Canada
Reshaping the
conference city
conversation
anada is reshaping the
conversation around how
host cities are selected, and
CMW spoke to key
industry leaders in the country to find
out how they are changing the terms of
debate.
Canada has always been an alluring
choice for international conventions,
corporate meetings and incentive travel
programmes. Now, through the work of
Destination Canada, a spotlight is being
shone on the cutting-edge research,
breakthrough thinking and
cross-industry collaboration taking place
across the country, and it’s helping cities
like Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton, in
particular, attract global business events.
“It’s no longer enough to talk about a
destination’s conference infrastructure,”
says Chantal Sturk-Nadau, Executive
Director of Destination Canada’s
Business Events team. “Today we’re
steering the conversation toward hosting
business events in destinations that align
with an organisation’s mission.”
Advanced Ottawa
Ottawa leads in advanced industries:
More than 1,900 technology companies
and over 400 national associations call
Ottawa home. For these organisations
and many others, hosting an
international conference creates the
opportunity to make a significant
contribution to their industry, share their
knowledge on the global stage, and
broaden their networks for increased
impact.
To elevate Ottawa’s place in a
competitive global meetings market,
Ottawa Tourism, Shaw Centre, and
Invest Ottawa collaborate to attract
conferences to Canada’s capital by
supporting industry leaders in their
international conference bid process
through a newly launched ambassador
programme, ThinkOttawa.
“Together we have an opportunity to
grow the tourism economy in Ottawa.”
says Lesley Mackay, Vice-President of
Meetings and Events at Ottawa
Tourism.
To learn about
assets and
opportunities and
arrange research
trips and site
inspections go to
www.business
eventscanada.ca
Right: Chantal
Sturk-Nadau,
Executive Director
of Destination
Canada’s Business
All-in in Edmonton
Business events provide the opportunity
to showcase Canadian research and
innovation centres such as Edmonton,
Canada’s designated Health City.
By tapping into a vast network of
local experts, Tourism Edmonton
connects with conference planners and
other leaders in the industry,
worldwide. Anna Look, Director of
Meetings and Conventions for
Edmonton Tourism, notes: “This
collaboration is the heart of what we do,
and it’s as easy as connecting with our
Edmonton All In team.”
Simplifying the whole conference
booking process is the pool of
destination and sector experts provided
by Destination Canada Business Events.
The team’s specific knowledge of this
vast land can help organisers with a
first stop for tailoring the right package
for their event, whatever the size.
Events team
Agri-centred Calgary
Calgary is winning conference business
by putting its accent on agribusiness.
Alberta is home to more than one
quarter of Canada’s total farmland, and
Calgary, its agribusiness centre, is
considered among the global leaders in
aspects ranging from farm production,
research and technology through to
innovation.
“Calgary is Canada’s centre for
agribusiness,” says David Woodward,
Executive Director of Meetings +
Conventions Calgary. “Thanks to an
established strength in food processing,
smart agriculture, and the growth of
niche crops, international event
professionals are taking notice,”
he says.
Calgary will
host Cereals &
Grains 2020
Annual
Meeting, the
US Grains
Council 2021
Annual
Board of
Delegates
Meeting, and
the American
Society of Animal
Science 2024
Calgary
Edmonton
Annual Meeting.
Ottawa
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