Once a month in an issue of Membership Matters, a Tourism Victoria staff member is interviewed on their role in the organization.
This month: Kelly Both, Manager, Member Services
How long have you been with Tourism Victoria?
Over 10 years now, I first started as a work experience student at the Visitor Centre, and slowly over the years I worked my way up to become the Coordinator of Visitor Services. After that, I made the move to our administration office and was the Membership Assistant. When I first joined the department I coordinated some of our annual corporate events; the Travel Auction, Annual General Meeting and Christmas Luncheon and Elections Meeting. I’m really lucky to have experienced such diversity in the jobs that I have held at Tourism Victoria.
Your current title at Tourism Victoria is Manager of Member Services, what does that mean? What do you do?
My job as the Manager of Member Services is to ensure our department works together to strengthen the value of membership and promote member retention, engagement and satisfaction; which is one of our main areas of focus. Tourism Victoria offers an extensive roster of membership benefits and opportunities – and unfortunately so many members don’t use them to their full advantage. It is our responsibility to be sure that our members get everything membership has to offer so we can feel confident that the membership experience is fulfilling and that our members’ needs are met.
Can you give me some examples of membership benefits?
There are just so many…. Some include networking opportunities, both with staff of Tourism Victoria and other business members, invitations to workshops, seminars and industry-related meetings. Particularly popular benefits are: business listings on tourismvictoria.com, brochure racking at our Visitor Centre, which by the way is Canada’s busiest Visitor Centre, as well as business listings and additional advertising opportunities in our annual Vacation Guide and other publications.
How can members get more involved with Tourism Victoria?
Members are encouraged to participate as much as they can. Our favourite saying in Member Services department is “Membership with Tourism Victoria is like membership at the gym… the more you put into it, the more you get out of it!” We invite members to visit our administration office and Visitor Centre for “Coffee Talk” presentations with our staff, attend our monthly networking mixers, and make sure you are receiving our eNewsletters which are always jammed packed with the latest industry news and updates. We also encourage members to participate in FAM (familiarization) tours with our Sales departments, host journalists that are visiting the area, even run for a seat on our Board of Directors or other member committee!
What is a typical day like for you at Tourism Victoria?
-Laughing- There’s no such thing as a typical day in Member Services… A typical day involves activating new member accounts, as well as reviewing and updating current member portfolios. I am also responsible for member information housed in our new websystem, so I am constantly in contact with those members that participate in accommodation and ticket sales through the Visitor Centre and online. As well, since the launch of our new website I am continuously working to ensure that all member-related data is kept up-to-date and accessible for the team as well as our members and visitors.
What can our members do to help assist staff in the Member Services department?
One of the most important things our members can do is to keep us well informed of what’s new within their business; make sure to share your new products and programs with us. Let us know if you’ve got a new contact person, or you’re moving locations or adding additional business outlets. Our department is often the first point of contact for our members, so we are happy to share their new information and updates with the rest of our team. Another key element is member feedback; we depend on an active and engaged membership to help support the activities and initiatives of the organization, so feedback is vital and always encouraged.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the people, not only the staff at Tourism Victoria (who are amazing), but our members, industry colleagues and visitors. Those of us who work in the tourism sector are some of the most dedicated and passionate people and it is a great feeling to be part of an exciting and constantly evolving industry!
- Kelsi Woodward, Communications Coordinator
