(image of (from L-R): Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism | Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa | Bas Schot, Head of The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau)
submitted by Adam Baggs, Creative Director & Founder, Soaring Worldwide
Ottawa Tourism and The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau announced the renewal of their ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday, which was originally signed five years ago.
The partnership, which was first signed in The Hague in 2019, exists to identify and win business events that are strategically aligned to both destinations through:
- Joint sales activity through a variety of channels, including live industry events.
- Creation of joint research and intelligence focused on mutually relevant sectors.
- Identification of new clients where both cities would be of interest.
- Identification and introduction to historic clients of either city that would interest the other.
The renewal was held during a significant mayoral visit from Ottawa’s Mayor to London, underlining Ottawa’s strong ties and commitment to the European business events and travel sector.
Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism, expressed his enthusiasm for the continued collaboration, stating, “This renewed agreement marks not just a continuation, but a strengthening of our fruitful partnership with The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau. Over the past five years, we have seen remarkable mutual benefits, new business wins and commercial growth as part of the partnership. This was particularly true during the challenging times of the COVID-19 crisis, during which we were able to share best practice and knowledge to support each other.”
Bas Schot, Head of The Hague & Partners Convention Bureau, echoed these sentiments: “Our collaboration with Ottawa Tourism is a testament to international cooperation and innovation. A particular example is the creation of the Hybrid City Alliance, which was born out of the Ottawa / Hague collaboration but went on to include more than 25 cities around the world, leading to the winning of an ICCA Best Marketing Award, setting a benchmark in the global meetings industry.”
Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa concluded: “Ottawa and The Hague were brought together by history more than 75 years ago. We have built an incredible relationship that has led to some terrific results. This agreement will ensure our successful collaboration continues and that we will work effectively together to attract events and visitors to both cities. I’m excited to see the results for both Ottawa and The Hague.”
Tuesday’s renewal not only celebrates past achievements but also sets the course for future collaboration, ensuring continued success and innovation in the business events and travel industry for both cities.
In additional to the signing of the MOU, Monday saw Ottawa host more than 150 UK-based event professionals and travel trade experts in London, highlighting everything Ottawa has to offer.
