Background
The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) is dedicated to increasing regional economic development in the race for 2010 Winter Olympics. With a mission of introducing the world to opportunity in the Pacific Northwest, PNWER created the 2010 Coordinating Council to develop coordination of efforts between Pacific Northwest states/provinces, and relevant organizations to develop and execute a regional business plan for the 2010 Olympics and other relevant tourism initiatives.
Major Program Initiatives:
TerraNW Regional Promotion Program
TerraNW is an economic development, sports and tourism program built around winter sports. With a mission of introducing the world to opportunity in the Canadian and US Pacific Northwest, TerraNW aims to connect national teams and elite athletes with sustainable training, competition and marketing opportunity as they prepare for international events, including the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Under the guidance of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, TerraNW partners include the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the U.S. States of Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
The Programs Objectives:
For more information, please follow this link http://www.terranw.org.
FIS Sponsorship Program
The International Ski Federation (FIS) Athletes Program will provide training opportunities to athletes and coaches from smaller nations lacking the financial means or sport technical capacity to adequately train in snow sports for an Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games. It is an initiative of the FIS Aid and Promotion Committee and will be delivered by 2010 Legacies Now, in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), the Canadian Snowsports Association and the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS). FIS provides athletes and coaches (teams) financial subsidies to enable them to train in the Pacific Northwest (Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) for two seasons prior to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Training periods for this program are tentatively scheduled to run January to April in 2008 and 2009. Participating venues will be asked to host 8-12 athletes over a period of 14 days (10 of which will be on the snow). The potential participating athletes are from 43 eligible nations, and will come from the following sports: Alpine Skiing (technical disciplines), Cross Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding. All proposed athletes will have to meet minimum qualification standards as established by FIS for each sport, and they must be endorsed and supported by their local National Sport Association.
Media Program
PNWER is currently developing a public relations program surrounding the work of TerraNW promoting sports, cultural and human interest stories in regional, national and targeted international markets. This includes the promotion of content about the specific venues where athletes are training. This program is critical to achieving mass public exposure and endorsement. The response to training for the 2010 Games has been extremely positive. Presently, PNWER is consulting with international teams and coaches to help select venues and to help them start scheduling for their training for the Olympics starting next season.
NORPASS
Discussions are currently being held among representatives of the Alaska DOT, BC Ferries, Victoria Clipper, WA State Ferry System, Alaska State Ferry System, and PNWER around the concept of a joint marketing pass for Bi-National travel between WA, BC, and Alaska, which could include the state ferry systems, BC ferries, and possibly rail and the Victoria Clipper. The response to NorPass has been extremely positive, and details for the program are being worked out.
Regional 2010 Marketing Plan/Visitors Information Center
The 2010 Coordinating Council will be developing a comprehensive plan to maximize positive worldwide travel and general media exposure surrounding the Olympics. The Council will also be examining options for a regional visitor’s center near the Olympic venues themselves during the Games.
Sustainability Showcase
The Sustainability Showcase project is a collaborative effort to highlight sustainable business, government, and academic best practices being conducted in the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States and Canada. PNWER expect to engage the public and private sectors to participate in this program through various activities and events. The project will be produced in concert with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and be shepherded by a consortium of collaborating organizations (VANOC, PNWER, NBIS, etc). The showcase will serve as a platform to highlight many of the games accomplishments around sustainability and social responsibility. On-going discussions on the sustainability showcase program are focused on four areas: (1) virtual web showcase, (2) sustainability trade show/exhibit center, (3) media familiarity tours, and (4) sustainable curriculum.
WHTI Public Information and Education Program
PNWER is working closely with both US and Canadian agencies to increase the amount of information shared directly at border crossings on WHTI, as well as through regional media on the issue. Primary work is being focused on Phase 2 (land/sea) border implementation, as this is foreseen as the most problematic. Beginning in January 2007 all air and most sea travelers between Canada and the United States will need passports to cross the border. By June 2009 at the latest, land travelers will require these or similar documents. Due to unclear public perception and the potential for modifications to these regulations, PNWER member jurisdictions are developing a public outreach program to unify messaging throughout the entire Pacific Northwest. PNWER wants to ensure that both American and Canadian citizens are encouraged to continue crossing the border and are prepared for a smooth border crossing. PNWER will also continue to work to help ensure that border regulations facilitate commerce while protecting the security of our region.