More than 70 corporate captains from Canada and abroad will attend the Aug. 3 opening ceremonies of the World Championships in Athletics in Edmonton.
By that time, they’ll know all about the Alberta Advantage for business. The company presidents and chief executives – some coming from as far as Europe and the Middle East – will have spent four days touring industries, companies and research facilities in the Edmonton region.
Called Advantage 2001, the program is one way that Alberta Economic Development and the Edmonton region are capitalizing on the Worlds to promote and attract economic development.
Some 25,000 visitors, from VIPs to media, are expected during the International Amateur Athletics Federation championships, Aug. 3 to 12. It’s the first time the prestigious event has been held in North America.
“We get to bolster the province, to sell the benefits of the province to a wide audience,” says Mark Erdman, corporate communications director for Alberta Economic Development.
Economic Development Edmonton, working with Travel Alberta, has co-ordinated a $1-million marketing campaign that includes television footage, print media ads and a booth at the Worlds Plaza (the event’s focal point) to promote business opportunities and tourism attractions. The TV footage is being made available free to official host broadcaster CBC, as well as to all the media from the 209 countries that are participating, says Lindsay Daniller, vice-president of Economic Development Edmonton.
“We’re talking about the third-biggest sporting event in the world, with access to four billion television viewers,” she says. “It’s really putting us on an international map.”
The Worlds are expected to generate $386 million in economic activity for Alberta, including $286 million for the Edmonton region, Daniller says. Alberta Economic Development started laying the groundwork several months ago to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the Worlds, Erdman says.
Using the Internet, the department’s trade officers e-mailed tailor-made invitations to more than 120 corporate leaders who had previously had some contact with the department.
Erdman says a Web site was set up for each of the more than 70 company heads that accepted, to custom-design a tour of Alberta companies and organizations. Some want to tour oilsands development near Fort McMurray, others want to visit biomedical facilities at the University of Alberta, while many want to check out individual businesses in the Edmonton region.
Alberta Economic Development has also taken over the former Eaton’s building in downtown Edmonton, to operate a high-tech trade show from July 31 to Aug. 12 during the Worlds.
Called Alberta House, the show will spotlight Alberta products and services, in sectors such as construction, engineering, medical research, forestry, oil and gas, and manufacturing. Alberta House is meant for Albertans as well as visitors, Erdman says. “We want to let them see what we do have here in the province, and what we’ve got to be proud of.”
