Get Involved with Perth Tourism

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Mission

Leading tourism initiatives and inspiring travel to the benefit of Perth’s economy and all citizens.

Vision

A bustling, four-season destination and Ontario’s leading historic downtown.

I have a business in Perth. How can you help?

Visitor Information Centre

Staff at the Visitor Information Centre in Perth are happy to give out your postcards, rack cards, take out menus, business cards… whatever you would like us to give out. We'll also hang up your event posters! Just drop off your materials at the Visitor Information Centre during our operating hours.

Please keep your Google listing up-to-date – that’s where we’ll go when helping clients and pulling info. It's also where some of our partners pull information from when promoting you.

If you are hosting an event at your business, please add it to the public calendar at PERTH.ca/Calendar as our staff look there as well.

Social Media

From Instagram, we share occasional business posts to our Instagram and Facebook stories. If there is something specific that you want Perth Tourism to share, please tag us on Instagram as if we are in the photo (as if it is a photo of us - not with a hashtag). This will ensure that we see the post. Our Instagram handle is @perth.tourism - we'll miss your post if we're not tagged! This tutorial shows how to tag someone in an Instagram video, and it works the same way for photos.

Please engage with not only our posts, but with the posts of other Perth businesses too! Like, share, comment, and/or save - it all helps get Perth content to the top of everyone’s feed.

Looking for us on social media? Follow these links:

Joint Marketing

Perth Tourism pays for ads in several publications. If you're interested in purchasing a print ad to correspond to with ours, please reach out. We can give you more information and connect you with our sales rep.

Interested in more joint marketing? Get involved with Downtown Heritage Perth BIA and/or Perth & District Chamber of Commerce.

Events

Perth Tourism manages two big events in town and we want your business involved! Make sure you're on our email distribution list and for emails in July regarding the 2024 Perth Night Market on September 14th, and in January regarding the Frost & Fire Winter Festival on February 17th). See below for more information on getting involved with the Perth Night Market and the Frost & Fire Winter Festival.

There are also many other events in town run by various organizations. We suggest you follow our event pages for details and get involved whenever you can. Check out the events at PERTH.ca/Events and PERTH.ca/Calendar to keep up with what's happening in Town.

Are you running an event at your business? You can add it to the Town Calendar and drop off a poster at the Visitor Information Centre, free of charge.

PERTH.ca/TOURISM

We try to stay on top of all business and location changes, but please check the links below for your business and email us if your listing needs an update (or if you are missing from the list):

Arts and Culture: PERTH.ca/artsandculture

Outdoor Adventure: PERTH.ca/outdooradventure

Restaurants and Eateries: PERTH.ca/eatanddrink (check all the related tabs, too!)

Retail: PERTH.ca/shopping

Spas, Salons and Wellness Practitioners: PERTH.ca/pampering

Joint Projects

Most joint business initiatives are through the BIA or the Chamber, but occasionally Perth Tourism will lead a joint project in partnership with the businesses directly. Examples include The Great Taste of Ontario foodie passport to Perth and the Perth Night Market. In both cases, grant funding was received to kick off the projects. It isn't too late to join either project, so if you are interested in joining, please send us an email.

Perth Tourism, Downtown Heritage Perth BIA, and Perth & District Chamber of Commerce

Wondering what we all do, and how you can get involved?

Downtown Heritage Perth BIA

Downtown Heritage Perth BIA beautifies and builds the image of a downtown Perth, works collaboratively with members and the municipality, fosters community pride, creates promotional materials, and plans special events. The BIA represents a geographic area covering Perth's downtown. If your business in inside that geographic area, you are already a member, so make sure you take advantage of the Collaborative Event & Marketing grant and other business resources, including guidance on Making Community Events Work For Your Business. Find out more about the BIA on their website.

Perth & District Chamber of Commerce

Perth & District Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary partnership of businesses and professionals working together to build a healthy economy and improve the quality of life in a community. Their intention is to advance the goals and interests of local businesses and community organizations operating in the area. To be a Chamber member, you have to join their membership. You can find the member benefits on their website.

Perth Tourism

Perth Tourism was formed in 2012 within the Town of Perth's Community Services Department. The Visitor Information Centre opened at the back of Perth Museum that same year. Our goal is to lead tourism initiatives that benefit the town as a whole by following the strategic directions in the Tourism Master Plan. We promote Perth across Ontario through digital, print and radio ads, billboards, partnerships, events, content creators, social media and more.

Downloads, Posters and Social Posts

We'll use this space to share things like graphics for social media posts, events, posters, etc. For now, please see below for an updated poster about public washrooms.

What hashtags should I use?

It's really up to you! We typically use a combination the following, depending on what we are posting:

#PerthProud (5000+ posts on Instagram)
#PerthOntario (56,000+ posts on Instagram)
#PerthCommunity (30,000+ posts on Instagram)
#LanarkCounty (42,000+ posts on Instagram)
#LanarkCountyTourism (3,000+ posts on Instagram)
#ComeWander (this is for Ontario's Highlands - 53,000+ posts on Instagram)
#DiscoverON (this is for the Province of Ontario - 955,000+ posts on Instagram)
#DiscoverOntario (643,000+ posts on Instagram)
#YoursToDiscover (247,000+ posts on Instagram)

We also use hashtags for events and campaigns, such as #PerthNightMarket, #GreatTasteOfOntario and #WeekendsInPerthON

Other Resources

Get to know Perth Tourism by reviewing the website, including the What to Do section, the Eat and Drink section, the Festivals and Events section, the Plan Your Trip Section, and even the Perth Proud blog
Check out the Town of Perth's Economic Development webpage
Visit the whole Do Business section of the website, including the Heritage Conservation District section, the Starting or Relocating a Business section, the Applications, Permits and Licenses page, and the Grants and Funding Opportunities page
Consider joining Lanark County Tourism Association's membership
Consider joining Perth & District Chamber of Commerce
Follow Lanark County Tourism on social media and check out their website
Follow Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization on social media and check out their website

There are so many big events in Perth! Which ones are organized by Perth Tourism?

Perth Night Market

About the Perth Night Market

Perth Night Market started in the fall of 2021 after suggestions from the Downtown Perth BIA, the Economic Recovery Task Force and several business owners. A grant was applied for and received to run the first event, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both businesses and attendees.

The next Perth Night Market is the evening of Saturday, September 14, 2024. Details will be coming this summer! If you don't receive at least seasonal emails from Perth Tourism, please email us to be added to the distribution list.

How to Get Involved in a Perth Night Market

Fill out this form before Wednesday July 27, 2024!

Stay open late at your business (whether you are in the event footprint or not! If you are located outside of the event area, we will include you as a satellite location).
If you are located outside of the event area and would rather have a booth downtown, fill out a vendor form mid-summer letting us know and we'll work out the details with you!
Set up outside on the SIDEWALK (not the street) in front of your business. While many visitors are keen to go inside to shop and dine, many others prefer to stay outside. If they can shop, or pick up take out or grab and go items, you are more likely to reach them.
Decorate! We provided star lights to all participating businesses when we had grant funding in 2021. We hope you held onto them and can reuse them each time. With or without the star lights though, outdoor lighting will show people you are open and will attract people to your business. Window decorations, too!
Offer a promotion, an activity, a draw, a demonstration... anything we can use to promote your business!
Consider hiring a musician or entertainer for INSIDE your business to draw people in. We include all entertainment on the program.
Don't have room inside? We're working on a way to make sure the outdoor entertainment is better coordinated, so watch for updates here and by email mid-summer
Other ideas? Get in touch!

Business Survey Results and Actions Taken

Thank you to all of the businesses who have taken part in or promoted Perth Night Market in some way. After both events, we surveyed businesses and vendors to find out what went well, and what needed improvement for next time. Here is a summary of the main feedback received, and that will be implemented for the next event on September 14, 2024.

Feedback from the last Night Market
Subject	Context	Results
Parking Bags	These went up Friday morning and said “No Parking - Saturday Noon”. Friday morning was selected for three reasons: to give the public advance notice, so it could be done when the most staff were available, and so staff could be back at the Visitor Information Centre when it opened.	We heard that there was confusion from the public and from business owners about it. We do have to put them out before Saturday morning so people know about the restrictions before they leave their car, but we will put them out later in the afternoon on Friday instead.
Picnic Tables and Picnic Areas	We had picnic tables around the Bandshell, around the Crystal Palace and on the street. We also had a new seating area with Adirondack chairs and fire pits outside the Crystal Palace.	We will try to get more for the next event, and if we can, mark picnic areas on the map.
Vendor Placement, including Vacant Areas	There are several considerations when we place vendors in the streets including the incline of the pavement, street patios, emergency vehicle access, vendor set-up, and product type.	We heard from you that the empty space in the middle of Gore ST separated the event areas too much. We can try to add more picnic tables or another attraction there for the next one. We also heard that the intersection of Gore & Foster looked too open. We will add vendors in that area where we can, if the emergency plan allows for it.
Vendor and Business Placement on Sidewalk and Street	Aside from those with permits for patios on the street, we asked that businesses set up on the sidewalk and vendors set up on the street. We need to know exactly where all outdoor booths are so we can create the emergency plan accordingly.	We heard from you that there was confusion about where to set up. We are working on a solution to this and will include more details in the business application form. Please note: the parking spaces on the street cannot be blocked unless you have already have special permit for your patio.
Types of Entertainment and Vendors	We do have several criteria for the vendors and it is a juried process to get in. We also seek local entertainment first and foremost. Our priority with this event is to support local business, local vendors and local entertainers.	We understand that you want us to continue working primarily with local vendors and entertainers, and we will continue to make that a priority.
Staffing Levels	We had staff working from three departments throughout the week and weekend to pull off this event (Community Services, Environmental Services, and Legislative Services). This included Directors, Managers, Full-Time, Part-Time, and Seasonal staff. We also had about 25 volunteers working during the event, but we really needed at least 30!	We heard that you would have liked to see more set up done on the day of, rather than in advance. Getting things out of storage, delivered, set up and taken down can take several days. We will continue to work together to streamline the process, and we will work to keep you better informed about what is happening and when.
Event and Shuttle Timing	At the Spring Perth Night Market, the event was from 5-10pm, and the shuttle ran from 5-10:30pm. We also promoted daytime events and activities and encouraged people to make a weekend out of it.	We heard that you would like to see the event be advertised as starting in the afternoon so people know they can still visit Perth in the daytime. We will continue to promote daytime activities, and we will include shopping and dining on that list with the caveat that people still use the sidewalks from 2-5pm while vendors are setting up (for safety reasons). We will also start the shuttle as soon as the roads close to make it easier for all of our staff, volunteers and visitors to get downtown.
Lighting and Decorations	At the Fall Perth Night Market we had grant money for decorations, including star string lights that we were able to give to participating businesses and vendors. We had hoped to have more decorations at the Spring Perth Night Market, but because we hadn't heard the results of our grant application we had to scale back. We had also hoped to have the flowers in the barrels by then, but it wasn't possible this time.	We understand that you would like to see more lighting and decorations, and we know the sun sets earlier in October. We are still waiting to hear the results of the grant we applied for, but once we have a complete picture of our financials for this event we will coordinate the lighting appropriately. If you still have your star string lights from last fall, please reuse them at the next event!

Frost & Fire Winter Festival

About the Frost & Fire Winter Festival

Perth Tourism began holding a dance called Fire & Ice at the Crystal Palace on the Saturday of the long weekend in February back in 2015. This dance was a fundraiser for Perth's 2016 Bicentennial celebrations, and was popular enough the event continued as usual until February 2019. We heard from businesses that Perth needed more traffic in the winter months, so in 2020 we expanded the event to fill the weekend with activities indoors and out, and we rebranded as Frost & Fire Winter Festival, as there were several other Fire & Ice themed activities across the Province. The first Frost & Fire was a success, drawing crowds from across Ontario, but we heard that the dance competed with restaurants in the evening.

We were unable to hold the event in 2021 due to the pandemic, but in 2022 we were thrilled to bring back a smaller version of it. We scaled down a bit due to the possibility of further lockdowns, but overall the event was successful.

Going forward, we expect the event to continue on the long weekend of February, but we don't anticipate bringing the dance part back.

This year the festival takes place on February 17, 2024!

How to Get Involved in the Frost & Fire Winter Festival

Open and promote your Perth business over the long weekend in February.
Decorate! It gets dark early in February, so adding lights and window decorations are a great way to show you are open and participating.
Offer a promotion, an activity, a draw, a demonstration... anything we can use to promote your business! We'll share the information on the website and at the Visitor Information Centre.
Other ideas? Get in touch!

Who runs the rest of the events in Perth?

We're so lucky to have so many events and event organizers here in Perth! You can find events in two places on our website: PERTH.ca/EVENTS and PERTH.ca/CALENDAR.

Wondering how to make events in Perth work for your business? Take a look at the document the BIA put together with several ideas and strategies on their website

Here are some of the big ones:

Festival of the Maples: Perth & District Chamber of Commerce
Canada Day: Town of Perth (Note: if you are open on Canada Day, let us know and we'll add you to the website!)
Stewart Park Festival and related fundraisers: Downtown Heritage Perth BIA
Garlic Festival: The Lions Club
Perth Fair: Perth Agricultural Society
Perth Ghost Walk and Perth Zombie Walk: Perth Museum/Perth Tourism
Festival of Good Cheer: Downtown Heritage Perth BIA
Festival of Lights: Perth Tourism/Town of Perth

Further Questions about Perth Tourism?

Check out our Tourism Master Plan then get in touch!