Welcome to the New West Experience (NWX) — a contest for entrepreneurs, students, creatives, and community members who want to bring new and exciting visitor experiences to life in New Westminster. Presented by Tourism New Westminster, in partnership with Pooni Group, Destination British Columbia, City of New Westminster and Vintop Development.
Whether you’re launching a new business, improving an existing one, or proposing a creative way to make our city more welcoming and vibrant — we want to hear your idea.
What We Are Looking For
Category #1: New Experience-Based Business
We are looking for new visitor experiences designed by new or existing businesses or entrepreneurs to operate in New Westminster. We’re looking for experience-based business proposals that are:
- Sellable — people can book it, buy it, or attend it
- Legally feasible — it can actually be launched in New West
- Distinctive — it adds something new, fun, or meaningful to our visitor experience
Examples could include:
- Guided food or cultural tours
- Outdoor adventures or riverfront activations
- Creative workshops, artisan experiences, or pop-up events
- Unique cafés, shops, or markets designed for tourists
- New festivals or events
Click here to submit your idea
Category #2: Tourism Improvement Idea
We’re seeking creative, actionable, and community-oriented ideas that can help tourism thrive in New Westminster. These don’t need to be tied to a business — instead, they should help shape a better destination for everyone.
Your idea can focus on attracting more visitors, enhancing their experience, or enabling Tourism New West and its partners to create a more vibrant and sustainable tourism environment.
We welcome ideas that:
- Make New West more welcoming and accessible
- Help visitors navigate or understand the city
- Boost cultural visibility and inclusivity
- Encourage local pride and storytelling
- Strengthen tourism capacity, promotion, or funding
Some examples include:
- New signage or wayfinding tools
- Public art, installations, or storytelling initiatives
- Visitor welcome programs or accessibility ideas
- Interactive or educational experiences in public spaces
- Marketing campaigns to attract niche visitor segments
- Strategies to improve New West’s tourism brand presence
- Creative content or media production ideas
- New approaches to unlock public or private funding for tourism
- Suggestions for policy changes that could support tourism growth or innovation
Your idea can be as bold or as simple as you like — but it should be feasible to implement, whether through Tourism New Westminster, a City department, or local collaborators. You are not expected to carry it out yourself — the goal is to generate the best, most helpful ideas for the city.
Click here to submit your idea
How It Works
This is Round 1 of a two-stage contest:
- Submit your idea through one of the forms below.
- A panel of judges will review submissions and select finalists.
- Finalists will be invited to pitch their idea live at the final event on November 27, 2025.
Awards & Support
New Experience-Based Business Winners
Two Winners will be selected:
- One in the Student category
- One in the Non-Student category
Each winner will receive:
- $5,000 in funding
- Specialized mentorship
- Promotion through Tourism New Westminster’s platforms
- Connections to potential investors
All Finalists will also receive:
- Marketing support across Tourism New West’s digital channels
- Expert guidance from industry professionals
- Visibility in media and public-facing events
Top Tourism Improvement Idea
- The winning idea will receive a $2,500 prize
- Finalists will receive public recognition, promotion, and the opportunity to present their idea
- Tourism New Westminster may explore ways to further develop or implement the winning concept
You may submit more than one project if you have multiple ideas!
Submission Forms
1. New Experience-Based Business
A new or existing business that offers a visitor-focused experience in New Westminster.
Examples: Tours, workshops, pop-up markets, food experiences, mobile apps, interactive retail, or themed events.
2. Tourism Improvement Idea
A creative, non-commercial idea to improve the way people explore, experience, or feel welcomed in New West.
Examples: Signage, accessibility solutions, public art, wayfinding tools, welcome kits, etc.
Get inspired: 
Questions? 