Kate MacLennan

The B.C. couple who founded Richmond-based Nature's Path Foods Inc. have beat out 26 other nomineees to snag the Organic Trade Association's (OTA) 2013 Organic Leadership award. Being recognized for their contributions to the growth of the organic industry are Arran and Ratana Stephens, who founded the company in 1985. In...

The absence of a mobile bike pro shop in the Lower Mainland seems—now that one has arrived—a gross oversight, with Cycling Canada citing annual growth in the sport of about 10 per cent, while the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada reports that sales by independent retailers jumped 21 per cent...

Begin with respect “We can definitely make errors and mistakes if we’re not paying attention to the nuances,” says WorldHost manager Yavhel Velazquez. (WorldHost, a program run by Destination British Columbia, provides customer service training to tourism businesses around the province.) Respect for the cultural differences of the Chinese traveller includes...

The recent explosion of stand-up paddleboarding (SUPing) looks a lot like windsurfing’s 1980s heydays. That sport became fashionable among young professionals with disposable incomes and a penchant for physical fitness, before it tanked hard in the 1990s thanks to licensing battles over designs and equipment that became too technical for...

Vancouver is synonymous with coffee culture, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more innovation. The key to success in any market, however, is differentiating your brand. While Starbucks made espresso-based drinks household names and Waves Coffee was among the first in B.C. to offer free Wi-Fi with your...

Quietly, steadfastly, the River Market at Westminster Quay is shedding its ’80s market vibe to become a hotbed for local businesses and business practice. Find a networking hub with rentable work and meeting space, a satellite of the Cambrian Hanson International Academy and PechaKucha New West. In the food court...

Tourism Vancouver announced this week that its first ever Tourism Ambassador to China, 29-year-old singer/songwriter Wanting Qu, will share her experiences in Vancouver with her Chinese fans through a new website, video series and social media contest (www.QuWantingVancouver.cn). Chinese fans of Qu and her music are encouraged to enter the "Win a...

With the South Okanagan's busiest tourist months (July - September) upon us, developer Eric Van Maren of The Cottages on Osoyoos Lake has tweaked a simple but effective marketing tool in order to evoke the old Okanagan summer cottage experience for consumers. Van Maren's marketing secret: over-sized beach chairs that inspire...

More than 300 members of the Vancouver's $2.7 billion tourism industry gathered at the Vancouver Playhouse yesterday to hear an overview of city's first ever Tourism Master Plan at Tourism Vancouver's 110th annual general meeting. The concept of the plan, led by Resonance Consultancy and a combined effort by Tourism Vancouver...

Ignoring what customers are saying about your brand online is never a good idea. A well-planned and properly implemented Internet marketing strategy can significantly transform a company’s online brand. The Internet and social media has the power to propel your business into a household brand name, but also the potential to...

When it comes to updating decor, hotels in Vancouver and Victoria have been fairly quiet since the mad rush to renovate before the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the wheels of design change are in motion again. At the Opus Hotel in Vancouver's Yaletown neighbourhood,...

A movie by three Regina filmmakers was selected yesterday at the Banff World Media Festival as the inaugural CineCoup Film Accelerator winner. Crime-fighting werewolf movie Wolfcop, made by Bernie Hernando, Hugh Patterson and Lowell Dean, will receive up to $1 million in financing and a guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres...