Best Practices Mission

Product Tours and Experiential Tourism

Vermont, USA

June 11 – 15, 2011

 

A tourism product is what you buy, however a tourism experience is what you remember.  Consumers or tourists want more to do than visit a static display, they want to make a connection, participate in a process, and learn something about the local culture.  Vermont communicates its brand to tourists from across the country, from around the world and from within Vermont itself.  The state has many thematic guides available, such as the wine and cheese attractions, brewery trail, marble and machine tool trails, and woodworking shops.

These thematic guides include some of the most popular tourist attractions in Vermont. Tucked in the countryside, these visitor friendly factories are among the intriguing appeal of the state.  A tour of a Vermont plant is both educational and fun, something visitors will remember.

Companies such as Ben & Jerry’s give guided product tours which last 30 minutes to one hour. Some of the state’s production plants may not give guided tours but they offer self-guided tours, such as the maple sugar farms; or they offer a viewing, a demonstration or a product tasting.  Others are small workshops and by appointment, the owner will make time to provide a personal tour of the facilities and describe the process.  Visitors are welcome virtually everywhere Vermont products are made.

Nova Scotia companies participating in this Best Practices Mission will be given the opportunity to learn how to bring visitors to their business and partner with complementary businesses and sites to enhance the visitor’s experience; enhance retail sales, and encourage repeat visits from locals as well as out of town tourists.  We also will be dining at Vermont restaurants that believe in using local ingredients in meal preparation and supporting local farmers.

You must be a Nova Scotia company to participate in this mission.  Please contact Taste of Nova Scotia to participate by May 11, 2012 – Emily Haynes at 902.492.9291, ext. 112.  The itinerary below may change pending the companies who sign up for the mission.

DAY ONE Monday, June 11^th

Arrival Air Canada Flight 675, departing from Halifax at 3:55 pm, and arriving into Montréal 4:30 pm (local time).  Participants must walk to outside hotel bus pick up and take the Holiday Inn bus transfer to hotel.  Holiday Inn 6500 Cote De Liesse Montréal, Quebec.

Group Pre-Mission Dinner Welcome

• Introduction of Mission Participants
• Review Schedule

DAY TWO Tuesday, June 12^th

6:30 AM                                  Breakfast and Checkout

7:45 AM                                  Motor coach will pick us up at the front doors

1.5 hour drive to Burlington, Vermont

Time will be allowed for traffic and border crossing.  Participants must have a valid passport.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM             Champlain Chocolates, Burlington

In 1983, Jim Lampman, owner of Burlington, Vermont’s acclaimed Ice House Restaurant on the Lake Champlain waterfront, was buying expensive boxes of chocolates as gifts for his staff. One day, his pastry chef, a man of high epicurean standards, took Jim aside after receiving one too many boxes. “These chocolates are terrible,” he confessed. “All right then, you do better!” Jim challenged him.  Jim eventually sold the restaurant to devote himself full time to his new business.   A company representative will discuss with participants the history of the company and how their chocolates are made. Through a glass wall participants can the unforgettable handcrafted chocolates made on site and sample fresh, delicious award-winning gourmet confections – Truffles, Hazelnut Pralines, the original Chocolates of Vermont, Five Star Bars, Almond Butter Crunch, and much more.

 

12 Noon – 2:30 PM                 Shelburne Farms – Picnic Lunch and Tour

 

Shelburne Farms is a membership-supported, nonprofit environmental education center, 1,400- acre working farm, and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont.   Stroll walking trails to historic Farm Barn or hop a tractor-drawn shuttle. Explore Children’s Farmyard, visit farm animals and participate in daily activities from brushing a draft horse to gathering eggs. Watch award-winning Farmhouse Cheddar being made.

 

Participants will have a picnic lunch from the Farm Cart at the Historic Farm Barn.  Then we will take a guided tour of historic buildings and landscape from a truck-pulled, open-air wagon.  

 

 

3:00 – 4:00 PM                        Shelburne Vineyards, Shelburne

Tour our wine making facility and learn the process of turning grapes into wine.  Their eco- friendly, shingle-styled winery building is a warm and welcoming destination with Vermont’s beautiful agricultural landscape as its backdrop.  It was built to meet strict “green building” and energy efficiency standards.  From the rich cherry Tasting Bar, crafted locally from wood harvested at Shelburne Farms, to the copper lighting fixtures designed by a neighboring coppersmith, to the terrazzo floors using local stone, the building is the perfect destination for an afternoon outing, a vacation experience or your special celebration.

Wine tasting should be fun!  Their experienced Tasting Room staff will make you feel at home, whether you’re a new wine taster or a connoisseur.  Taste from a selection of their current wines and keep your wine glass to add to your collection. You’ll learn about their wines, how they chose the varieties we grow, how the wines were produced and blended, the challenges they’ve faced and the adventure they’ve had as pioneers of Vermont viticulture.

 

5:30 PM                                   Check in Green Mountain Inn Lodge, Stowe

6:00 PM                                   Tour of Inn – meet in lobby

 

Green Mountain Inn has a rich and storied history.  Peter C. Lovejoy originally built the property in 1833 and later traded it to Stillman Churchill for a 350 acre farm. Churchill, who added two brick wings, a large dance hall, a double front porch and renamed the building Mansfield House, lost the holding in a mortgage foreclosure to W.H.H. Bingham from whom Churchill had borrowed money. Mansfield House operated as a hotel, was later transferred to W.P. Bailey and renamed the Brick Hotel, and in 1893 became the Green Mountain Inn when it was purchased by Mark C. Lovejoy. In 1897 the Depot Street building was built to house the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad and the Sanborn House was bought to become a blacksmith and livery.

The Inn has played host to many famous people over the years including President Chester A. Arthur who acted in a theatrical production at the Inn as well as Gerald Ford who was on assignment as a model for a Look magazine photo spread in Stowe.

In 1982 Marvin Gameroff, a Canadian visitor to the area, fell in love with the Inn and bought the property and later transferred it to the Gameroff Trust, the Inn’s current owner.

 

6:30 PM                                  Dinner at Inn – Main Street Restaurant

 

Fine dining in a casual atmosphere. Featuring an extensive menu full of flavorful food prepared with Vermont food products and the freshest ingredients from Vermont local farmers. The Inn prepares fresh homemade breads and incredible desserts.  The Green Mountain Inn is a member of the Vermont Fresh Network.

Guest speaker for the evening meal will be Meghan Sheradin, Executive Director, Vermont Fresh Network.  The Vermont Fresh Network encourages farmers, food producers and chefs to work directly with each other to build partnerships. Building these regional connections contributes to stronger local communities and their economies.  The Green Mountain chef will also address the group and discuss our meal and the inner workings of the restaurants of the Green Mountain Inn.

  

DAY THREE Wednesday, June 13^th

7:00 AM                                  Breakfast

8:30 AM                                  Depart Inn

 

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM              Morse Farm Maple Sugar Works, East Montpelier

Morse Farm is the oldest maple farm in Vermont.  Property includes trails, the Sugar House, Woodshed Theatre and retail operation. Normally, a self guided tour, a member of the Morse Family will give us a behind the scenes tour of their property.

 

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM             Bragg Farm Sugar House, East Montpelier

The Bragg Family has been producing pure Vermont Maple Syrup for eight generations.  Normally a self guided tour, the Bragg family will meet us and talk about their family operated maple farm, where traditional sap buckets and wood fires are still used to make 100% pure maple syrup.  Participants can walk the maple trail and visit with farm animals.

1 PM – 4:00 PM                       Rock of Ages Quarry, Barre

 

Our tour begins with traditional regional fare at the Hilltop Restaurant.  Rock of Ages Quarry partners with local eating establishments to enhance its tours to visitors.   The Italians became one of the most prominent ethnicities in Barre because of their skills and working granite industry. At the Hilltop will be having herbed, baked chicken and mostaccioli which renowned for being very “Barre”.

 

Joining us for lunch will be Todd Paton, Director of Visitors Services for Rock of Ages Quarry.  He will tell our group about the many tours they offer at Rock of Ages, partnering with others in the community and how tourism has enhanced their business and the town of Barre.

 Welcome from Commissioner of Tourism, Megan Smith, discussion of how the state encourages and promotes product tours, thematic guides, buying local from farmers and working with restaurants; and experiences to increase tourism. 

 After lunch we will take the Traditional Experience Tour of Rock of Ages Quarry. Rock of Ages hosts thousands of visitors each year.  The granite quarry is nearly 600 feet deep and boasts 250,000 square foot factory.  Visitors can watch artisans at the factory as they cut, sculpt and polish.  Visitors can view videos, explore exhibits, browse the gift shop, bowl on their outdoor granite lane and make their own stone gift at our sandblast activity center.  

 

 4:30 PM                                  Vermont Butter and Creamery, Barre

 The Vermont Butter and Creamery have won more than 100 national and international awards. Their butters and cheeses populate some of the most prestigious cheese boards in America. But what makes them proudest perhaps is that we have sustained a team of family farms and creamery artisans. Together they thrive making simply great cheese for discerning, appreciative eaters, home cooks and discriminating chefs alike.  Normally a self guided tour; a representative will meet with our participants to discuss how tourism has enhanced their business in Barre.

 OR

Fresh Tracks Farms & Winery, Berlin

Participants can relax at the end of the day with a wine tasting at Fresh Tracks Farms Winery. As an open space surrounded by the warm feel of locally harvested wood, the Tasting Room provides you with a comfortable and inviting place to enjoy a glass of wine. As a visitor you may sample wines, browse through our products, sit beneath the pergola with a glass of wine in hand, or take some time to stroll through the nearby vineyards.  The farm is also home to a maple syrup operation and farm animals.

 

Return to Stowe, Green Mountain

Participants may the opportunity to change clothes and check emails.

8 PM                                                     The River House Restaurant, Stowe Inn

The Stowe Inn is a three minute walk from the Green Mountain Inn.  We will meet in the lobby at the Green Mountain Inn at 7:50 pm to walk to the restaurant.

The River House Restaurant provides a unique culinary experience with “sustainable farm to table” dishes served fresh daily. The quality menu can only be matched by the first-class customer service and relaxing, friendly atmosphere.  The restaurant’s specialty is steak and seafood.  The Inn also hosts night craft beer tastings.

Located inside the historical Stowe Inn, the River House is a convenient stop for travelers, visitors, and Vermont residents to quench their thirst and satisfy their taste buds. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Stowe Inn is one of the town’s architectural treasures, dating back to 1814 and operating as an inn since 1945.

 DAY FOUR Thursday, June 14^th

 7:00 AM                                  Breakfast

9:00 AM                                  Depart Inn

9:30 PM – 10:00 PM               Green Mountain Coffee Roaster Visitors Center

 

The Green Mountain Coffee experience comes to life in Waterbury’s beautifully restored, historic train station. Outside, the Visitor Center and Café serves as an active Amtrak station. Inside, cutting-edge design and world-class exhibits offer a multi-sensory depiction of the coffee bean’s long journey from “tree to cup.”  This is normally a self guided tour.  The Green Mountain Coffee development officer will meet with us to discuss the center and attracting tourists. 

 

11:00 AM – 12 Noon               Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour

 

Ben and Jerry’s is Vermont’s number one tourist attraction.  Participants will have a 30-minute guided tour. Tour includes a mooo-vie, a bird’s eye view of the production room and a sample of the day! Participants will experience how a large international company participates in local product tour tourism. A senior tour guide will be able to answer questions from our group over and above normal questions from visitors.

12:30 PM – 2:45 PM               Trapp Family Lodge

In the early 1940′s, after having fled the Nazi regime in Europe, the von Trapp family settled in Stowe, Vermont on an enchanted farm with sweeping mountain vistas reminiscent of their beloved Austria. They began welcoming guests to a rustic 27-room family home/lodge in the summer of 1950. After a devastating fire in 1980, the original structure was replaced by a striking new 96-room alpine Lodge, now attended by 2,500 acres of magnificent indoor and outdoor resort amenities. The entire property is still owned and operated by the von Trapp family. For the past three decades they have shared ownership of the resort with many other families from all over the world, through their Villa and Guest House programs.

Open year-round, the Trapp Family Lodge offers superb mountain views, exceptional comforts and impeccable service, along with outdoor activities for every season.  We will have a traditional Austrian lunch in the hotel’s lounge overlooking the Green Mountains.  The Trapp Family Lodge staff selects only the season’s freshest local produce, game and fish, along with herbs and vegetables grown in their own gardens. They are proud to be members of The Vermont Fresh Network. A Trapp family member will greet us during our lunch and will be available for questions regarding the property. 

 After lunch, we will then the split the group in two for a 30 minute relaxing property tour in a horse drawn cart.  Other participants can visit the gift shop and tour the property, then we will switch. The property tour is subcontracted to an outside company by the Trapp Family Lodge.

 

3:15 PM  – 6 PM                                 Rock Art Brewery, Morrisville

 

Participant will sample Vermont’s greatest craft beers and tour their brand new facility opened in May 2011.  Rock Art Brewery is a microbrewery located in Morrisville, Vermont. It began production in 1997 in the Johnson, Vermont basement of founder Matt Nadeau. Its beers are distributed in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Maine and New Jersey. In addition to bottles and growlers, it offers firkins of cask ale as special orders.

Mt. Mansfield Creamery, Morrisville

 

Participants will visit the cheese facility is in the heart of Morrisville, in the old United Farmers Creamery building.  They owners renovated the building and built their built our own cheese cave in the basement. They wash and brush the rinds to keep them thin to ensure our product to be one hundred percent edible. Their French cheese is regularly washed using seasonal beers from a local brewery, Rock Art. In addition, they have been washing the rinds of the Chin Clip with wine pressings from Boyden Winery in the neighboring community.  Participants will be able to sample and purchase cheeses.

 

7: 00 PM                                              Hen of the Wood, Waterbury

At Hen of the Wood, the food is simple, uncomplicated and down-to-earth. The restaurant creates daily changing menus based on the wealth of premium ingredients found only miles from the restaurant in the lush Green Mountains and Champlain Valley.  Their goal is to provide a true Vermont dining experience and showcase the region’s most vibrant foods.

 

 DAY FIVE Friday, June 15^th

7:00 AM                      Breakfast

Check out                    Bags out to bus by 10:30 AM

11:00 AM                    Depart Inn

 

12 Noon – 2:30 PM     Boyden Valley Winery, Cambridge

 Boyden Valley Winery is part of a fourth generation farm producing, “Big Barn Red”, a bold red wine, elegant Vermont white wines, and “Vermont Ice”, the premier line of Vermont ice wines.  They also make maple syrup the old-fashioned way in a wood fired sugar house.  Boyden Valley Winery partners with two local canoe trip companies offering a water and wine experience.  We will be staying here for a special artisanal local cheese, local meats, salad, dessert and wine lunch before out departure to Montréal.    The winery can also group package wine bought at the winery for the flight back to Halifax.

Return to Canada for early evening flight back to Halifax.

Flight Departure 6:55 PM, Air Canada flight 144, arriving Halifax 9:21 PM

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency in Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Business Inc. are planning a trade mission to Philadelphia from April 30 – May 4, 2012.  I pulled together information from various websites on the business climate in Philadelphia.  Research is a company’s first step before deciding if this is the right area for your business and developing your market entrance strategy. 

Below you will find:

• Fast Facts
• Philadelphia Economic Outlook
• Major Industries and Commercial Activity
• Creative Economy
• Companies Headquartered in Greater Philadelphia and Surrounding Areas
• Foreign Companies in Philadelphia and Surrounding Areas
• Fun Things to Do Around April 30
• Information Sources