Most sma ll towns now realize that they need to reinvent their purpose to be more relevant in the new global economy and with the modern hi-tech youth demographics. They need to align themselves with the future, not the past, if they hope to experience growth and long term prosperity. Their vision of tomorrow is now built on the backbone of information communication technology to give them global reach and presence plus the ability to engage with the emerging tech-savvy youth
market.

On a global scale, London is really just another rural community.  The same issues facing small town Canada is now impacting small city Canada.  Isn’t it time that cities like London create a vision for growth that has at its core, our youth.  We need to become part of the new economy now.  The world has changed forever.  London needs to transition to a global centre of excellence for hi-tech industries now before it is too late.  We don’t want London to become the first “ghost city”.

Our goal is to leverage the power of the internet, social media and engagement marketing to connect and collaborate with the tech-savvy demographics to create appealing lifestyle outdoor adventures that will motivate them to become actively involved in the outdoors!

For small rural towns, this is an opportunity to adopt innovation as a means to reinvent their purpose to align with the needs of the new markets.  As stated by one community “TecVana
provides a service that captures the economic potential of our natural assetsthrough creative industries and advanced technology that a rural community could not afford to create and maintain”.

For the industry TecVana offers a channel to connect with new markets to grow their business.

For tourism, this is an opportunity to work with us on creating and promoting innovative geo-adventures that appealto the younger generation on a global scale.

And for the outdoor sector, it is a chance to develop new approaches to excite the modern market to get outdoors.

We will be seeking a small investment from the government to get us going on a program.  We believe that it is time to build the future economy on the backbone of our youth as opposed to spending enormous amounts of taxpayers’ dollars trying to protect the past. We need your support….let us know what you think!

We are developing a revolutionary use of information technology to engage and motivate the tech-savvy 20-40 demographics living behind computer screens to create appealing lifestyle adventures that will excite them enough to get them outdoors!

If you want to learn how we plan to build a centralize outdoor portal on the backbone of a social media platform, a real-life gaming platform,  mobile applications and a digital channel to market for our clients/sponsors, get in touch with us.

In the recent election in Ontario, voter turnout was the lowest on record. There has been considerable media discussion as to why. The answer is simple, in my view; governments need
to change their top down approach to a much more collaborative model where the youth market is encouraged to drive the value creation process from beginning to end.  It means talking to the youth in their language and coming to grips with the fact that it is a different world today.  Things need to be cool and they need to be hi-tech, including the process of voting.

As we all know, we are now in times of unprecedented change; socially, economically and
culturally! Based upon our studies of the 20 to 40 demographics (37% of the population) for TecVana,we realize that we are dealing with a new age market that is much different
than any previous generation.  The generation gap is huge.

Today’s technology savvy youth demographics are indeed changing the way the world works and seeks information. Their lifestyle is very hectic, fast paced and complex. They have little or no interest in traditionalism or voting in the traditional manner. They want things to be fast, simple, convenient, fun, easy and cool. They manage their lifestyle through technology, seek “escapism” through integration and social networking, want to stay connected and tend to thrive in
gaming and chat rooms.

This new generation is our future and should be empowered to help shape the future.  We know that they do want to make a difference, want to change the world, certainly want a voice in its direction
and believe in supporting worthy causes that will make a difference. Engagement with this demographic will result in a new way of doing business that will create value, growth, jobs, long term economic and social development as well as economic sustainability

Governments must therefore redefine their approach in order to align with the lifestyle of the
younger generation. In order to get this modern demographics involved in voting, they have to engage to find out what they want.  They have to listen, understand and involve. They will have to create the experience in close cooperation and relationship with this citizen – tapping their intellectual capital and give them a direct say in the solution.

If they had taken the time to listen then they would realize that getting more people involved in voting they need to put the process on-line. I mean it is a digital world so why doesn’t the government provide on-line voting rather than the historical and traditional voting poll stations.
Make the process simple, easy, convenient, fun and most importantly,based upon emerging trends, not the past. It is time to abandon traditionalism!

I believe that achieving sustainable economic growth for many communities is highly dependent upon the community’s ability to effectively use social media strategies and tactics to engage with the modern consumer and the global economy. Today, progressive organizations realize that
the power to shape the future now belongs to the people.  It is all about empowering our youth to help build the future economy. Content is created through collaboration and public engagement. This cannot be achieved through a top down summit of big business and political leaders; it can only be created through bottom up collaboration and empowerment of our youth and
working with the new age entrepreneurial community. As stated by Tom Peters, “it is
the Age of Imagination.  To survive, everyone and every company must be willing to change.  Only those with a passion for learning and adapting can possibly prosper”

Most rural communities are obviously into a growth crisis. Achieving sustainable economic growth for many communities is highly dependent upon the community’s ability to effectively use social media strategies and tactics to engage with mainstream markets and the global economy.   As many of you know, TecVana is a program designed to do just that;  use smart technology, social media and software apps to engage and motivate the tech-savvy high density urban population to get them away from their computers and into the outdoors. 

Getting more people outdoors will drive what the youth call Geo-Tourism.  This in turn will allow our rural and small towns to realign their purpose to better meet the needs of the younger lifestyle which in itself will create sustainable rural economic growth. At the same time, more people involved in the outdoors will grow the outdoor industry, enhance environment awareness, improve the health and wellness of our youth and address important social issues such as youth inactivity, decreased rural jobs and decreased interest in the outdoors.

Simply put, TecVana is an innovative and revolutionary use of digital technologies to create a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts. It is an imaginative approach to the struggling rural economy. 

We need our government to become actively involved in TecVana NOW to make this program a reality.  We are making a pitch to FedDev this fall….we need your support so visit www.facebook.com/tecvana and click yes to “like” to help show your support.  Otherwise, Vision without Action becomes Hallucination!

Amanda Lynn Mayhew’s passion for fishing, camping and hunting emerged at an early age, and flourished under her father’s guidance in the great Northern Ontario outdoors. Growing up immersed in nature also fostered Amanda’s enthusiasm for health and wellness.  Amanda Lynn fused this enthusiasm with her strong entrepreneurial spirit in the creation of Fytness Fanatik magazine, tapping into social networking resources to launch her health and wellness publication. The unique magazine features fitness merged with outdoor life in all types of genres. Amanda has developed a community and sustained the magazine through skilful use of the social media. Her latest project, Fit for Hunt, demonstrates how being fit is beneficial to the outdoors enthusiast. 

While Amanda’s audience is ensnared by her contagious fun attitude, this well-grounded business woman’s nomination for the 2010 Oktoberfest Women of the Year was a testament to her professionalism and confident flair. As founder/organizer of the Motorcycle Ride for Progeria and the Snowmobile Ride for M.S., Amanda devotes considerable personal time to volunteer work.  With many accomplishments behind her and a background in marketing, graphics and web design, advertising, television, radio, communication and social media skills we knew that would make Amanda Lynn a perfect fit for TecVana.