The Bring it Home initiative, launched today by Tourism Thunder Bay, encourages local champions to advocate Thunder Bay as the prime location to hold meetings, conventions and corporate events when the time is right to meet again.  To kick-start the return of corporate tourism, Tourism Thunder Bay is pleased to announce that eligible events may qualify for financial incentives of up to 25% of their event cost to bring their meeting here.

The CEDC MAT Event Funding Program provides support to events that have the capacity to attract visitors to Thunder Bay. Sports, cultural and corporate events, meetings, conventions and festivals that show the tourism potential to draw visitors to the City of Thunder Bay are eligible for funding. Events brought to Thunder Bay can be eligible for a non-repayable contribution of up to 25% of the total event budget through this fund.

“Attracting organization’s corporate or sport event to Thunder Bay is a major contributor to our local tourism economy that’s been hit hard by Covid” said Paul Pepe, Manager of Tourism Thunder Bay.  “As the time to meet again approaches quickly, local meeting influencers and planners play a key role in planning and welcoming their regional, provincial and national counterparts to meet here.   We’re encouraging everyone who leads or works in a business, sector or organization to think about bringing future gatherings here, home to Thunder Bay.”

Tourism Thunder Bay understands the importance events play in contributing to our local accommodation, culinary, retail and transportation economy and is committed to supporting event organizers with initiatives, advice and tools that help meeting and event planners attract visitors.

For more information about the Bring it Home initiative, visit: www.visitthunderbay.com/BringItHome

For more information about the CEDC MAT Event Funding Program, visit: www.visitthunderbay.com/EventFunding