MWC 2022 Final Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Final Report

Preamble to Masters World Cup 2022 Report 3

Executive Summary 4

Project Report 6

Key Project Objectives 7

Financial Report 11

Event Participation 13

Event Collaboration 16

Covid-19 Planning 17

Event Funding and Sponsorship - Fulfillment 19

Economic Impact 23

Marketing and Social Media Coverage 24

Conclusion 28

Appendix A - Pandemic Decision Making Frameworks 29

Appendix B - Economic Impact Assessment as completed by Sport Tourism Canada 31

Appendix C - Financial Report 55

Appendix D - Environmental Report 59

Appendix E - Organizational Charts 61

Masters World Cup 2022 – CANMORE FINAL REPORT 2

PREAMBLE TO MASTERS WORLD CUP 2022 REPORT

Hosting in Pandemic Times

Who knew, when the Masters World Cup Project began in 2018, that the event would span the COVID-19 pandemic

and its long tail of complications and challenges, in addition to the start of the Russia - Ukraine conflict in early

March 2022. Over the past 3-4 years, an unprecedented series of challenges had to be met and overcome.

Throughout the 3+ years of planning, we went from the “old normal” environment of making long-range plans to the

“new normal” of constantly adjusting to unfolding events. Looking back on it all, I am amazed that in March 2022,

over 700 masters skiers (30 years and older) from 18 nations gathered in Canmore to put on a race bib and enjoy a

spectacular week of celebrating the worldwide Nordic ski community in the most beautiful of mountain settings.

As you read the details of the Masters World Cup 2022 in this Final Report, I ask that you bear in mind what we all

went through from 2020-2022 in navigating the shifting sands of putting together a major international event.

There were many dark days and then many days of promise and optimism - in the end we found that prudent

optimism held the day. As a small team of event leaders, we found strength in the support expressed to us by our

stakeholders and their confidence in our ability to not only get the job done, but to get it done in a way that aligned

100% with the social license extended by our incredible community and partners.

Here is the recap video of all the happy moments relating to the Masters World Cup 2022.

Thank you!

Norbert Meier

Event Chair

Alberta World Cup Society


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Alberta World Cup Society (AWCS) successfully held the Masters World Cup 2022 (MWC 2022) of Cross Country

Skiing in Canmore on March 3-11. This event was originally scheduled for March of 2021 but was moved to 2022

because of Pandemic conditions in 2021. The MWC 2022 Organizing Committee in coordination with Alberta Health

Services, the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park (CNCPP), and the World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association

(WMA) developed a robust decision making framework and contingency plans to manage the uncertainty related to

holding an event of this size. Regardless of the pandemic situation, the Organizing Committee implemented its

COVID-19 safety plan early and was consistent in maintaining this plan through to the conclusion of the event. Key

elements of the plan included managing people traffic flow through the venue, holding daily live streamed Awards

and Ceremonies outside, limiting the amount of inside space available and requiring for racers, volunteers and

contractors to be fully vaccinated. Having a COVID-19 safety plan and being consistent in its application was one of

the main reasons that participants felt comfortable coming to Canmore.

On March 4, 2022, the number of registered competitors was 725.

*235 Women and 490 Men.

Australia 3 Austria 11

Canada 409* Denmark 6

Spain 1 Estonia 3

Finland 20 France 21

Great Britain 1 Germany 17

Ireland 1 Italy 2

Norway 19 Slovenia 1

Switzerland 16 Taipei 1

United States 193 Sweden 2

* 204 of the Canadian participants are Alberta residents

The Masters World Cup is an annual event open to all levels of

Masters Skiers aged 30 years and older. The event moves from

North America to Europe next year and is expected to be back in

North America in 2025 (probably a USA venue). The event spans

a week and participants are able to participate in 3 races of their

choice and they may also get chosen to represent their Country at

the relay races.

The MWC 2022- Canmore was a success with racers, volunteers,

sponsors, businesses in Canmore and with the Canmore

Community. John Downing, President of the WMA, summed up

the Canmore 2022 Masters World Cup as one of “the best ever”.

Reports from participants indicated the same level of feeling and highlighted the camaraderie, the friendly

competition, and the joy to be in Canmore, Alberta.


From the Norwegian Team Captain:

“On behalf of the Norwegian Team I want to express our deeply felt gratefulness of experiencing the MWC 2022 in

Canmore. The weather, the tracks and the skiing have been great, the event surrounded by those spectacular

beautiful mountains was amazing.

But we will also keep in our hearts the memories of the friendliness of enthusiasm we felt from all of you in the OC

and Volunteers.

Thanks a lot! Tusen takk!”

There was a significant local and regional impact in terms of economic impact, community engagement and

excitement generated during the MWC 2022. The Alberta World Cup Society and its stakeholders have come to

realize that these types of Events provide benefits across many areas. Economically, the event was able to

contribute to local and regional economies. Below is a summary of the Economic Impact as provided by Sport

Tourism Canada, along with an impression report from participants. The following excerpts are from the full report –

see appendix B


PROJECT REPORT

The MWC 2022 was successfully held from March 3 – 11, 2022 in Canmore and at the CNCPP.

2018 - 2019

● Event design commenced in 2018 – for execution in March 2021

● Government of Alberta funding was secured in 2019

● The WMA conducted its 2019 Annual Board Meeting and Site Visit in Canmore – Sept 2019

● The Masters World Cup 2021 was approved to be held in Canmore at that meeting

2020

●

●

●

March 2020 – beginning of COVID 19 Pandemic causing events to be canceled and lockdowns to occur

The MWC 2022 Canmore Organizing (OC) began holding regular meetings with the WMA in May 2020. A

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was undertaken between the MWC 2022Canmore OC and the WMA

to secure dates in 2022 in case the Pandemic extended into 2021 and the OC needed to postpone. The MOU

also gave Canmore first right of refusal on hosting the MWC in 2023 in case the 2022 event had to be

postponed for pandemic reasons.

The decision making framework (see Appendix A) was developed and the dialogue with funding partners,

Alberta Health Services and the CNCPP were maintained and leveraged to make a difficult but necessary

decision on Sept 1, 2020 that it would be untenable to hold a Masters World Cup in 2021. The provisions of

the MOU were implemented and planning began for an event to be held in 2022.

2021 - 2022

● Detailed planning commenced in the spring of 2021 and the execution phase began in Sept 2021.

● The late start to the execution phase was done on purpose to mitigate Pandemic related risks.

● The Pandemic required the Organizing Committee to look at non-traditional methods of delivering key

elements of the MWC 2022 contract with the WMA..

● Contract Element 1 – Opening, Closing and Daily Awards Ceremonies. Working with the WMA Executive, it

was decided that Ceremonies (7 in total) would best be held outside at the Canmore Civic Centre. To further

accommodate the sensitivities of any participant , it was decided that the ceremonies would be live

streamed for those racers not wanting to gather in a larger group and for those who were not able to attend

in person.

● Contract Element 2 – Closing Banquet. Traditionally, the Masters World Cup closes with a banquet for all

participants followed by the awards for the day and the Closing Ceremonies. Again, the Pandemic required

the OC to rethink this approach and we held a distributed dinner using a number of local restaurants based

on their capacity as per Alberta Health Services regulations. This approach was very successful, with

participating restaurants pleased to get the business and exposure.

● During the event, the COVID-19 Plan continued to be implemented and the six days of racing and 2 days of

training went very well. There were no reported cases of COVID.


KEY PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The Alberta World Cup Society continued to pursue the following goals as part of the MWC 2022:

OBJECTIVE

RESULTS

COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE

- Competitors from 18 countries

- Excellent participation by Canadian skiers both local

and elsewhere in Canada.

- Most age groups had the #1 ranked Master Skier

attending.

- Courses were challenging and participants appreciated

the thought and preparation applied to make them

world class.

- Age of racers ranged from 30 to 89 years old.

- Trails at the CNCPPwere in excellent condition due to

good collaboration between the Competition Director

and the Nordic Centre grooming staff.

ECONOMIC & TOURISM IMPACT

- Sport Tourism Canada was engaged to conduct an

Event Economic Impact Assessment. See Appendix B

- With over 700 competitors along with their partners,

spouses and significant others, restaurants, shops and

hotels were busier than normal for the period.

- Canmore is well known in the skiing world as a place

for winter recreation. The event developed a brand

and products that will continue to promote winter

tourism and visitation to Canmore. Website visits and

access to the videos and social media feeds continues.

We were able to showcase beautiful Canmore as a

world-class Winter Tourism destination.


OBJECTIVE

COMMUNITY AND INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT

RESULTS

Partnership with the Town of Canmore to host the

Opening Ceremonies, Nightly Awards Ceremonies and

the Closing Ceremonies outdoors was very successful.

All of the ceremonies were live streamed and the

uptake was very good (1,800 views during the event)

The Mini Thni (formerly called Morley) High School

Powwow Academy Dancers and the Eyahey Nakoda

Drum group performed at the Opening Ceremony. A

highlight was the impromptu addition of scarves traded

100 years ago with Ukrainian settlers to Alberta. We

were also fortunate to have Stoney Elder Virgle

Stephens bless our event with the Opening and Closing

Prayers. A meaningful and important way to mark the

opening and closing of an International Event.

“Dance with a Good Heart”. A very special relationship

has been developed with the Powwow Academy

Dancers. These understandings and relationships

continue to deepen and all parties look forward to the

next events and continued involvement through legacy

funding for development opportunities.

Partnership with Roam Transit to provide free shuttles

for participants and volunteers to and from downtown

Canmore to the Canmore Nordic Centre.


OBJECTIVE

RESULTS

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE/SUPERB HOSTING

EXECUTION

The OC and Competition Committee were very well

prepared and executed a flawless event both on the

Field of Play and with the ceremonies, banquet and

other activities.

Supported by the CNCPP, participants were treated to a

world class venue and courses.

Hosting the Ceremonies downtown at the Canmore

Civic Centre provided the outdoor space and venue

needed to capture participant interest and generate

additional traffic to restaurants and shops.


OBJECTIVE

RESULTS

GENDER EQUITY

In structure, the Organizing & Competition Committees

were 50% composed of women and 50% men. Women

were in key positions such as Treasurer, Ceremonies

Management, Director of Communications &

Marketing, Volunteer Manager, and Race Office

Manager. Overall, the volunteer cadre was 55%

women and 45% men.

Men and Women raced on the same courses and start

times were structured in a way to be balanced and fair

to both genders.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

The MWC 2022 focused on 3 areas with regards to

Environmental Sustainability:

1) Working with the Non-Profit organization, Trees

Canada, the OC developed a set of recommended

offsets for individual participants depending from

where they would be traveling.

2) Working with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow

Valley, the event will enable a partnership to

support local climate action initiatives and support

“Towards Zero Waste” for future events.

3) Particular attention was paid to managing

participant and volunteer waste during the event.

A very respectable diversion rate of 86.0% was

achieved.

Please see Appendix D-Environmental Report


FINANCIAL REPORT

The original budget for the MWC 2022 was based on a participation level of 1200 registrants. With just over 725

actual registrants for the event, adjustments were made to the fixed expenses such as temporary facilities in order

to match requirements to the cash flow. In addition, careful attention was paid to variable expenses related to

Registrant packages, bibs, ceremonies and banquet costs. The COVID-19 affected our revenue with the number of

skiers who attended and it affected our expenses with the modifications that we had to make to the event.

The following is a summary of Revenue and expenses and a Summary of Value-In-Kind contributed to the event..

See signed financial statement and Review Engagement report in Appendix C.


VALUE-IN-KIND SUMMARY FOR FULL EVENT

Canmore Nordic Centre - Facility and Services $22,398

Winsport – Meeting Rooms and Support $4,500

Volunteers

Executive Team 3675hrs @ $50.00/hr

Org Committee 3875hrs @ $35.00/hr

Event Execution 4591hrs @ $20.00/hr

$183,750

$135,625

$91,820

Total $436,623

MASTERS WORLD CUP 2022 - LEGACY

A Legacy Fund amount is included in each event budget. For the Masters World Cup 2022, the target amount of

$125,000.00 for the Legacy Fund was reached. The AWCS Mission is to advance athlete, coach and officials

development. The AWCS through its Legacy Fund program has contributed, or fully funded, high performance

training centre facilities and resources, coaching and officials development, along with infrastructure improvements

at the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park when these improvements relate to future hosting of World Cup

events or the support of high-performance teams.


EVENT PARTICIPATION

PARTICIPANTS

On March 4, 2022, 725 participants had registered for the Masters World Cup 2022. Due to positive Covid tests, the

FIS ban on Russian skiers due to the Ukraine Conflict and last minute medical issues, 17 registrants were not able to

make it. The actual participant numbers were 708.

The following Countries were represented:

Australia 3 Finland 19 Norway 18

Austria 10 France 20 Slovenia 1

Canada 408* Great Britain 1 Switzerland 16

Denmark 6 Germany 9 Sweden 2

Spain 1 Ireland 1 Taiwan 1

Estonia 2 Italy 2 United States 187

* 204 of the Canadian participants are Alberta residents

ONLINE SPECTATORS FOR THE CEREMONIES

The Masters World Cup competitions were not broadcast on television. However, the Opening Ceremony, Nightly

Awards Ceremonies and the Closing Ceremonies were live streamed for those participants wanting to avoid

congregating and for family and friends at home around the world. People spent more than 2000 hours interacting

with the ceremonies videos from the event. Videos can still be accessed through this webpage.

ON SITE SPECTATORS

We had a good turnout from the local community coming to the CNCPP to cheer on their friends and family. In

addition, a good portion of the racers were accompanied by partners, spouses and significant others and they could

be found on the trails and in the stands.


VOLUNTEERS

The Masters World Cup signed up a total of 221 volunteers in a variety of roles, from stadium and course setup, to

team services, start management and ceremonies support.

These 221 volunteers contributed a total of 7,208 hours of work on this event.

In order to calculate the monetary value of the volunteers’ contributions, we used a Government of Alberta standard

of $50/hour for OC Executive leadership and $35/hr for OC Positions and $20/hr for Event Execution Volunteers.

36,775 hours Pre-event Planning and Event Executive Leaders x $50/hr = $183,750

3,875 hours Organizing Committee positions x $35/hr = $135,625

4,591 hours Event Execution Volunteers x $20/hr = $ 91,820

======================

Total $411,195


ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

The AWCS is a small group of volunteers and is registered as a non-profit society in Alberta. Founded in 2004, the

Society’s mission is to develop and grow cross-country skiing in Alberta through hosting World Cup races and by

providing for the development of officials, athletes and coaches. The AWCS currently has approximately 70 members

who come from all regions of Alberta and share a passion for advancing the sport. The AWCS has hosted successful

FIS World Cups in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2020. The AWCS has also hosted World Para Nordic Skiing

world cups in 2013, 2017 and 2021.

The planning for the MWC 2022 began in 2018, with the work of the Competition Committee Chair and the Events

Committee Chair. Working with the WMA, this small group designed the event and signed the formative contract

with the WMA to host in 2021. In 2019, the OC and the Director of Marketing and Communications began working

for the event to develop plans for marketing, communications and event management plans for a 2021 event. In

coordination with the WMA executive, the event group decided to move the Masters World Cup to the March of

2022 – due to Pandemic Conditions.

The technical aspects of the MWC 2022 were managed by the volunteer Competition Committee. This group met

periodically in 2020-2021, and then frequently in late 2021 and in the months leading up the Canmore races.

Two long-term contractors were hired for the event – the Organizing Committee Chair and a Director of Marketing,

Communications and Business Development. Venue Management, Ceremonies Coordination and additional Course

Management were handled by short-term contract staff positions engaged a few months prior to the Canmore

event. Together with the volunteer Event Chair and volunteer Director of Competition, this core team led the

execution of the event in Canmore. All other members of the Local Organizing Committee, Events Committee and

Competition Committees were volunteers.

Organizational Charts – Organizing Committee and Competition Committee (See Appendix E)


EVENT COLLABORATION

CANMORE NORDIC CENTRE PROVINCIAL PARK / WINSPORT

The CNCPP facilities are crucial to the success of all our World Cup events, and the Alberta World Cup Society is

grateful for the significant contribution and support from CNCPP staff. Collaboration efforts began with the annual

snowmaking plan, trail modifications support and special grooming plans for the 10km and 15km Masters World Cup

courses. In addition, the CNCPP staff worked closely with the Competition Committee members to plan for and

implement access to ski trails for the public - during the event.

The relationship with Winsport is primarily through the Bill Warren Training Centre (BWTC) and staff. The BWTC

Manager provided advice on event design and was instrumental in documenting and developing the course maps

and profiles. BWTC meeting rooms were made readily available for planning stages and during the event.

Both of these contributions are recognized as value-in-kind in the budget and financial results.

NORDIQ CANADA/NORDIQ ALBERTA

Nordiq Canada and Nordiq Alberta provided International Ski Federation (FIS) Sanctioning support for the Masters

World Cup. In addition, with their support, the Event was able to get comprehensive Liability Insurance through the

Canadian Snowsport Association and help to bring attention to the event.

A great addition to the Masters World Cup was a “Nordiq Canada Fun NST Alumni Race”. Held on Saturday, March 5,

this was an opportunity for former National Ski Team members to get together, have a fun race to raise awareness

and to highlight that Cross Country Skiing is a sport for life.

Left to Right: Olympians Heidi Widmer, Jess Cockney, Chris Jeffries, Sharon Firth,

Zina Kocher, Chandra Crawford (Gold medal - 2006)


COVID-19 PLANNING

As discussed in the Preamble and the Executive Summary, the MWC 2022 was significantly impacted by the

COVID-19 Pandemic and required a serious management response in order to minimize the financial, operational

and reputational risk factors.

An overriding concern related to the average age of a Masters World Cup participant (55-65). The Crisis

Management Committee kept this in mind in terms of developing safety protocols based upon public health and

travel restrictions.

RISK MANAGEMENT & DECISION MAKING:

1) A Crisis Management Committee was established in May 2020. This Committee included the Event

Leadership Team, WMA President and the Canadian Masters Cross-Country Skiing Association President.

Legal Counsel was added as required.

- Meeting on a monthly basis to track the unfolding situation and making timely decisions with

regards to postponement from 2021 to 2022

- Then making the decision in the late summer of 2021 to move forward with a 2022 event.

- Assessing financial & operational risks in the months leading up to the event and managing

contractual elements accordingly.

2) Regular consultation and sharing of information with Stakeholders & Partners was key to ensuring that

decisions were validated and potential obstacles were identified and addressed.

- Regular updates were provided to the Government of Alberta, Town of Canmore, CNCPP, Tourism

Canmore Kananaskis and Alberta Health Services.

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS:

1) New to the Organizational Chart was a position for Coordinator of Pandemic Preparedness:

- Reporting directly to the Chair of the Organizing Committee, this position reviewed operational

details and developed an extensive COVID-19 plan and follow on recommendations.

- The recommendations from the plan required significant adaptations to what would be considered a

typical Masters World Cup event. These adaptations included:

- Establishing and maintaining that event participants required proof of full vaccination with

an approved Government of Canada Vaccine.

- One way traffic flow through the venue, including start areas and finish areas

- Moving volunteer lounge to an outdoor tent and outdoor seating for good weather days

- Encouraging the use of masks while in the venue

- Limiting indoor gathering spots

- Reducing capacity on buses from Hotels to the venue and requiring masking while in transit

- Moving Opening, Closing and Awards Ceremonies to an outdoor venue

- Revising closing banquet plans that resulted in smaller group sizes in more restaurants while

adhering to Alberta Health Service Restrictions in place at the time.


- Live Streaming of Ceremonies so participants not comfortable gathering outdoors could

watch from another location.

- Quarantine space, support plan and communications plan in the event of an outbreak.

LESSONS LEARNED

1) Critical to have a functioning and viable Crisis Management Team enabled and informed as to its mission in

support of the event objectives.

2) Adaptations that are well thought out and looked at from a different perspective can have benefits not

initially apparent. As an example, live streaming of the ceremonies was set up to mitigate the Covid 19

gathering requirements. It actually turned out to be as valuable if not more so as a marketing tool to

highlight our sponsors and partners to an online international audience.

3) Financial resiliency in a high risk environment needs to be managed on an almost daily basis. Supply chain

disruptions, lengthy lead times for product procurement and availability of alternatives all played a role.

From an event perspective, this means moving more expenses to be variable (participant based) and

reducing fixed costs. This required flexibility with partners and willingness on the part of the WMA to

reassess and validate compliance to the hosting contract.


EVENT FUNDING AND SPONSORSHIP - FULFILLMENT

GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA SUPPORT

The MWC 2022 could not have existed without the support of the Government of Alberta. The Alberta World Cup

Society is very grateful for the support (both financial and advisory) and made every effort to ensure that each

department received appropriate exposure for their contributions and return on their investments.

The following opportunities were offered to the Government of Alberta:

- Consistent and prominent exposure of logo and recognition of support on, official program, press releases

and other printed materials and signage.

- On-course banners with the Government of Alberta logo placed in highly visible areas.

- Regular PA announcements

- Logos and link on the MWC 2022 and AWCS websites, social media shout-outs

- Invitation to MLA Banff Kananaskis Miranda Rosin to take part in Opening Ceremonies, Medal Ceremonies

and Closing Ceremonies.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Tourism Canmore Kananaskis:

The MWC 2022 was showcased as an event presented by Tourism Canmore Kananaskis (TCK), the Destination

Management organisation for the tourism industry in Canmore Kananaskis. At the early stage of the preparation of

the MWC 2022, TCK established its support of the event with the support of Travel Alberta, allowing several

marketing and communications initiatives to be maximized in the lead up and during the event. The main purpose

was always to increase occupancy for TCK members during the slower shoulder winter period and showcase

Canmore Kananaskis as a Winter Travel Destination for future visits.

Examples of initiatives that continued to promote Canmore as a Premier Winter Tourism Destination:

● TCK prominently displayed on all bibs participants, as well as their racers hats.

● TCK’s presence in all that relates to the MWC 2022 as a presenting sponsor (website, digital

communications, printed materials, promotional clothing for participants, Medal Ceremonies,...)

● We developed a “Plan your visit” section on our website to help participants maximize their visit to Canmore

while supporting TCK members.

● “Wake-up to Winter” TCK marketing campaign shared with participants


●

Marketing of the MWC2022 online store showcasing the event’s Canmore branded materials, allowing

participants to bring the “Canmore message as a Winter Tourism Destination” home.

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

Town of Canmore

With support and guidance from the Town Administration and elected officials, the event was able to safely and

successfully host the ceremonies and awards in a manner that was consistent with the COVID-19 guidelines in place

at the time and in a style that expressed Canmore’s warmth and vitality. All of the awards and ceremonies were held

outside at the Civic Centre in downtown Canmore. The Town of Canmore supported and encouraged the live

streaming, the daily productions and having access to the Civic Centre for staging purposes made the ceremonies

appear flawless.

Roam Transit

A key element of the MWC 2022 was Roam Transit providing bus service to specified locations in the Town of

Canmore and up and down from the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park. This allowed participants to be in

Canmore and not have to rent cars or rely on other modes of transportation to get to and from the Venue. Providing

a very cost effective solution for the 10 days of the event was a critical component of our success. We saw many

international visitors taking pictures of themselves with the beautifully decorated Roam buses as a backdrop.

OTHER SPONSORS

Trail Sports

As the cross-country skiing retailer on the race site, Trail Sports supported the MWC 2022 from its beginnings. Here

are some examples of activations:

●

●

●

Feature in our regular digital communications to potential participants.

Presence on our website as the Official Ski Waxing Provider for the event and in the Partners section for the

event.

Presence in digital and printed materials relating to the event.

Alpine Insurance

The Alpine Insurance Volunteer Centre was the hub for all our volunteers during our event. A place where they could

refuel and replenish before continuing to contribute to the MWC 2022 event. All volunteers were treated to a

special Alpine Insurance Swag bag ahead of the event.


Brubeck

Brubeck partnered with the MWC 2022 to bring awareness to their product line and allow participants to try a base

layer. A special promotional base layer was branded for the event and offered to participants at a special price in the

event’s online store and in the MWC 2022 regular online communications. Brubeck also participated in our Market.

Save-On Foods

Save-On Foods made sure that there were lots of foods available for our amazing volunteers. We partnered with

Save-On Foods to promote the grocery store with participants during the event. A special promotion of 10% off was

offered to all participants when they showed their wrist band for the event.

Kastle

The Kastle Uphill and Downhill Challenges were a huge success with

participants. Different sections of the course had been identified as being

timed. These performances were highlighted at the Medal Ceremonies for the

following age groups in both genders: 30-45 years old, 45-60 years old and 60

+.

Furthermore Kastle participated in our Market to promote their line of

products, where participants were offered the opportunity to try skis.

EXCLUSIVE & OFFICIAL AIRLINE PARTNER

Air Canada

Air Canada was featured as the Exclusive and Official Partner for the MWC

2022. Air Canada’s special booking code was shared in the “Plan Your Visit”


section of the event’s website encouraging participants to consult Air Canada’s website to book their travels to the

event with a discount .

Air Canada’s Travel Hub section proved to be very helpful when communicating with participants on what each

country’s COVID-19 testing requirements would be for their incoming and outgoing travel plans, as restrictions

continued to change. We felt privileged to be working with Air Canada as everyone was working hard at finding ways

to navigate the “back to traveling with COVID-19” time.


ECONOMIC IMPACT

Sport Tourism Canada was contracted to perform an economic impact study of the MWC 2022. Sport Tourism

Canada uses the STEAM PRO version 2.0 and this is Tourism Alberta’s preferred model. A team of four volunteers

collected survey information on site during the event. In addition, the link to the online survey was sent out to all

participants after the race and an additional 380 responses were received. See Appendix B for the full Economic

Assessment Report.


MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE

MARKETING

Our goal for the MWC 2022 was to

attract 1,200 participants and their

partners/spouses/guests to take part

in the event. Together with our

partners Tourism Canmore

Kananaskis and Travel Alberta, we

targeted specific segments of the

Winter Tourism market in Central

Europe and from the US

(Cross-Country skiers/fans from

Minnesota, New England and

Alaska). We also made great efforts

to reach ski enthusiasts from Alberta,

Western Canada and Eastern Canada

and encourage them to attend our

event.

Early in the process, we established

our visual identity for the event, as

shown in the poster. With the goal

of promoting gender equity and

Canmore as a prime Winter Tourism

destination in the Masters skiers

community, our marketing materials

were centered around the visual

rendition of Masters cross-country

skiers as well as the inclusion of the

iconic Three Sisters as a background

for the event’s image. We carried a

variation of this poster throughout

our different marketing campaigns

(print, digital and social media). Our

team worked tirelessly to coordinate

all marketing efforts to ensure a

consistent message was promoted.


ADVERTISING

With the pandemic, we constantly adjusted the way we reached our potential participants.

Early in the process of establishing our website, we asked potential participants to sign-up for newsletters that

would provide them up-to-date information on the event. This proved to be an excellent way for us to keep our

potential participants informed, especially in the uncertain times that were brought by COVID-19.

PRINT ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

Printed advertisements

We ran a print advertising campaign with several printed media companies ahead of the event. Here is a detailed

chart of the different advertisements that were published and planned to be published.

Publication Advertising Print Readership Status

CROSS COUNTRY SKIER

MAGAZINE

Target Market: US

One page ad showcasing

poster

15,000 circulation Glossy

magazine distributed to

subscribers, races and

trade shows (mainly US)

Published Jan. 14, 2020 and Fall

2021

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTLOOK

Print advertisements to

promote the event

9,500 circulation - Bow

Valley distribution

Advertisement published on Feb.

24, March 3 and March 17

Target Market: Bow Valley

Distribution of posters and postcards

Posters and postcards were made available as a downloadable file on our website, allowing anyone interested to

print the posters to share. We distributed posters and postcards in the Bow Valley and Calgary area, targeting

specific locations publicizing the upcoming event.

Program for the event:

With the help of our local printing company: Canmore Printcraft, we printed a 12-page colour program to help all

participants maximize their participation at the MWC 2022 event. The program showcased the support of our

valuable partners in this event. Our main objective in the creation of this program was also to answer all questions

about the where, when, what and why of our event, to make the event as user friendly as possible.

Take a look at a digital copy of our program:

Program for the MWC 2022

DIGITAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

We targeted specific websites to help us promote our message to attend our event.


Website Advertising Reach Status

FASTER SKIER ONLINE

https://fasterskier.com/

Digital ad campaign:

website takeover,

banner advertising,

press release and

podcast sponsorship.

See example of

website takeover,

Peak Daily page views:

42,448

The advertising campaign was

active from Sept 2021 until the

event in March 2022.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTLOOK

ONLINE

https://www.rmotoday.com/

Online web take-over

and Mast Head ad

(running from

November 2021 to

March 2022 d )

143,000 average daily

print readership

(digital/print combined)

The advertising campaign was

active from Nov. 2021 until March

2022.

GOOGLE ADVERTISING

Google Ads on

Google and Youtube

A teaser video of the Mwc

2022 event was shared.

The Ad Campaign generated

42,000 views of the video,

bringing awareness to the event

as well as the

Canmore-Kananaskis as a Winter

Tourism Destination.

We also listed our event on the Alberta Tourism Information Service (ATIS) website as an event happening in Alberta

to increase the visibility of our event.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN

All potential participants who signed up for our newsletter were sent new information relating to the event as it

became available. We worked hard at making the content relevant and interesting. It was a very important tool for

us to communicate with our participants/potential participants in such uncertain times. It was important to keep

sharing information as it became available to allow participants to make decisions if they were going to take part in

the event. We paid attention to questions that were sent to our information line and were proactive in

communicating the answers as we set out to execute our communication plan.

Newsletters usually have a very low percentage for readership. Every newsletter we sent, would have a 75%+

readership.

Here is an example of one of these newsletters

WEBSITE

Early on, we prioritized having a web presence on our home website: www.albertaworldcup.com. The website was

regularly updated. All our digital advertising campaigns directed (hyperlinked) the user to our “Plan your trip”


webpage ensuring that participants had all the information they required to plan attending and participating in the

MWC 2022. This “Plan Your Trip” page showcased possible winter activities in the Bow Valley and most importantly,

the “how to book your lodging, flights, transportation as well as activities”, including special offers from participating

Tourism Canmore Kananaskis members.

Overall, this was a very effective way to communicate information about our event. In combination with all our

advertising campaigns (print, digital and social media), as well as our newsletter campaign we were able to direct

traffic to our website from all targeted geo locations. We were able to get over 103,000 page views from January 1st

to March 11th. We also took steps to ensure that our website would be spectator-friendly throughout the event,

ensuring optimized participant/spectator’s experience.

EMAIL COMMUNICATION TO PARTICIPANTS DURING THE EVENT

We paid attention to questions that were sent to our information line and were pro-active in communicating

upcoming activities to ensure we maximized attendance at our Award Ceremonies at night. We also used this tool to

communicate any instructions that would help make the event more pleasurable for participants.

SOCIAL MEDIA

We contracted the help of an athlete to help us create meaningful content for our social media platforms. We had a

presence on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

Content was created to engage our audience with the event and the Canmore location.

Instagram @albertaworldcup:

Our Instagram account was used to share information about the event and continue to promote engagement with

the upcoming event through videos and photo posts.

Facebook @albertaworldcup :

Our Facebook account shared the same content as our Instagram account. Also, this account was used to share links

to the daily pictures captured by our Official Photographer.

Twitter @AlbertaWorldCup:

We used this account to share major news relating to the event.

Youtube @Alberta World Cup

We posted all trailer videos to this account.

Vimeo @albertaworldcup

We used the Vimeo platform to record our livestream. A library of all videos from the Medal Ceremonies was

created and lives on our Vimeo account.


CONCLUSION

Participants, volunteers, partners, the AWCS Board and the Cross Country Ski Community have all agreed that the

Masters World Cup 2022 was an excellent event - setting new standards for this annual international gathering of

Masters Skiers.

The Pandemic situation forced the Organizing Committee to look at the event and its individual elements through a

lens of public safety and community acceptance. We believe that this focus allowed for a safe, fun and unique week

of cross country ski racing for over 700 participants. For an event of this size, risk identification and mitigation is

critical to event success. We believe that our solid partnerships with the Government of Alberta, Town of Canmore,

The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, Alberta Health Services and Tourism Canmore Kananaskis provided the

Organizing Committee with timely and appropriate information to effectively manage associated risks. Creating a

safe and fun environment that was embraced by all participants and the community.

The Alberta World Cup Society continues to have a hosting plan that includes a FIS World Cup in 2024, a Para Nordic

World Cup in 2025 and plans for both FIS and Paranordic World Cups in the following years. It will be a few years

before the Masters World Cup comes back to Canada. In the meantime, we can be very proud of the 2022 Masters

World Cup with thanks to our partners, sponsors, participants and volunteers.


APPENDIX A - PANDEMIC DECISION MAKING

FRAMEWORKS

Decision Making Framework for Hosting March 2021


APPENDIX A - CONT’D

Decision Making Framework for Hosting March 2022

In September of 2021 - the Crisis Management team decided to postpone the event to 2022. The Decision Making

Framework was revised accordingly.


APPENDIX B - ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT AS

COMPLETED BY SPORT TOURISM CANADA


APPENDIX B - CONT’D














































APPENDIX C - FINANCIAL REPORT


APPENDIX C - CONT’D






APPENDIX D - ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

Masters World Cup 2022 - Waste Management

Pounds (appoximate)

Cardboard/recycl

e Compostables Trash Totals

Pre race 165 0

5-Mar 11 40 16 67

6-Mar 10 65 9 84

7-Mar 18 70 17 105

8-Mar 3 0 0 3

9-Mar 9 50 0 59

10-Mar 8 60 8 76

11-Mar 10 45 40 95

Post Race 40 0 7 47

TOTALS 274 330 97 701

% Compost 39.09% 330 (compost only)

% Diverted 86.16% 604

% Landfill 13.84% 97

lbs

(compost and

recycled)

Notes:

1) All leftover food has been repackaged into sterile bags, fast cooled, frozen given to Volunteers

2) Leftover fruit, open boxes of tea, sealed boxes of cookies, open bag of sugar packets and sealed cream

donated to: Bow Valley Emergency Shelter, Food & Friends and Exshaw Community Association

3) Leftover hard items (cups, cutlery, tableware, kettles, PPE) donated to: Exshaw Community Association,

Various Mini Thni organizations, Calgary Drop-in Centre Transitional Housing


APPENDIX D - ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT (CONT’D)

Climate Action

The Events Committee has entered into partnership with the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley as a step

in offsetting GHG emission from events operations. In particular, the AWCS will financially support the Bow

Valley Shift: Climate Actions Program. This is a community based program, supported by the Town of

Canmore, focusing on the following Climate actions:

ACCELERATING CLIMATE ACTION

Working to accelerate climate action in all sectors of the Bow Valley community (Banff, Canmore, and the

MD of Bighorn) by convening key players in a collective impact process to create synergies and efficiencies,

share resources, and empower residents and visitors to reduce emissions.

COMMUNITY GENERATION

In partnership with Bow Valley Green Energy Co-operative, install a community generation

demonstration project in the heart of Calgary, with an associated education campaign on renewable

energy and community generation to further enable the adoption of renewables.

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES

We are addressing barriers to the broad adoption of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) among Alberta residents.

We are working in partnership with the Bow Valley Climate Action Society to host a webinar series focusing

on dispelling myths about ZEVs and sharing the benefits of ownership with Alberta residents.

SHIFT NEWSLETTER

A monthly newsletter for community members that offers tips for reducing your personal contribution to

climate change. It also features local events and positive news stories, and it highlights upcoming programs

that the Biosphere Institute and our partners are hosting.

SOLAR IN THE BOW VALLEY

Is Canmore sunny enough for solar? How efficient are solar panels? How long will it take to pay back a

residential solar array? This project — designed in partnership with Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative —

seeks to answer these questions and to help educate people on the environmental, social and economic

benefits of solar energy. The educational components of this campaign will be combined with a solar

installation in the Town of Canmore which contributes to the town’s active transportation network.

TOWARDS ZERO WASTE FOR FUTURE WORLD CUP EVENTS

The Biosphere Institute will support the Alberta World Cup Society with expertise and on the ground

solutions to achieve zero waste at its future World Cup events.


APPENDIX E - ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS

Organizing Committee


APPENDIX E - ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS - (CONT’D)

Competition Committee


MWC 2022 Final Report

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