It's great for beginners (especially small businesses) who want to understand social media marketing. But it's also a very good book for avid practitioners and marketers because it can serve as a reminder of basic social media principles as well as a good to-do list when you are implementing a strategy.

Here's an example of Amber Mac's Commandn.TV show. I chose this one because there is a segment on video sharing websites, and as you might know, I will be moderating the video panel session at CeC 2011.

AmberMac

Canada-e-Connect 2011

See you next week in Toronto (follow my Tweets Feb 2 to 4)

twitter.com/jaimehorwitz

Jaime

What I'm looking forward to at the Canada-e-Connect eTourism Conference 2011

The Canada-e-Connect eTourism Strategy Conference 2011 is around the corner. This will be the 4th edition of Canada-e-Connect and it promises again to stimulate thought and conversation and to encourage attendees to take a fresh look at their current strategy vis a vis the ongoing digital/social revolution and the tourism sector. These are the sessions I am very much looking forward to:

Geo-location Meets Social: The Business Case

Explore the integration of geo-location applications within social media, from lessons learned to the values and benefits of location-based social networking service in helping clients explore the world around them.

This session will deal with one of the hottest tools in social media marketing today, geo-location services. If you don't use them as a consumer or as a business, at the very least you will have heard of them - e.g. Foursquare, Facebook Places, Google's Places App, Gowalla and others. The session's panelists/presenters are Sarah Best, Social Media Strategist for Chicago Tourism and Andy Elwood, Director Business Development for Gowalla. The moderator will be a good friend of Canada's Tourism Industry, the affable Jim Brody from TripAdvisor. Don't miss this session. In my opinion, Geo-location services will be the biggest thing in social marketing in 2011 (followed by Group Buying services like Groupon, Wagjag, LivingSocial, etc - unfortunately we won't have a session on Group Buying, but there's always CeC 2012).

Online Video: Luncheon & Panel Presentation

Join session moderator Jaime Horwitz as he explores the world of online video applications with an impressive line up of experts who have applied this innovative technology to generate positive results. An opportunity to ask questions on the value and worth of incorporating video into websites; the return on investment and the dos and don’ts.

I'm moderating this session, so naturally, I'm very much looking forward to it. We all know the power of the moving image. However, implementing a video strategy is very daunting to many tourism businesses. It is much easier to start a Facbook page and a Twitter feed than to start a video strategy. First, there's the cost and then there's the knowhow. And most importantly creativity: how to use video and digital video technology to achieve organizational goals. We will address this topic during the session and we will also talk about the latest developments in this space. We have four terrific panelists from 4 different companies working with video and digital technology. Kulin Strimbu, President and CEO of TripTelevison, Abe McCallum CEO Clikthrough, Todd Pasternack, Director Technology Group Pointroll and Bob Kane, TV Producer and Principal Entertainment Travel Consultants and the Creative Alliance Network.

Panel Discussion: Building a Social Media Department

Re-thinking your social media strategy? This panel session will consider some of the administrative realities of running an in-house social media department. Topics will range from human resources issues to establishing practical social media guidelines, as well as other considerations to keep in mind when implementing your strategy.

Ah, social media, the Holy Grail - getting society to do your marketing for you - going viral - everybody's new dream. But someone has to be in charge. Someone has to Tweet. Someone has to update the Facebook page. Someone has to manage the Foursquare specials. Etc. How do you keep up? How do you establish an in-house social media department "without breaking the bank" as Joel Peters (Tourism Toronto) put it? This session will deal with this challenge. The panel couldn't be better. Moderated by Troy Thompson of Travel 2.0 consulting, Ed Lee, Director Social Media DDB Canada, Sean Moffit of Agent Wildfire and Wikibrands fame, and Erica Ehm, Creator/Publisher/Entrepreneur The YummyMummyClub.ca. I am sure this will be one of my favourite session at the conference.

Finally, I am also looking forward to the closing Keynote with Amber MacArthur aka Amber Mac, technology host, journalist, strategist and social media guru author of "Power Friending" a book that has been widely praised by Canadian and international media (my review coming soon on this blog).

Check out the entire Canada-e-Connect 2011 program to see what sessions appeal the most to you. And register if you haven't already. Hope to see you there.

Jaime Horwitz MBA,

Digital Marketer, social Media Strategist, Canadian Tourism enthusiast

Favourite destinations and spots in Canada. Part III, specifics

I previously wrote about destinations and cities that I really like in Canada. But here are some specific spots within those destinations or cities in Canada where I love to be and would love to go back many, many times:

1. On a helicopter over Niagara Falls (Niagara Helicopters has been a client of mine, but even if that was not the case, I would still love taking their helicopter flyovers - it's just an terrific way to see the Falls)
2. At the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff via the Banff Gondola
3. Dining at the restaurant at La Pinsonnière in La Malbaie, Québec
4. At Schwartz Delicatessen in Montreal (for the smoked meat sandwiches).
5. On a boat on Campbell River, BC, around the Discovery Islands watching killer whales
6. Walking the Cobblestone streets in Old Quebec City (with my significant other, of course) - I particularly like the Quartier du Petit Champlain
7. On the porch of a cottage overlooking Lake Muldrew in Muskoka, Ontario
8. Walking, catching some sun or having a snack in Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver
9. At a table by one of the big windows overlooking Lake Louise at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise during afternoon tea time.
10. At the Cowboys Niteclub in Calgary if it's still there and I wasn't getting oler. The original closed a year ago, I think.
11. At Balzac's coffee house in the Distillery District in Toronto
12. At the swimming pool at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge in Jasper, Alberta
13. Running around Stanley Park's Seawall in Vancouver
14. Running up Mont Royal in Montreal
15. Meat Cove in Cape Breton
16. Having dinner at Joso's in Toronto
17. Dinner or drinks at the Lure Restaurant in the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe hotel (Delta Hotels and Resorts is also a client of mine) with a view of Victoria's Inner Harbour
18. Sitting somewher by the Harbourfront's boardwalk in Toronto (in the summer)
19. Running along the Niagara Parkway past the Falls towards the Dufferin Islands
20. At Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia
21. At Parliament Hill in Ottawa (yup, I love our Parliament Buildings - and don't miss the Hill's Parliamentary cats, if you've never seen them).
22. Parliament Hill seen from the Museum of Civilization across the river
23. Swimming in Lake Muldrew, Muskoka
24. On a flight with Harbour Air from Victoria to Vancouver on a sunny day (sitting next to the pilot)
25. At home in the backyard in Etobicoke, Ontario (mi casa es su casa)

Campbell River, British Columbia

Bon voyage,

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com

My favourite destinations and spots in Canada. Part II, The Cities

When it comes to cities in Canada there aren't many cities to choose from. While Canada is thesecond largest country in the world in square kilometers with almost 10 million sq kms of surface area (you could practically fit all of Europe within Canada), it is a medium to small country in population with only about 34.5 million people living here (less than the 37 million who live in California). Most of us live in urban areas (an urban area is defined - by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - as an area with a population of at least 1,000 and with no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre). 35 % to 40% of Canadians live in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. So naturally these are the biggest cities in the country where you will find the most "city life." I personally love these three cities, but for different reasons since the three are quite unique and different from each other.

Vancouver - on a sunny day, Vancouver is without a doubt the most beautiful city in Canada and one of the most beautiful in the world. The combination of mountains, a striking skyline of wonderful architecture and the Pacific Ocean is very hard to beat. Add to that Stanley Park with its 4 million square metres (about 1.5 square miles) and Vancouver stands out as a proxy for the best Canada has to offer, namely incredible nature and diverse, cosmopolitan, cool cities. Ah, but then there's the rain. I don't like rain. Winter in Vancouver is rain, rain and more rain. Vancouverites are so used to it that many of them walk around without umbrellas! Fortunately there is Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver and Whistler an hour and half away for those who prefer their winters with snow. Favourite spots in Van:

• Stanley Park
• Coal Harbour
• Grouse Mountain
• Commercial Drive (Italian espressos)
• Robson Square and Robson Street (touristy though)
• UBC (particularly the Rose Garden overlooking the ocean)
• Wreck beach (if you like nude beaches)
• Burnaby mountain (especially the view from Horizon's restaurant)
• Granville Island and Granville market (touristy, but still very cool)

Restaurants - Joe Forte's near Robso

n St

Note: to learn more about Vancouver from insiders check out the blog www.beyondrobson.com

Montreal - Ah, Montreal. I've always said that if my French had been up to par, I would have settled in Montreal when I immigrated to Canada over 20 years ago. My consolation is that I have more or less visited Montreal at least once a year since. Montreal is my favourite city to visit in Canada (mostly for its atmosphere and in summer). It is a very unique city in the world because it is the only one where North America meets Europe. While it is a multicultural city (between 13% and 15% of its population is foreign born), the fact is that French dominates, as it should. But it is the strange but pleasant feeling that one is in North America, where English is the main language, but somehow, at the same time, it feels like you are also in France or perhaps Belgium (especially in certain areas of the city like Vieux Montreal). Then there is the Culture in the city. Quebeckers are very different from English Canadians (except when it comes to the love and passion for Hockey). They are definitely closer in temperament to Latin people than to Anglos. This is neither better or worse, just different. But for me as a Latin Canadian the attraction is natural (but nope, I didn't marry a Quebeçoise). Montreal has great culinary culture, wonderful cafés and exciting nightlife. Favourite spots in Montreal:

• Ice skating rink in Old Montreal by the Bonsecours market (winter only, of course)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, La Main (Boulevard Saint-Laurent)
• Plateau Mont-Royal, the neighbourhood
• Park Mont-Royal (great place to jog, relax, read, see a great view of the city)
• Old Montreal (very touristy, but a must see, especially in the summer or during the Festival Montreal en Lumiere in the winter)
• Sainte Catherine Street (love its busyness, often crowded, especially on weekends - some parts seem a little seedy, but it gives it character)
• Boulevard McGill College (from Ste Catherine St to McGill University)
• Place des Arts (always great shows at this complex - and I love the architecture of the place - find a spot on the Esplanade and relax)

Restaurants - Alexandre et Fils, Schwartz Delicatessen, Au Pied de Cochon

Note: to learn more about Montreal from cool insiders, check out Tamy Emma Pepin twitter.com/tamyemmapepin or the blog www.midnightpoutine.ca

Toronto - much larger city than Montreal or Vancouver so naturally it will have manymore spots to visit and many more available activities (e.g. sports, concerts, special events). I do live here so I know Toronto much, much better than the two other cities. What I like most about Toronto is that you can find spots where you might feel you are in another part of Canada or the world for that matter. For example, if you go to the Il Bunji restaurant in Little Korea you could easily imagine that you are eating somewhere in Korea. If you to Kensington Market's El Trompo you might think you are somewhere in Mexico. This fact is most tangible during some of Toronto's festivals like Caribana and Salsa on St. Clair. Not that Toronto is always buzzing like say New York City. The Winter is rather quiet, but Spring, Summer and Fall can be fantastic for visitors and residents alike. The most successful film festival in the world from a film goers perspective is the Toronto International Film Festival which takes place every September.

Toronto has more sports and entertainment offerings than probably all other cities and Canada combined. From amateur to pro-sports and from indie artists to global superstars in all genres, you can spend a lot of time and money enjoying Toronto's sports and music scene (Canadian Music Week, North by Northeast, the Bluejays, the Maple leafs, the Raptors, etc). Toronto has a decent Opera Company (COC), the National Ballet, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and a myriad of international visiting artists. Favourite spots in Toronto:

• Harbourfront (anytime)
• Kensington Market (Spring and Summer)
• Eglinton Ave West of Yonge St.
• High Park
• Yorkville Ave and Cumberland Ave in Yorkville (in the Summer)
• The Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome)
• The ACC (for concerts)
• Massey Hall (great acoustics for music)
• Queen St. from Yonge St to Bathurst
• The Annex neighbourhood
• The Bell Lightbox (cinemas and TIFF headquarters)
• The Atrium at the Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place) designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava
• The AGO (redesigned by Frank Ghery)
• Woodbine Beach (Ashbridges Bay) and Sunnyside Beach (summer of course)

Restaurants: Auberge du Pommier (expensive but worth it), Didier's (also French somewhat expensive, but also very much worth it), Joso's (my favourite restaurant in Canada), El Trompo (when I want the taste of Mexico), Via Allegro (not easy to get to without a car, but worth it - excellent Italian cuisine - also somewhat expensive), Il Fornello (at Harbourfront)

Note: to learn more about Toronto check out these blogs - torontoist.com and www.blogto.com

And there you have it, Canada's three largest cities are my favourites, but for different kinds of vacations I also love Quebec City (best with a significant other any time of the year - the most romantic city in Canada, perhaps in North America), Calgary (if I can ever get to visit during the Stampede) and Halifax (love its boardwalk in the summer - great seafood restaurants).

Happy travels. Add your favourite spots in Canada in the comments below, if you wish to share.

Jaime

To start the year: Favourite destinations and spots in Canada (Part I)

I thought that before we get into the business of tourism this new year 2011, I'd give you some of my favourite destinations and cool spots in Canada. I have too many to list in one blog post, so I will list them in separate posts in the coming days.

In no particular order of importance (all these places are great depending on what you might be looking for in a vacation or short getaway). If you haven't visited Canada these recommendations might help you in deciding where to go on your first trip to the Great White North. If you live in Canada, and you are like most Canadians, then you probably haven't seen enough of your country, so make a New Year's resolution that you will visit at least two or three places you've never been to before in your own country.

Whistler, BC - this being winter, I have to include Whistler Blackcomb as one of my favourite destinations in Canada. I've been to Whistler maybe 4 or 5 times in my life (not enough). One of the challenges is that Whistler is not a cheap destination and skiing is not a cheap activity. I love skiing, but there are so many other things to do and places to go that I can't go to Whistler as much as I would like to. Of course, if I lived in Vancouver, I'd go at least once a year. (In the summer visit Lost Lake - if you can find it...it's a local hangout and you can actually swim in it)

Mont-Tremblant, Québec - For those of us in Central/Eastern Canada, Tremblant is our Whistler. I must confess though that I have been to Whistler more times than to MT, and I have never skied in Tremblant. I have visited twice, both times in the summer. Tremblant is great all year round, by the way. The mountains and the lakes are beautiful and you can definitely enjoy the lakes in the summer.

Lake Louise, Alberta - I have been to Lake Louise once. It was during the month of December, but before the Holidays. I loved it. Stayed at the iconic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Definitely one of the destinations in Canada I really want to go back to and visit in the summer.

Banff, Alberta - Also loved Banff the one time I visited. Quaint little town in the midst of Banff National Park, an awesome place on earth. I have not seen anywhere near what there is to see in Banff so I hope to visit again very soon.

Jasper, Alberta - Another incredibly beautiful place in Canada. Of course, I'm spoiled now because I stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge. It's not very easy to get to Jasper, but it's worth it, if you can afford it (unless of course, you are a camper). Definitely on the list of places to go back to.

Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia - a summer road trip, one of the best places for a driving vacation in Canada. I love Celtic, Scottish, Nova Scotian culture (and food). Maybe I was Scottish in another life. There are many quaint beautiful towns in Cape Breton Island like Cheticamp and Baddeck. The fortress of Louisbourg is amazing (visit in the summer). One of my favourite spots in Cape Breton Island is Meat Cove for its spectacular views. Meat Cove is at the very northern tip of the island in Inverness County.

Muskoka, Ontario - Muskoka is one of my favourite destinations, not only in Canada, but in the world. However, I must explain a little. For me, the way to enjoy Muskoka is in your own cottage, owned or rented. My family and I have rented the same cottage on lake Muldrew near Gravenhurst several times during the summers. It's a place where we enjoy wonderful Canadian nature, but with all the comforts of home. Muldrew Lake is very close to the Muskoka Wharf and not very far from Port Carling, another of our favourite spots in the area. So that's how we do Muskoka, but if you prefer the resort experience, there are many wonderful resorts with all the amenities. My family and I have stayed at the Rocky Crest (great for families), the Delta Sherwood (great for couples) and Deerhurst, but there are many others to choose from like Taboo and the J W Marriott (these last two are higher end and thus more expensive).

All the above destinations are great in winter, except for Cape Breton, so if you have time and money this season don't hesitate to visit.

Next Up: my favourite cities in Canada and my favourite spots in them.

Jaime

www.cactusrock.com

www.canadamigos.com