Rallying Around The RBC Cup:

This was in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Rallying around the RBC Cup

Published: July 10, 2013

On July 4, the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee showed commendable leadership when they agreed to further support the 2014 RBC Cup.

The host committee appreciates the regional district's backing of the event.

Financial and staff support from the regional district and the City of Vernon are essential in running a cost-controlled event. Combined with sponsorship dollars and gifts-in-kind, municipal subsidies will help keep ticket prices affordable.

Our civic leaders clearly support this national event, which will generate between $3.5 million and $4 million of economic activity over the 10 days of the tournament and its related events. We urge local business and hockey fans to join in making the next RBC Cup the best ever.

Have you heard the saying that it takes an entire village to raise a child?  Well, it takes an entire community to ensure the success of a national tournament of this magnitude.  We saw that level of support this May in Summerside, P.E.I., where attendance records were set in a community less than half the size of Vernon.

We plan to draw visitors from across Canada this coming May. Recently, that marketing drive received a healthy injection of $14,450 from the tourism advisory committee that administers Vernon's hotel tax fund. We are using that money to attract visitors for an exciting Okanagan vacation combined with the hockey tournament. Our goal is a minimum of 150 visitors over and beyond the usual number of travelling fans. A conservative estimate places the total of that additional spending at about $180,000.

Out-of-town visitors spent about $2 million in Summerside this year and we will better that mark.

The Regional District of North Okanagan, the City of Vernon, and the tourism committee are investing in Greater Vernon. Hockey fans, it's your turn. The best seats will go fast, especially when Viper season ticket holders move to guarantee their seats by their Sept. 15 deadline. Keep your eyes peeled for special incentives that will be announced soon.

And please join us in thanking our civic leaders for supporting an event that once again will bring national recognition to the North Okanagan.

Mike Lane,

Chair of the Host Committee

Greater Vernon 2014 RBC Cup