When you think of the phrase “social networking” what do you think of? Instagram? Face-book? Twitter? While all those answers are obviously very relevant and important to utilize properly, making sure you keep up to date with local events is also crucial. Attending local events helps you and your business in keeping current with local issues, strengthening ties to your local community, and helps to form new business and personal relationships.
Winter is a time where a lot of us like to act like bears and hibernate, watch a ridiculous amount of Netflix, and eat a questionable amount of chili. (Okay, maybe the last two are just me…but you catch my drift). Well I’m here to tell you there is SO much more to Winter, and networking never ends, so here’s some fun winter activities for you and your friends, family, or coworkers to enjoy.
BARRIE LOCALS LOVE THIS!
Leave it to Barrie to throw an interactive winter festival with all the winter activities you can dream of! Barrie Winterfest was nominated one of the top 100 Festivals and events in Ontario! (Source: www.simcoe.com) Just some of the fun stuff to do there: ice sculptures, lumberjack shoes, snowshoeing, curling, family entertainments, pancake breakfast, skating, swimming, market, polar bear dip on Sun, music and films. Check out Barrie Winterfest for a full list of the activities, parking, road closures, and shuttle info.
Barrie Winterfest 2018
When? February 3rd & 4th: 12noon to midnight.
Location & Venue: Heritage park, Lakeshore Drive, Barrie ON, L4M1Z8.
Location for GPS: Latitude: 44.3884392 Longitude: -79.6874008.
Who? All Ages.
Contact info: 705-726-4242.
FEBRUARY GOT YOU FEELIN` CHILI?
Head to the beach! Yes, you read that right! Snowmania in Wasaga Beach is a sought after winter event that consists of a 4 on 4 Charity Ball Hockey Tournament, a Craft Beer Sam-pling, WBWBA Dance through the Decades, Rock Solid Wrestling, a Chili Cook-Off, a Polar Plunge, and many more free and fun activities for all ages to enjoy!
Siva Creative will be there competing in the Chili Cook-off on Saturday February 17th at the Rex Plex, so come warm up with some of our delicious chili and chat with us! Remember, this is a great place to network as plenty of small and large businesses will be there support-ing this winter event, so bring your business cards and bring your smiles because you never know who you will bump into!
Snowmania
When? February 17-20th
Location: Wasaga Beach Rex Plex: 1724 Mosley St, Wasaga Beach, ON L9Z 1Z7
Who? All Ages
Contact info: Cathy Turrie (705) 429-3844 x 2203 or email sec@wasagabeach.com
SAFETY FIRST, THEN TEAMWORK!
Calling all winter adventurers, survivalists, and brave souls to partake in this fun, exciting, and educational overnight winter camping workshop. DeepRoots Adventure’s passion is to help all participants become capable and confident in the wild. Having trouble motivating co-workers and employees to successfully kick off the new business year? Check out our tips. This workshop can also be used to build stronger relationships with co-workers, family, and friends. Get your team motivated and inspired by learning how to work together in this harsh winter environment.
Overnight Winter Camping Workshop
When? February 3rd & 4th (Dates subject to change).
Contact info: info@deeprootsadventure.com or call 705-448-9888
OH, ORILLIA, YOU`VE DONE IT AGAIN!
Come out to picturesque Orillia to witness it’s amazing transformation into a winter wonderland! All ages event, with exciting things to do for everyone! Come play in the snow with our massive snowball fight tournament, feel like you’re in Narnia and visit our ice castle, slide down our massive Mount Mississauga ice slide, and for those brave souls- join in on our polar bear dip and cross that off the bucket list in 2018!
Remember, even if you’re not familiar with Orillia, events like these offer a unique opportunity to expand your network for your startup business or enhance and expand the network of your established business! With many locals attending as well as small and large businesses participating, come loaded with business cards and a smile to meet new people and potential clients; ultimately increasing https://sivacreative.com/website-startup-tips/.business opportunities. Check out our Help Your Startup Bloom article for more tips!
Orillia Winter Carnival & Winterrific
When? March 3rd 2018. It starts at 9:00am, but events go on all day, so join us for some win-ter fun anytime of the day in
Location: Downtown Orillia (33 Mississaga Street West, Orillia)
Contact info: For more information visit https://www.ontarioslakecountry.com/event/orillia-winter-carnival-winterrific/
GIRLS ONLY!
Feeling inspired by all the feminist movements in 2018? Support women and local athletes by attending “Send it for Sarah Burke” at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood. The goal of this event is to introduce girls to the world of action sports, while supporting our local female athletes. Women skiers and snowboarders of all levels (ages 6+) are invited to participate in this fun day event, and all proceeds are going to benefit the Sarah Burke Foundation. Never been skiing or snowboarding before? No problem! Join our “Never Ever” group and learn a new skill with a group of girlfriends. Have children under 6 years old? We’ve got a bunch of fun activities for them too! The young girls day will start at 10am with aero-yoga followed by a safe and easy introduction into the world of snowboarding. This event sponsored by Roxy starts at 8:00am for registration and check in, and ends at 5pm with a silent auction and raffle tables closing.
Send it for Sarah Burke
When? February 3rd, 2018, starts at 8:00am
Contact info: For more information and a detailed schedule of the events activities , feel free to visit http://bluemountainvillage.ca/events/2018/send-it-for-sarah-burke.
YOUR WEEKEND PLANS GO UP IN SMOKE?
If that title caught your attention, this one’s for you. Legendary actors, activists, comedians, and friends Cheech and Chong will be performing live at Casino Rama in Orillia! In addition to this hilarious and memorable comedy show, why not test your luck at the casino before-hand!?
Cheech and Chong Live
Where? Casino Rama: 5899 Rama Rd., Orillia ON, L3V 6H6
When? Friday February 2nd, 2018 from 9pm-midnight
Contact info: Buy tickets online at https://www.casinorama.com/Live/Artist/Cheech-Chong.aspx
TRY SOMETHING NEW!
Go dog sledding near Barrie! YES! You read that right! You don’t need to travel to the Yukon or any of the northern territories to have this exciting winter experience! Windrift Kennels, located approximately 30 minutes north of Barrie and less than 2 hours north of Toronto, offers a unique, affordable day trip of dog sledding with your family and friends. There are 1 hour or 2 hour tours available with times varying throughout the day and year.
Windrift Kennels
Where? 30 minutes north of Barrie
Contact info: For more information, please visit www.winddriftkennels.ca.
BUNDLE UP ON THIS BUSINESS TRIP!
Dog sledding a little too fast paced for your liking? Slow it down a little and try out a romantic sleigh ride this winter at Rolling Sands Percherons, located in Oro-Medonte, approximately 30 minutes from Barrie. While this may not be a huge “event”, you can book your own business functions, weddings, and parties. It’s important to keep your business events interesting and memorable for your employees and business partners, so step out of that box and into a sleigh for a memorable winter experience while supporting local businesses!
Rolling Sands Percherons
Where? Oro-Medonte, 30 minutes from Barrie
Contact info: For more information visit http://www.tourismbarrie.com/things_to_do/Dog_Sledding/RollingSandsPercherons.aspx or call Robert Southern at 705-726-5968.
DECOMPRESS AND CATCH SOME FISH!
Slow it down completely with an Ice Fishing trip! Wind down, bundle up, and disconnect from your day to day responsibilities with a trip to ice-covered Kempenfelt Bay. Ignore that “sleep with the fishes” saying, because in Barrie Ontario, our fish bite all year long! Come experience the unique atmosphere and add to the village of ice huts for an unforgettable experience!
Kempenfelt Bay Ice Hut Village
Contact info: Be sure to check out the Lake Simcoe ice conditions before planning your trip at http://www.fishinglakesimcoe.ca/ice-watch.
OUTSIDE IN WINTER SCARY? GO LISTEN TO TERRY!
Does the idea of venturing out in the cold make you LOL? Well you’re in luck, no need to stay in the cold for this one. Terry O’Reilly is speaking on the power of marketing at Georgian college in March! Who is Terry O’Reilly? He is a man of many titles, which you will hear about at the event, but he currently runs a radio show that gives the public a rare backstage pass into the world of advertising. “Whether you are an entrepreneur or work locally- you will be entertained and educated. Expect to be inspired by ways you can brand and market tomorrow and really tap into how to tell your story.” (Source: eventbrite.ca). Come with a notepad to absorb some insight for your business from this marketing guru!
Terry O’Reilly Keynote Speech
When? March 27th, 2018: 5-6:30pm
Where? Georgian Theatre, Georgian College Barrie Campus
Contact info: You can buy tickets at the Henry Bernice Entrepreneurship Centre within the Georgian College Barrie campus, up to 7 days before event, or visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2017-henry-bernick-medal-awards-with-guest-speaker-terry-oreilly-tickets-38155617479 to purchase tickets.
DON`T BE A BEAR, GET OUT THERE!
So as you can see, the bears may be hibernating this winter, but the rest of us sure aren’t. We here at Siva Creative believe building relationships within our community is fundamental to creating strong and lasting personal and business relationships. Not sure how to integrate supporting local events into your business? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We can manage your social media, stay up to date on current events, create blogs that are relevant to your local community, and review and manage your search engine optimization. Write us a quick message at info@sivacrative.com with your thoughts, or give us a call at (705) 717-1763 to set up an appointment!
