New York Clipper Event

On June 3, a 14 member delegation, put together by invitation from ECBC and made up of representatives from the tourism and seafood industries, flew to New York as part of Clipper Around the World Race 09/10 to attend a trade show and gala dinner with representatives of the New York tourism, trade and media industries, which took place at the Roosevelt Hotel.
During the show, many questions were asked about the Island, from the size of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia to the length of the Cabot Trail. When would the best time to come to Cape Breton, languages spoken, population, ethnic makeup, weather, most requested sites to see, our music and festivals, what was so special about the island that made it so popular.
During the gala members of the delegation were seated at guests' tables to answer any questions that might come up during the evening concerning Cape Breton. As the evening went on you could feel the amount of interest in our island rising. In between courses guests viewed visual presentations of Cape Breton's majestic coastline and mountains, its rivers and ocean, its outdoor activities and wildlife, it's culture and music, it's festivals, mouthwatering cuisine and spectacular scenic travel ways and most important it's people. The visuals showcased the island's beauty to those in attendance and the experiences that await them when they come. By the end of the presentation, guests were definitely impressed by what they saw and came away understanding why Cape Breton Island has been receiving such rave reviews.
Speakers for the evening program included ECBC's Shelly Kehoe, Director General Commercial Development of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation, who gave an overview of Cape Breton Island, Senator Michael MacDonald and Consul General Daniel Sullivan who both spoke on Cape Breton Island. DCBA's CEO Mary Tulle gave a Cape Breton tourism message on the exciting happenings in Cape Breton Tourism and why the island is the number one island travel destination in North America. Tulle offered a personal invitation to all those in attendance to visit and see what the excitement is about. Tempest Restaurant Chef Michael Howell gave an introduction of the menu and Wine Pairing for the amazing 6 Course meal made up of Nova Scotia wines and cuisine, featuring mainly Cape Breton lobster. Glen Graham and Troy MacGillivray provided entertainment and guests were invited to join a square set to every ones enjoyment. Gift bags with a music CD and information were presented at the end of the evening.
During our time in New York the Cape Breton delegates worked hard to make contacts for the industry and created ties and increase awareness of Cape Breton, with Cathy MacKenzie and Mary Tulle visiting the sets of Regis and Kelly and the Today show, and Terry Burns of Golf Cape Breton who very skillfully got the Cape Breton Clipper logo televised to thousands of TV sports viewers at a baseball game.
During a scheduled sail on the Cape Breton Island clipper our delegates networked with their New York colleagues, while I focused on the everyday tourist who came out to see the clippers at dockside. The interest in the sailing race and where the yachts were from soon turned into discussions about where Cape Breton Island is and what happens there and how far away it is. From the large number of people I spoke to during the course of the afternoon, many relayed the impression that they were genuinely interested in visiting Cape Breton and interested in receiving more information on traveling to the island. During a conversation with one young yachtsman from the California, he said he was amazed at the amount of support shown to the Cape Breton yacht crew at every port by delegates from Cape Breton, and the friendliness extended to all the crew by Cape Bretoners. At the end of the day we all came away with a feeling of a job well done and hopefully we will see many of the people we spoke to travelling through Cape Breton in the near future.
Members from the Cape Breton delegation included DCBA CEO Mary Tulle and myself from VIC Services, Dan Coffin of Celtic Heart of North America, Linda Kennedy, Beggars Banquet Louisbourg, Bernadette MacNeil Sydney's Port Corporation, Germaine LeMoine Parks Canada, Terry Burns and Ian McNeil of Golf Cape Breton, Fortress of Louisbourg Volunteer Association's Michelle Lahey and David Cann and entertainers Glen Graham and Troy MacGillivray and the organizing representatives Shelly Kehoe and Cathy MacKenzie Tourism Development Officer, of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.