A new online campaign to market Abbotsford to international investors was unveiled Wednesday.
The City of Abbotsford Economic Development (CAED) has launched a new website, including a high-tech GIS mapping system, along with a new international marketing strategy.
The interactive CAED website features information touting Abbotsford as a great place to live and work, and highlights the city’s programs to encourage business growth.
The geo map tool combines property listings and demographic data with an interactive map of the city, so anyone looking for a new business site can view the best locations. Users can view an array of mapped data about consumer spending, labour force distribution, household income and more. They can also browse locations of business properties available for lease or purchase at the same time.
“This type of specific geographic and demographic information is sought by businesses looking to relocate or expand,” said Wendy Dupley, the executive director of CAED. “It allows them to develop custom information for their business and it will greatly improve our ability to engage with the local business community and share our resources.”
The new website, created by Langley firm Original Ginger, and interactive mapping system with data from Environics were launched Wednesday evening at a screening event in Cineplex Cinemas’ theatre at Highstreet on Mt. Lehman Rd. The city also presented its new international branding strategy and a report called “Flying Higher in Abbotsford.”
Attendees viewed presentations about Abbotsford’s international marketing strategy, the new economic development web site and the GIS interactive map.
The report, prepared by Development Counsellors International, says Abbotsford must challenge a reputation for being “unfriendly” to business and a lack of global awareness. Wednesday’s announcement is designed to overcome that.
“Obstacles aside, there is tremendous opportunity for Abbotsford to step to the forefront within the Fraser Valley and embrace it’s ‘hub’ status in the region,” the report says.
The new CAED site is available to the public at caed.abbotsford.ca.
“We are very excited about these new tools and the opportunities they will provide for our clients. Our website is a one-stop-shop business portal,” added Dupley, “and these new tools give us the resources we need to improve our outreach and showcase all that Abbotsford has to offer.”