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Jan 21, 2022

Letter to Mayor & Council re- Tradex

Letter from Tourism Industry Association of BC, Tourism Abbotsford, British Columbia Hotel Association

Advocacy

Dear Mayor & Council,

Since the city announced a formal process to seek other options for the management and utilization of Tradex last March, Abbotsford’s 200+ tourism and hospitality businesses have been concerned about the possibility of losing this valuable community and event venue. Many local and regional industry stakeholders including the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC) and the British Columbia Hotel Association (BCHA) voiced their opposition to sell or lease Tradex to a proponent that chooses to operate it for purposes other than for community events for which it was originally intended.

Recognizing the issues Abbotsford has faced in recent months vis-à-vis the damage caused by widespread flooding and the city’s focus on relief and recovery for residents, we nonetheless write today to seek an update on the process and Council’s impending decision on the future of Tradex. Given its importance to the tourism and hospitality sector, there are many current Tradex clients and partners such as hotels and retailers that are anxiously awaiting further information and direction by both the city and the venue’s management team in order to prepare for the remainder of the year and beyond.

As you know, tourism and event related businesses in the city and region continue to be hit hard by the pandemic. Moreover, the long road to recovery in Abbotsford will largely be tied to the events and activities generated by Tradex as a vital community venue. The local visitor economy can ill afford to lose this important venue and the $19+ million it generates each year. This is particularly true for the months and years ahead where local businesses need every possible avenue to survive and rebuild, including a stable and secure future for Tradex.

Mayor and Council, we look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you,

Daniel Laverick
Board President, TAS

Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC

Ingrid Jarrett
President & CEO, BCHA

Cc: Peter Sparanese, City Manager, City of Abbotsford (COA)
Katherine Treloar, General Manager, Innovation, Strategy and Intergovernmental Relations, COA Komal Basatia, General Manager, Finance and Procurement Services, COA
Aniz Alani, General Manager, Legal and Legislative Services, COA
Jody Young, Manager, Vancouver Coast & Mountains – Destination BC
Craig Nichols, Executive Director, Tourism Abbotsford

More Advocacy

TIABC is pleased to release its 2022 Advocacy Report Card, which details the advocacy efforts and achievements and synopsis of some of the organization’s key initiatives last year. 

Read now through link in bio. 👆
Tourism leaders cheer on the @canucks in the Rogers Suite. 🏒👏

L-R: Destination Vancouver's Royce Chwin, TIABC's Walt Judas, Tourism Minister Lana Popham, Sport Hosting Vancouver's Michelle Collens, TIABC Director/VCC's Dennis Innes, Indigenous Tourism BC's Henry Tso.

#bctourismcounts #bctourism #tourismsector #bc #tourism #bcstrong #explorebc #hellobc
Each year, on March 8th, people around the world celebrate International Women's Day and the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Today, TIABC salutes the women on our board and staff who are so valued, respected and appreciated by colleagues throughout the entire BC tourism industry. 

⭐ Brenda Baptiste
⭐Joanne Burns-Millar
⭐Pria Flanagan
⭐Miranda Ji
⭐Deborah Kulchiski
⭐Sandra Oldfield
⭐Sandra van Steijn 
⭐Fiona Wray

Thank you for your incredible contribution to our organization and to BC’s visitor economy.

#bctourismcounts #bctourism #tourismsector #bc #tourism #bcstrong #explorebc #hellobc #internationalwomensday #womenintourism #womensday #IWD2023 #embraceequity
Over the weekend, TIABC CEO Walt Judas, Vancouver City Councillor Pete Fry, and Sport Hosting Vancouver Senior Manager Michelle Collens enjoyed watching the Canada Sevens rugby tournament at BC Place! 🏉

#bctourismcounts #bctourism #tourismsector #bc #tourism #bcstrong #explorebc #hellobc #GreenMeansGo #rugbysevens #bcplace
What a great first day at the BCTHC 👏

We had an incredible first day in Prince George gathering with industry friends and experiencing the many wonders that the incredible Northern BC region has to offer!

#BCTourismandHospitalityConference #bcthc #conference #tourism #StayBC #BCTourismCounts #BCTHC2023Tourism
TIABC CEO, Walt Judas and @bchotelassociation CEO Ingrid Jarrett attended the @pgcougars game on the eve of the 2023 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference in Prince George. 🏒

#BCTourismandHospitalityConference #bcthc #conference #tourism #StayBC #BCTourismCounts