Now having completed Tourism Bowen’s first full year as a registered non-profit society, we are doing some navel-gazing and planning for next year! Tourism Bowen is a 100% volunteer run organization. There is a handful of people who have worked diligently on behalf of all of the B&B’s, Vacation Rentals, Pubs, Restaurants and shops on the island who deserve to be recognized. Our Vice President Maureen Sawasy (The Undercurrent), Treasurer Alison Morse (representing the Bowen Golf Course), Basia Lieske (Bowen Island Events), Jacqueline Massey (BIAC), Glenn Cormier (Bowen Pub .. who hosts coffee and meeting space for us monthly) and ex-secretary Jody Lorenz (Bowen Tours) who recently became our Visitor Centre Supervisor who continues to do our minutes. Also attending all of our meetings is the amazing Denise Lawson of Windshift Design who has done remarkable things with our website.
On Tuesday August 16 we will be holding our First Annual Meeting at the Visitor Centre, 432 Cardena, from 4:30 to 7pm. It’s going to be a drop-in affair with a little business thrown in for legality purposes between 5 and 6pm…. at 6pm we will be joined by Chris Staples of Rethink and Gordon Ganong, Chair of the Economic Development Committee. We will be given a little bit of a preview of how Tourism Bowen Island can incorporate the new "Bowen Brand” and how business’ can incorporate the Brand with the four mascot’s messages. You will also hear the affect the Brand has had in Social Media and to our business’ even though the TRUE unveiling of the Brand will not be done until BOWFEST.
We need you, not just to attend but to become involved. When we were the Chamber, we had over 120 members. Right now Tourism Bowen has only about 25. The Board is volunteer. We have one part time staff member, 3 part time students for the summer and a couple of awesome islanders who volunteer as Bowen Ambassadors once or twice a month. We need board members from all aspects of the business community…. Restaurants, shops, accommodation, etc etc. We have the financial support of the Municipality, DestinationBC and even were the recipient of a grant from our MLA Jordan Sturdy! Now we need the support from the island.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!
