Trade Show Booth Space Reimbursement 2025/26 Application

RTO7’s offer of the Partnership Program for 2025/26 is contingent upon the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Gaming's approval of RTO7’s 2025/26 Business Plan.


If you are unfamiliar with the Partnership Program and applications, I highly recommend calling (Alex 705-441-2931 (ahogan@rto7.ca) to first talk through your proposed project and/or completing the application, as the process is greatly simplified with some direct explanation prior to completion of the application. RTO7 reserves the right to limit the number of programs/funds that one stakeholder may receive per year.


Please review the Partnership Program Guidelines  for important background information before completing this application - once opened in Downloads, the links within the Guidelines should open in a new window in your browser when clicked on.


We highly recommend that you log into a Google account (directions in link) to access this form and know that your progress is automatically saved as a draft for 30 days so you can return to it. Please see our blog on why you should create a Google Account for your Business.

If you choose not to do this or to work offline, you will need to complete and submit the form all in one sitting and be sure to save a copy of your submitted application. If you choose not to log into a Google account, contact us to discuss how best to submit your application.


Note: We want to encourage stakeholders starting on a journey towards economic, social and environmental sustainability. Sustainability isn’t a requirement to get funding for 2025/26. However, projects that show they’re working to include or improve sustainable practices—using clear and measurable plans—may be prioritized in the application review process. The Partnership Program application process is competitive, and many people apply for the available funds. We welcome applications from all eligible businesses and organizations. No matter where you are in your sustainability efforts, we’re here to guide you through the process.


Trade Show Booth Space Collaboration Details


Who is eligible:

Tourism Operators

  • Defined as a consumer facing organization that has direct access to the tourism consumer and relies directly on that consumer for their income

  • Must have been in business one year prior to the date of application

  • Must be serving the tourism consumer within BruceGreySimcoe within the period of April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026

  • Booth expenses must be pre-approved (i.e. not retroactive) and incurred between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026

  • You may only apply once for this program between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.

What you can expect:

  • RTO7 will reimburse 50% of Trade Show Booth space cost only, to a maximum of $2,500 pre-tax

  • RTO7 will reimburse these costs after the show's completion upon receipt of show invoicing and photographs

Note that RTO7 will not reimburse for other expenses, or for Trade Shows cancelled for any reason or for shows that the exhibitor leaves before the scheduled end date and time. Partner is responsible to book their Trade Show booth space.


What’s expected of you:

  • You will need to meet/agree to the requirements in the application below (please let us know if you have questions about the application)

  • For Tourism Operators that attend a show that the booth cost does not meet or exceed the $5,000 pre-tax limit, the lesser amount will be funded i.e., if the booth cost expended was $1,500 pre-tax, the amount of funds reimbursed will be $750


The red asterisks below indicate required fields.

Project Rep

Note this person will be the day-to-day decision maker for the project,  responsible for execution of the project and regular communications with RTO7 and agencies, and should have skills and experience in managing projects of a similar nature as well as available time to devote to the project


Eligibility of specific trade shows will be evaluated on a case by case basis




Please provide specific metrics (e.g. bookings, connections/leads, brand awareness, booth traffic, material distribution, industry insights, consumer feedback, etc.) and anticipated results (that you will report against in your final partner reporting)

What is the cost of the booth space only (before tax)?


50% of this amount would be reimbursed for approved applications


Please confirm that the following are in place CURRENTLY in order to qualify for funding.


The following links outline some of the requirements you are agreeing to below:


Claim/update Your BruceGreySimcoe Website Listing

Sign up for RTO7 E-blasts

Claim/update Your Google My Business Listing

Sign up for/complete your free Typsy Training



SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

How many times in the past 5 years has your organization received funding support from RTO7's Partnership or Implementation Programs?

Details can be found on the RTO7 Take the Pledge page


Demonstrating your pledge commitment may help strengthen your eligibility for participation in the 2026/27 programs


Details can be found on the RTO7 Employee Turnover Rate page


Collecting and reporting on your Employee Turnover Rate may help strengthen your eligibility for participation in the 2026/27 programs


Please complete the Region 7 Tourism Stakeholder Business Performance & Sustainability Survey


Completion of the above survey may help strengthen your eligibility for participation in the 2026/27 programs


RTO7 has created a toolkit to provide tourism stakeholders with resources and tools to share consistent “Visit Responsibly” messaging across the region. Our goal is to simplify the process of implementation for stakeholders, ultimately leading to a strong, consistent, and unified message in the region to the consumer.


Demonstrating your “Visit Responsibly” messaging may help strengthen your eligibility for participation in the 2026/27 programs


Please outline the ways in which the PROJECT you have proposed meets sustainability criteria - economic, social and/or environmental

Are you applying on behalf of your tourism members or tourism businesses within your catchment? (e.g. a DMO or BIA or municipality)

How many NEW partners are you collaborating with on this project? (i.e. your organization has not partnered with them in past)

What is the anticipated revenue generation potential of this project, and how does it create value for the local economy (e.g. through direct sales, partnerships with local businesses, or attracting high-yield visitors?)

Given your goals, what is the long-term growth potential of this project? Growth is an important part of sustainability, and can come from enhancing the value of your offerings, increasing visitor spend or optimizing operational efficiencies. See the Resource Guide for more suggestions regarding how to achieve long term growth.


Please let us know what areas of growth you're looking at in the next year:

High Medium Low No Growth Potential
Increasing revenues (from point-of-sale or ticketing systems tracking ticket sales, bookings, merchandise, services, etc.)
Increasing spend/visitor
Sustaining/growing the number of jobs
Increasing visitor numbers (in areas with capacity)
Increasing repeat visitation
Improving sentiment and consistency in online reviews/ratings and customer surveys
Balancing seasonality to achieve more consistent growth across seasons vs. limited to peak season
Increasing (positive) engagement on social media platforms (followers, likes, shares, etc.)
Increasing website traffic and online inquiries/bookings
Increase in volume and quality of media coverage (e.g. influencers, travel blogs, news outlets, etc.)
Monitoring recognition from industry organizations for best practices, etc.
Decreasing the impact of tourism on local ecosystems (resources, energy, waste, etc.)
Improving community engagement and benefits to the local community (including partnerships, cultural preservation or jobs)
Increasing visitor awareness of their role and responsibility in sustainability
Introduction (and performance) of new tourism products/experiences
Increasing collaborative offerings with local businesses

Is this project a new experience/offering or are there any new or revitalized elements to it, intended to attract new audiences or provide an enriched experience or otherwise enhanced to ensure continued vibrancy?

Check any of the boxes below that align with your ORGANIZATION'S strategic or aspirational goals (i.e. if you are pursuing or are interested in pursuing longer-term objectives such as those below, we want to recognize your efforts/intent)

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