THE LEADERS' CORNER
From Your Co-Leads Laurie Harley & Vlad Haltigin
What a wonderful finale to the 2024 Ambassador summer season!
October 17th was a gorgeous fall day; the Barn was a perfect venue; the food provided by Vintage Hotels was delicious; the “signature” carrot cake from Niagara Juice was mouth-watering; and, of course, the wine provided by Konzelmann kept us all refreshed. We played “Ambassador Bingo”, recognized the “superstars” who volunteered for the greatest number of shifts, and drew for prizes donated by 10 of our amazing partners. Thanks to the generosity of the Town, everyone present took home a gift bag.
For those unable to attend the Recognition Event, you can pick up your gift bag at the Chamber Office in the Ambassador Alcove.Click here to access the ‘picture slideshow’ that ran during the event (requires sign-on in MAP).
We had a lot to celebrate! Here are just a few highlights of our most successful season yet:
We ended the season with 74 Ambassadors, a 35% growth compared to 2023
Over 40% of the Ambassador Team are new for 2024
We offered a record number of 24 community visits
In the recent “end of season Ambassador Survey” 98% of respondents felt their contribution added value to the visitor experience and 100% said they were proud to be an Ambassador
Visitor engagements totaled 12,094 – an increase of 30% over 2023
Visitors came from near and far representing over 70 different countries
Ambassadors’ support extended beyond the regular summer season to include the December Candlelight Stroll, January Icewine Festival, April Solar Eclipse, August Niagara 5000, and September Trisha Romance celebration
Hats off to each and every member of our extraordinary Ambassador Team and to our marvelous partners – we couldn’t do it without YOU!
CFX The Chocolate Factory Experience
Greaves Jams & Marmalades
Konzelmann Estate Winery
Niagara Juice Co.
Niagara Oast House Brewers
Niagara Parks
Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
Parks Canada
RiverBrink Art Museum
Shaw Festival Theatre & The Shaw Guild
StayNOTL
Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Vintage Hotels
Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake
NOTL Ambassadors “Super Volunteers”
The following Ambassadors went above and beyond expectations volunteering their time for Kiosk and Walking shifts. Congratulations to them all, especially to Linda Hicks who topped the list with 16 shifts.
16 shifts Linda Hicks
15 Shifts Sylvie van Wissen
Mary Louise MacDonell
Yvonne McMurrough
14 Shifts Patti Fraser
13 Shifts Lin Slee
12 Shifts Lita Clavier
Rosemarie Hobson
Carol Lake
Patrick Wilson
Vlad Haltigin
Laurie Harley
NOTL Ambassador Engagement Survey – October 2024
Thanks to everyone who responded to the recent Ambassador Engagement Survey. Your 76% response rate was truly exceptional! And a special thanks to those Ambassadors who joined the Leadership Team on October 21 to take a deeper dive into the data. Your feedback, combined with the Survey results, will guide the planning process to make 2025 an even more successful season.
Below are highlights from the Survey along with trend data. The full 2024 Survey results are posted on the MAP Home Page. Click on “All files” in the File Section or click here to view the presentation (requires sign-on in MAP).
76% response rate (up 12% from 2023)
95% positive to overall program (up 9% from 2023)
98% positive to “my contribution adds value” (up 7% from 2023)
93% positive to returning next season (up 4% from 2023)
100% positive to proud to be an Ambassador (up 3% from 2023)
Don’t put your blue vest away just yet ……
The summer Ambassador season may be over, but there will still be opportunities to engage with visitors and tourism stakeholders before we launch again in May 2025.
Watch for information on these events:
November – Holiday decorating on Queen Street
December 6 – Candlelight Stroll
January 17-19 & 24-26 – NOTL Icewine Festival
Laurie and Vlad