Marketing support

MARDA LOOP BIA MARKETING SUPPORT & INFORMATION

The Marda Loop BIA represents and supports over 200 businesses that are the heart of Marda Loop: Where life connects.

These resources are here to support our Marda Loop BIA business community — offering guidance on marketing and promotions, along with clear opportunities to participate and be included.

If you’re looking to get in touch with our marketing team directly, please contact the Marda Loop BIA office info@visitmardaloop.com

If you are a business in the BIA, make sure you are registered with us! Register here: https://www.visitmardaloop.com/business-registration/

Check out our Introduction to Marda Loop BIA (pdf) and our most recent (November 2025): Marda Loop Report to Community

Marda Marketing Basics

Each year, the Marda Loop BIA works to drive traffic to the area through a variety of marketing programs, promotions, and events. Businesses are invited to participate in these events, engage with our social media, and take part in promotional opportunities.

We regularly highlight local businesses across our social channels, monthly public e-newsletter, events, and advertising initiatives. We also offer coffee meet and greet opportunities with our Board and Marketing team/Committee. We encourage Marda Loop businesses to attend as many of these opportunities as possible – 2026 schedule of events coming soon!

Click the tab below to learn how to get involved in our marketing, advertising, and event programming.

Promotions, events and other opportunities

Marda Loop BIA businesses can participate in our promotions, events and other opportunities:

We regularly promote Marda Loop businesses across our social channels.
You can find us at @visitmardaloop on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

To increase your chances of being featured:
– Tag @visitmardaloop in your posts and Reels
– Tag us in your Stories so we can easily reshare
– Add us as a collaborator when appropriate to expand reach
– Use our community hashtags: #intheloop #myymarda #meetmeinmarda #mardaloopyyc #mardaloop

The more you tag and engage with us, the easier it is for our team to amplify your content and showcase your business to the wider community.
Our monthly public e-newsletter goes to over 1,600 subscribers and growing. Sign up for our public email newsletter here
Do you have a special, a grand opening or a story to share? To be profiled in our newsletter or on social media, please email our marketing manager at dkidby@socialcentricinc.com
Join our Marda Loop Gift Card program. Over 30 businesses are already signed up.
Our neighbours at the Marda Loop Communities Association have a member discount program that businesses can join. Find out more at this link.
The Marda Gras Street Festival is our signature event, attracting about 40,000 people on the second Sunday in August. Participation is very inexpensive for our member businesses, and we also have sponsorship opportunities. Marda Gras is Sunday August 10, 2025. Vendor registration is now open; sign up as a “Marda Loop BIA Business” at: mardagras.ca.
We also do promotions and events like Eggfest at Easter, Spook the Loop at Halloween, Spirit of the Loop to kick off Christmas, Sip and Support promotions and more. To find out more and to be part of these, sign up via the participation forms on this page.
If you are signed up on our list, you will receive information on how to participate!
We try to provide opportunities for all businesses to participate in our promotional efforts.
Contact us to get involved in our advertising, marketing and event programming.
See if we have an upcoming meet-and-greet for business members

Egg Fest Participation

Our premier Easter event, Egg Fest, is happens on the Saturday before Easter every year.

Egg Fest is an annual event in Marda Loop where our businesses hand out chocolate eggs to hundreds of families who come down to the area just for this occasion! It’s a great way to meet new customers and increase brand awareness. IF THE PARTICIPATION FORM ISN’T WORKING, SEND AN EMAIL TO EVENTS@VISITMARDALOOP.COM OR CHECK BACK LATER.

Egg Fest Participation Form

Instagram

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Business name(Required)

Our Business will be an Egg Hunt Stop:(Required)

Yes

Business Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 Postal Code

Business Website(Required)

Business social media channels and handles(Required)

Contact Name(Required)

First Last

Contact Phone Number(Required)

Can you be texted at this phone number?

Yes

Best Contact Email Address(Required)

Does your business have a street facing window?

*The BIA will be providing some kind of visual to display your participation.

Yes

Additional Information or Questions

Are you having troubles with this form? Something else we didn't cover? Send an email to events@visitmardaloop.com.

SPOOK THE LOOP

Spook the Loop happens on the Saturday before Halloween. We’re now looking for businesses to get involved in being our “candy stops” so kids can trick or’ treat around the Loop. This is one of our most popular events with families visiting businesses all over Marda Loop. If you want to get involved, sign up below and our event coordinator will ensure you get candy and promotional items.

Spook the Loop Form

This form is now closed. Check back in 2026!

Stay informed with the Marda Loop BIA community newsletter and social media channels. Aimed at visitors, neighbours and customers of Marda Loop, the e-newsletter is a monthly e-newsletter with about 1,000 subscribers as of mid-2023. We also have Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram pages totalling more than 10k Calgary-based audiences as of mid-2023. Both outlets profile Marda Loop BIA businesses, promote events, include Marda Loop history bites and include Main Street updates too!

Get involved
Signing up for the newsletter: Sign Up Today!

Follow us on social media:

and tag us using #visitmardaloop so we can repost your content!

To be included in the newsletter or on social media as a business, access feature forms or contact our marketing manager Dakota Kidby at: dkidby@socialcentricinc.com

Marda Loop BIA Marketing Feature Form

Business Name(Required)

Contact Name(Required)

First Last

Contact Email(Required)

I am interested in a Marketing Feature:(Required)

E-Newsletter

Social Media

Enewsletter Feature

Our newsletter is brought to you by businesses, just like you! We regularly feature the people that make up the heart and soul of our neighbourhood and that could be you.

What do we feature?

One business per month with a video interview telling us your story and showing us your space, product or service.
One business per month with a written 15-min interview over the phone.
Multiple businesses we include in a themed listicle, such as 10-best shops, gifts and so on.

Submit your business using the form below to be considered! It will automatically go to our Marketing Manager for review. Someone will contact you in five business days or less to advise you on your place in line, ask any supplemental questions and more!

Feature interest:(Required)

Video

Interview

Listicle

Social Media Feature

So, you want to be featured on the Visit Marda Loop channels?

Here’s how you can get involved!

Fill out the form that best suits your needs – it will automatically go to our Marketing Manager for review. Someone will contact you in five business days or less to advise you on your place in line, ask any supplemental questions and more!

Social Feature Interest(Required)

Simple post requests

To be featured on Instagram or TikTok

To collaborate with us on a post

To participate in a giveaway

Item(Required)

Details/dates and links(Required)

Visual(Required)

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 50 MB.

Profile Address(Required)

Channel you want to collaborate on(Required)

Item you wish to give away(Required)

Idea(Required)

Desired publish date or timeframe(Required)

Market Information

About the people of Marda Loop

Demographic information for 1800m around the BIA area (map below) is available on a dashboard here or as a PDF download available here.

Community profiles for Altadore, South Calgary, Garrison Woods, Richmond and other nearby communities are available here.

Statscan 2021 data show that the Marda Loop area was the one of the fastest growing areas of Calgary, behind only Beltline/Downtown and new suburban communities, growing by 10.6 % in 5 years, 2016-2021. (The relevant census tract includes all of the BIA area, Altadore, most of South Calgary, the south part of Richmond and south Elbow Park, but not Garrison Woods.) Livewire story with map here.

Map of the 1800m Market Area

What do our visitors say?

The Marda Loop BIA contracted a market research study, conducted by Stone Olafson, in 2021, including online and in-person surveys of Marda Loop visitors.

“The Story on One Page” Summary

Full Survey Report

Marda Loop Gift Card

The Marda Card is new area-wide gift card used by consumers visiting the Loop to purchase goods and services at the businesses that sign-up! It is available as an e-card or a plastic card.

Reasons your business should get involved >