Tracy Van Kalsbeek

K-W Oktoberfest and Metrolinx were pleased to announce a new pilot partnership that brought GTA residents to celebrate Canada’s Greatest Bavarian Festival this past fall. The GO Transit “LederGOsen Line” ran from Union Station to Kitchener for GTA revelers to partake in Bavarian programming at the Willkommen Platz, an open air Festhallen in downtown Kitchener. Travelers arrived by train in downtown Kitchener to experience traditional Bavarian music dancing, food and beverages, VIP area, biergartens and a bustling vendor market as well as live entertainment, KIDtoberfest, DOGtoberfest and more. A few years in the making, the initiative leaders will take you through their key learnings, share focus group research that helped to inform and build their business case for developing the pilot and provide advice on marketing, communication, engaging activations and collaboration.

Outcomes:

1) collaborative marketing & communications tips

2) focus group research

3) importance to leveraging relationships

BIO:

Tracy joined K-W Oktoberfest as their new Executive Director in July of 2023. Before that, she spent five+ years as the Executive Director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA) after three and a half years as the Executive Director at the Stratford Perth Community Foundation. She has also been a project Manager for Manulife’s Philanthropy and Sponsorships team, Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) and Program Manager for Junior Achievement.

Tracy is an avid volunteer within the community and has chaired and sat on many Boards and Committees over the years. Her current positions include: Trust and Council member of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, IWF Waterloo Chapter Membership Chair, WCT Mentoring Circles Mentor, Grant Committee member for the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Board member and Chair of Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation. When not learning to become a better polka dancer, Tracy can be found spending time with her life partner Jay, twin daughters Katelyn and Cassidy and adorable grand babies Clayton, Huntleigh and TJ.