Niagara’s Freedom Trail- Meeting the Challenge

Niagara’s Freedom Trail 

Meeting the Challenge

Meeting Overview 

Updates and other business 

Minutes of last meeting 

Refresher course (assessing the tour & 

market, selecting possible partners) 

Continue Step 2 – Making the Network Decision 

Begin Step 3 – Forming the Alliance 

Step 2 – Making the Networking Decision (continued) 

Assessing the Operations of each Member Site 

One-Page Business Plan 

Identifying and Prioritizing Areas of Cooperation 

Step 2 – Assessing each Member Site 

Self evaluations enable each member site to assess and have a clear understanding of their internal operations and market situation (i.e. why would a tourist select your site over another site or your tour over another tour?) 

Enable each member site to identify  strengths, weaknesses & areas for improvements 

Assessing each Member Site (cont’d) 

Once this exercise has been completed each member site can ask themselves these two important questions; 

1 – Can a network assist your site in building on your strengths & opportunities? 

2- Would a network help overcome the threats and weaknesses your site has? 

Step 2 – One-page Business Plan for each Member Site 

One-page business plan will enable each member site to draft a plan of action on issues and goals that are important to them 

One-page business plan will set the stage in 

identifying areas of cooperation for the network and the overall direction of the network 

Step 2 – Identifying and Prioritizing Areas of Cooperation 

Based on the self evaluation and one-page business plan, each member site should identify areas of cooperation (marketing, product development, etc.) 

Each member site should then rank the areas of cooperation based on their immediate needs 

Consensus on the areas of cooperation could lead to cooperative projects to develop 

Identifying and Prioritizing Areas of Cooperation (cont’d) 

Identifying and prioritizing areas of cooperation and 

subsequent projects is critical to the success of the network 

It will serve as the base for the future Network Business Plan 

Process – Step 3 – Forming the Alliance

Letter of Intent 

Determining Partner Resources 

Prioritizing Projects to Develop 

Developing a Business Plan for theNetwork 

Cooperation Agreement

Developing a Letter of Intent 

Letter of intent is an interim agreement that spells out the realistic goals, actions that must be achieved before a final agreement is signed 

 Letter of intent has two important purposes: 

When members sign it, they make an 

active commitment to the network and to the decision making process

Developing a Letter of Intent (cont’d) 

– It acts as a work plan for the network project 

Letter should include the names of the members, the network goals and business idea, members’ responsibilities, division of work and costs and proposed model for organizing the network project 

Summary 

There is much to be gained and learned from each other and from each member site 

Selecting the right partners and consensus on the areas of cooperation is the key to a successful network 

Letter of Intent Demonstrates Commitment 

Next Steps 

Is there a consensus to continue Step 3 “Forming the Alliance” 

If yes, the deliverables of Step 3 will include developing the letter of intent, partner resources, and negotiating the alliance 

Time, date & location of the next meeting