With more than 3,000 competitors expected to come through town during the upcoming B.C. Senior Games, local businesses have a great opportunity to attract shoppers.
To help connect businesses with visiting athletes, the Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce will hand out coupons at the accreditation booth at the Castlegar Recreation Centre during the games.
"The accreditation process, which is where the athletes come to register, will be held at the rec centre. So 3,200 athletes have to go through there and pick up their accreditation bags and then from there distribute themselves throughout the region to their games, wherever they are being held," said Pam McLeod, executive director of the Castlegar & District Chamber of Commerce. "With that, there will be a community village that will be hosted [at the Castlegar Rec Centre] on the 15th and 16th."
The next step, said McLeod, was to approach the business community in the tri-cities area and say, 'we want to be here and open for business for everybody. Let's dovetail this with the shop local campaign and let's get your word out there and your coupons out there if that's what you want to do. Promote yourself within the community so the seniors are aware of all the amenities we have to offer on the shopping and retail end and the tourist end of attractions and recreations we have to offer outside of the games."
It's important to leave the athletes and their families with a positive experience that will bring them back to this area, said McLeod.
"The folks are going to come in and participate in the games. Some are going to come a little early, and some will stay a little to see what we have to offer but when they go to leave, we want them to have had such an amazing experience and to have witnessed what we have hear that they're going to want to come back and vacation and travel through this area," said McLeod. "It's really important that we promote this in a very positive, festive manner and have a good time with it."
The number of businesses taking part in the campaign is steadily increasing as the games approach.
"The response is really picking up as we speak. It's now on people's radar. We've been putting out newsletters and extending the information to the membership for quite some time. Now everybody is acting on it because now August has hit and it's time to become active and involved," said McLeod.
Businesses wishing to be included in the coupon accreditation program can contact the Chamber of Commerce at 250-365-6313.