President's Message
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The Guild's Annual General Meeting in Prince George has brought some changes and new faces to your Board of Directors. I would first like to thank retiring President Jack Reynolds for his steady hand at the helm for the last three years. Jack fulfilled his role in a very professional manner, always keeping the focus on the Guild's best interests. We'll miss you, Jack, as President and as a great colleague around the Board table.
Returning as Vice-President is Graham Laxton (Greystone), and his responsibilities will include representing the Guild as our COTA (Council of Tourism Associations) Rep and working with the Nanaimo group on next year's conference.
Will Watkins (River Run Cottages) has stepped down as Secretary but continues on the Board as a Director at Large on special projects, which include the recent 2010 information sent to you in the last Table Talk. Ian MacPhee (Abbeymoore) continues as Treasurer and Director of Marketing.
There are four new members on the Board, and we're thrilled to have them. Julie Griffiths (Arbor B&B) has taken over as Website Chair, and brings fresh eyes, knowledge of websites and marketing, and a commitment to further improve the site. Julie is also the Regional Rep for the North.
Louise Griffin (Lakeshore) has joined the Board as Secretary and also as part of the Membership Committee working on membership recruitment.
Bernadette (Bernie) Driver (Pacific Spirit Guest House) is the new Communications Chair, working closely with our INNformation and Table Talk editor, her husband Peter. Genise Gill (Third House Inn) has taken on the Regional Rep role on the Lower Mainland.
Jim Straker (Willow Beach) will be taking on special projects as a Director at Large.
Welcome to all the new Board members, and thank you to the entire
Board in advance for your time, efforts and commitment to making the
Guild the very best that it can be.
It's great to have a larger Board of Directors. After having only five Board members last year, this year we're up to eight, so I look ahead to a year of moving forward on all fronts. I have returned to the position as President with the support of many of you, and I thank you very much for that.
I wish you a most wonderful Christmas and holiday season and a healthy, happy and successful 2009.
-- Ingrid Vermegen
President
Cobble House B&B
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Moyra Turner Award
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Congratulations! Outgoing President Jack Reynolds gives the Moyra Turner Award, the Stanley Cup of B.C. B&Bs, to Julie Startup. Eric and Julie Startup of Beachview Retreat in North Vancouver are this year's recipient of the award, given to the B&B that best exemplifies the highest standards of innkeeping hospitality.
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President's Award
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Congratulations!Julie Griffiths (2nd left) of Arbor B&B, Bernadette Driver of Pacific Spirit Guest House and Abbeymoore's Ian MacPhee (right) receive the President's Award from Jack. Louise Griffin (not pictured) of Lakeshore B&B was also honoured.
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Heritage BC Award
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Haddon House was built in 1922 for the
secretary of Vancouver
General Hospital,
George S. Haddon, and his wife Jessie.
Haddon
House has hosted various dignitaries over
the
years, including Burnaby's mayor in the 1930s.
Since the house was added to
Burnaby's heritage
register in 2006, every
effort has been made to restore
the home
to its original glory.
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In the Press
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Burnaby Now did an article on Haddon House in February.
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BC Magazinerecently featured Prince George. Arbor B&B is listed on page 18, under "Where to Sleep." In the same winter edition of BC Magazine, Corkscrew Inn of Vancouver is featured. You can read about this B&B with an unusual twist on page 13.
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Charity Events
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Stuff the BusThe Lower Mainland B&Bs partnered with Landsea Tours of Vancouver for the Stuff the Bus charity event. B&Bs donated sheets, blankets, toiletries, clothing, etc. to help the homeless.  Victoria Food Bank
Congratulations to Abbeymoore Manor's Anne Mosher (above) and the B&Bs of Victoria who took first prize in the Tourism Victoria Christmas Luncheon Food Bank Challenge for the second year in a row! This year's B&B donations reached a staggering 1,005 food items, narrowly beating the 922 pieces collected by Chateau Victoria. Project organizer Anne Mosher told the 200+ people in the room that the donations came from the equivalent of approximately 65 rooms. Anne said, "We (B&B's) may be small, but we are mighty!"
Way to go, Anne and all the Victoria B&Bs who donated to this cause. |
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Welcome, Genise Gill
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Lower Mainland's new regional representative is Genise of Third House Inn.
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Display problems?
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These newsletters are created on the Internet and may display differently on each e-mail program. If this newsletter doesn't look right, or if you can't see the photos, try viewing it on another e-mail browser, perhaps an Internet-based one such as a Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo. If you have any questions, you can ask us at Communications.
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Happy Holidays!
And a Christmas cheer
from BC Innkeepers
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 Thank you, Jack and Ingrid
Jack Reynolds handed over the gavel to Ingrid Vermegen, who is now our President, at the AGM in Prince George.
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 New Members
A warm welcome to the newest members of the Guild. Please remember to include them in your networking and referrals.
-- Ingrid Vermegen
Membership Chair
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Hello from your new board member in charge of our website. I am happy to help Ingrid, who has put in an incredible amount of time developing our new website. The website has two purposes: one, to drive business to our B&Bs, and the other, for you the members.
We have already made a few changes. I have removed the Google maps system that was not working well for us. We are looking at a few alternatives and a new mapping system will be up soon. We also have a new section in the members lounge for 2010-related documents. Please be sure to check there frequently for new documents. We are also archiving all our newsletters and there is a link in the Members Lounge.
The renewal section of BC Innkeepers is where we get your property information for the brochure. Make sure it is updated and accurate. Please upload a picture of your B&B. If you are having trouble inputting information, have questions, concerns or would like to post events, email me.
Happy surfing.
-- Julie Griffiths
Website committee
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 Marketing Matters
The BC Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers Guild and our members in Prince George are working together to increase the B&B presence in Northern B.C.
BC Innkeepers has purchased display space in the B&B section of the 2009 Prince George Travel Planner and will be listing our members at a cost of $99 each. Non Guild members may purchase a "Feature Listing" in this publication for $275. There's still time to join BC Innkeepers and take part in this great membership benefit! To join, contact Ingrid Vermegen.
Your Guild will be placing an ad in the 2009 Tourism Vancouver Island Garden Trails Magazine. In addition there is a dedicated website which features accommodation and activites.
Tourism BC, Tourism Victoria and the Guild have begun work on a pilot program to collect and report occupancy percentage (OP), average daily rate (ADR) and future bookings (Rooms on Books) statistics for B&Bs. Initially this program will focus on B&Bs in Victoria and, if successful, will branch out to other areas. Details will be sent to all licensed Victoria B&Bs in December.
For more information on this program, please contact Erin O'Brien, TBC Research Analyst or Ian MacPhee.
The BC Innkeepers Guild will be taking part in the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association's 2009 Sportfishing
Campaign in conjunction with AnglersAtlas.com, an online resource for
angling in BC. The Guild will be promoted to an audience of 50,000
anglers twice this spring in the Anglers Atlas E-Newsletter as well as
online throughout the fall. For those of you who have properties on or
near a popular fishing lake or river, the Anglers Atlas offers a
tremendous, affordable marketing opportunity on their free downloadable
fishing maps. For more information, contact Sean Simmons of Anglers Atlas.
-- Ian MacPhee
Marketing Director
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 Brochure Ads
and Cover
A reminder that the brochure is being designed and there is space available for advertising.
Use these downloads for the rates, cover letter and contract.
Like to see your B&B on the front cover? The cost is only $250 to grace the cover of 70,000 brochures.
If interested e-mail Louise Komick your pictures. A panel of independent judges chooses the 4 photos that best represent our membership. Send photo submissions now.
Questions on the photo format to B-zign.
-- Sue Willis
Brochure Committee
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Annual General Meeting 2008
Prince George hostesses, left-right,
Rosel, Sharron, Julie and Laura
Our AGM was in Prince George this year
for the very first time. While attendance was less than we would like
to see, great discussion, feedback and sharing of information took
place. Our hosts in our northern region welcomed us warmly, and even
ordered up some nice weather for us!
 We had a tour of Prince George,
Tourism Prince George, and all the member B&Bs; a great dinner with terrific entertainment by a local dance school (one of their students
made top six on So You Think You Can Dance Canada); and had lots of great
networking and fun.
I know I speak for all those who attended in
offering Rosel Vogt (Rosel's) and Julie Griffiths (Arbor) our warmest
thanks. At relatively short notice they organized a
wonderful gathering, and I can't thank you both, and your helpers,
enough for the great time we had in your city.
President
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 We are delighted to advise the membership that the 2009 Conference will be held in Nanaimo. The tentative dates are Oct. 27, 28 and 29. Please mark your calendars as it will be an event you will not want to miss. Educational seminars, round-table discussions, guest speakers, vendors marketplace, and much more. This will also include our regular Members Meeting and the Annual General Meeting. A committee of Nanaimo B&B owners is being formed under the interim leadership of Vivian and Neil Reinhart of Flying Cloud B&B. If there is something or someone you think should be part of this important session or some topics that you would like to see discussed, please contact me.
-- Graham Laxton
Vice-President
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 Cruis-Inn
-- Graham
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Just send flowers
your new Communications board member.
My husband Peter and I produce these issues of INNformation and Table Talk, but he's the official Editor so any complaints should be sent to him. You can send me invitations to social gatherings and fun events.
We are happy to take over from Vice-President Graham Laxton, who has been producing riveting reading for years! They will be big shoes to fill, but we'll do our best.
In keeping with tradition of INNformation, today's word challenge is dumbledore (see The Last Word, bottom).
-- Bernadette Driver
Communications
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Membership Benefits
As members of the Guild you may take advantage of some specially negotiated rates for additional web exposure:
BC Travel Guide: $25 per year for a listing on their site, which is 1/3 of the regular rate
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