On March 2 and 3, Pernille Nielsen will don a period dress and Maria Steernberg, manager of the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce, will get into a 1920s bathing suit, complete with bloomers and a cap. Decked out in clothing provided by Shirley Wrinch, Bowen's costume designer extraordinaire, the duo will represent local businesses by hosting a booth at the 2013 Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
"We'll portray the fun of Bowen Island and I think, in our outfits, people will notice us. It's like being on stage," Steernberg said, bustling with excitement over the fact that last year's Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show saw 42,000 people in two days.
"This is the first time that the Chamber as a group has been part of a trade show and this is such a busy show," says Steernberg, who speaks from personal experience as she has attended trade and boating shows in the past. "It sees more people per day than the Vancouver Trade Show that gets 25,000 in five days and the Seattle show that gets 40,000 in 10 days."
Steernberg's goal is to leave an impression on as many visitors as possible.
Together with Nielsen, she promises to promote Bowen as a "green getaway," "jewel of Howe Sound" and encourage people to "escape to Bowen - a historical island within reach and beyond comparison." Steernberg sees her objective in promoting the island as a destination for visitors to "enjoy the heritage and ambience of the village and surrounding parks."
Among Bowen's attractions, she lists 600 acres of park, the boardwalk, the art walk, two museums, art galleries, the golf course, heritage buildings and the views of Howe Sound and the Salish Sea. The long list of activities visitors can enjoy on Bowen includes swimming, hiking, walking trails, mountain biking, picnics, watching wildlife, boating, golfing, kayaking and sampling goodies at local eateries. Bowen Island is also "doggy friendly," has helpful and friendly residents and boasts special events year-round.
Steernberg wants to extend the invitation to other island businesses to display their promotional materials at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show.The fixtures of the booth will be provided by the Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce and the organization's volunteers will be on hand to help out. Contact Maria Steernberg at [email protected] or call her at 604 739 7724 to become involved. For Steernberg, it's easy to talk about the island's appeal to visitors and she looks forward to a busy weekend.
The Bowen Island Chamber of Commerce will hold its AGM on Monday, February 25, from 7 p.m. at Evergreen Hall and invites members and guests to come out and hear Peter King (Bowen Island Community Shuttle), Mike Shannon (English Bay Launch) and George Zawadzki (taxi service) voice their views on island transportation.
