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
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