About Our Team
Laura Plant
Laura worked over a decade with Destination British Columbia (formerly Tourism BC) in Community Partnerships managing several industry-facing programs, as well as reviewing Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) applications and renewals.
In 2013, Laura became a consultant focused on assisting BC Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) with annual strategic planning and MRDT reporting.
Heather Boyd
Heather began working independently with Laura in 2021, bringing 14 years of experience at Destination BC in roles including Manager, Sector Development & Marketing, Manager, Remarkable Experiences, and Manager, Vancouver, Coast & Mountains. She supported the creation of provincial sector strategies, experience design programming, and MRDT program coordination in partnership with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Sport.
Matt Gibson
Matt brings over 15 years of experience in product management and project leadership. His background includes leading complex implementations for clients ranging from mid-size organizations to Fortune 500 enterprises. Matt supports Laura and Heather with expertise in project planning and execution, and is available to support DMOs and tourism organizations to optimize and grow by leveraging new technologies such as AI.
WHY CHOOSE US
35 Years of Experience
With over 35 years of combined experience in BC’s tourism industry, our team knows what works. We understand the BC provincial tourism industry structure, programs, and key partnerships because we’ve worked within them. This knowledge allows us to develop tourism strategies and destination development initiatives that are practical, fundable, and aligned with provincial priorities—and then help you bring them to life.
MRDT Consulting
Our team has assisted numerous BC destinations with their Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT / aka “hotel tax”) applications and renewal processes, including creating five-year strategic plans and one-year tactical plans. Both Laura and Heather spent years reviewing MRDT applications for Destination BC—they know exactly what reviewers look for. This experience means we can guide your application through the process efficiently, helping you avoid common pitfalls and ensuring your submission meets all program requirements.
Beyond initial applications, we work with several DMOs on an ongoing basis to manage their MRDT annual performance reporting and budget reconciliation due each spring, as well as annual tactical planning and budgeting due each fall. This ongoing partnership often extends into broader project management support to help DMOs activate their annual tactical plans.
If this is something your DMO team could use support with, please reach out.
Project Management
Our team provides comprehensive project management support to help Destination Marketing/Management Organizations (DMOs) bring their annual tactical plans to life. We handle MRDT performance reporting and annual tactical plan development, ensuring your organization stays on track with program requirements and strategic goals.
When your DMO needs additional human resources to activate projects from your tactical plan, we step in to manage initiatives such as creating or updating materials and guides, overseeing sector co-op applications with complete project tracking and content planning to ensure strong engagement and return on investment, and providing full consumer show support from registration through collateral development.
We also assist with developing communications pieces for industry stakeholders, DMO boards, and City Councils to strengthen partner relations. Additional services include RFP development and response review, as well as representing the DMO on committees and associations with regular reporting back to your team. If your organization needs an experienced extension of your team to keep projects moving forward, we’re here to help.
Our Clients
- Destination British Columbia / Vancouver, Coast and Mountains
- Tourism Terrace
- Tourism Kitimat
- Tourism Burnaby
- Tourism Squamish
- City of Langford
- Sunshine Coast Tourism
- Tourism Delta
- Sidney BIA
- Destination Silver Star
- Tourism Abbotsford
- Tourism Chilliwack
- Tourism Dawson Creek
- Tourism Langley
- Tourism Maple Ridge & PItt Meadows
- Tourism Naniamo
- Tourism Tofino
- Stó:lō Tourism
- City of Merritt
- City of Dawson Creek
- go2HR
- Larose Research & Strategy / Fraser Valley Regional District
- Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC)
Contact Us
Email us directly at laura (at) lauraplant (dot) com or use this form.
Call us at 778-788-3499