February 29, 2016
News
Country Music Week in Nova Scotia Exceeds Economic Estimates, Brings $11.8 Million to the Province
The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) announced today that Country Music Week 2015, hosted in the City of Halifax, exceeded economic impact estimates, delivering $11.8 million in economic activity to the Province of Nova Scotia. The event generated a total of $5.5 million in new money (GDP).
An economic impact assessment of the event, administered by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, shows that more than 14,500 attendees took in one or more of the Country Music Week marquee events between September 10 and 13, 2015. Overall, the event attracted over 3,800 people from outside of the province, of which 38 per cent were first-time visitors. Those fans made a special trip to Nova Scotia to take in Canada’s largest annual combination of industry conference and music festival dedicated to the genre of country music.
Nearly 10,000 attendees packed the newly renovated Scotiabank Centre for the culmination of Country Music Week, the 2015 CCMA Awards Show, with a broadcast reach on CBC-TV and CMT (Canada) of over 3.1 million viewers.
“As we celebrate the CCMA’s 40th anniversary this year, we’re thrilled to be able to continue the tradition of bringing Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards Show to cities across Canada,” said Don Green, President of the CCMA. “To have the ability to deliver our mandate of educating, elevating and celebrating country music and to also bring significant economic value to our host city and province shows the cultural value of our CCMA initiatives – initiatives we hope Canadians from coast to coast will join us in embracing and celebrating.”
“FACTOR is very pleased to support the CCMA and we’re particularly gratified to see that the event is not only an important cultural attraction for Canada’s many country music fans, but continues to generate important economic benefits for hosting cities and regions. Everyone wins, well done,” said Duncan McKie, President of FACTOR.
“Congratulations to the Canadian Country Music Association, its board, the local host committee and the hundreds of volunteers on the success Country Music Week 2015, which brought hundreds of delegates and thousands of country music fans to visit Nova Scotia from across Canada and around the world, ” said Tony Ince, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Communities Culture and Heritage. “Hosting Country Music Week in Nova Scotia provided exposure for our local musicians on the Canadian and world country music stage.”
“Halifax continues to demonstrate that it is one of Canada’s best event cities, lending its East Coast enthusiasm to the recognition of country music’s finest, and drawing new people and new spending to our city in the process,” said Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax.
The economic impact assessment of Country Music Week 2015, administered by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, can be found in full HERE.
Country Music Week 2016 will be held in London, Ontario, September 8 – 11.
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About the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA):
Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week and the 2015 CCMA Awards Show included FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund” and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Radio Starmaker Fund, the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and Destination Halifax.
Media Contact:
Sonya Koson | skoson@ccma.org | 416-947-1331 x210
We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada
and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier de FACTOR, du gouvernement du Canada,
et des radio diffuseurs privés du Canada.