British Columbia and Alberta are World Class

Whistler Olympic Plaza, British Columbia

From staging two Olympics and the FIFA Women’s World Cup to featuring tech-enriched cultures and stunning natural resources, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta prove over and over that they are world class.

Vancouver, British Columbia, and Edmonton, Alberta, were key competition cities when Canada hosted the Women’s World Cup in June and July. Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, were big-time players during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Calgary, the capital of Alberta, had its own Olympic glory during the 1988 Winter Games and maintains renowned training venues that can be used for special events.

Boasting world-class natural attractions, the Alberta towns of Banff and Lake Louise lure many groups for executive meetings and incentive travel, and rank as bucket-list destinations for leisure and business travelers. This is in addition to their renowned ski resorts, capable of hosting World Cup competitions.

Western Canada is indeed a big-time player on many stages, including meetings, and has the credentials and venues to lure international groups.

Vancouver

According to International Congress and Convention Association’s annual report in May, Vancouver ranked as North America’s top destination for international meetings in 2014, ahead of dynamic-event cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago and Orlando. Considering Vancouver’s roster of medical meetings in 2015, that ranking is expected to climb when the next annual report is delivered.

“Over the years, Vancouver has become a mecca for meeting planners, delegates and event organizers seeking a breath of fresh air alongside state-of-the-art venues and inspiring surroundings,” says Ty Speer, president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver. “Most recently, we hosted nine matches of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, including the final, and the energy in our city was unrivaled. It felt like the 2010 Olympics all over again. Our ability to flawlessly and consistently execute major events like FIFA, the TED Conference, World Congress of Dermatology and 2016 PCMA Convening Leaders proves that Vancouver is one of the world’s best meetings destinations.”

Vancouver Convention Centre

Vancouver is raising the bar for international meetings in 2015–16, with 55 conferences taking place at the award-winning Vancouver Convention Centre. In June, the World Congress of Dermatology drew more than 10,000 attendees. The International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention brought in 7,500; last month’s World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics boasted 7,000 attendees; and the World Diabetes Congress this month is expected to draw 12,000.

Dave Gazley, vice president of meeting and convention sales for Tourism Vancouver, says the city’s international meetings popularity “is largely due to the diligence and longstanding efforts of our local hospitality community, which has built strong relationships with conference organizers around the world. We are confident that Vancouver will maintain its top ranking for many years to come.”

Vancouver Convention Centre, the world’s first LEED Platinum certified convention center, is as spectacular as it is green. Located downtown on the waterfront with a dramatic mountain backdrop, its two buildings feature 466,500 sq. ft. of flexible meeting, exhibition, ballroom and plenary space.

There are more than 13,000 downtown guest rooms to handle an influx of attendees. Hyatt Regency Vancouver offers 644 guest rooms and 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Pan Pacific Vancouver is another popular meeting hotel, with 503 guest rooms and 42,000 sq. ft. of space.

Whistler

The 2010 Winter Olympics meant much more than international acclaim to Whistler. For starters, there was a $600 million upgrade on the Sea to Sky Highway, making it easier than ever to travel between Vancouver and Whistler.

Whistler’s Olympic legacy dates to 1960, when businessmen identified the city’s mountain as an ideal destination to host the Winter Games. British Columbia pursued hosting the Olympics four times before landing the 2010 Games, so the province was more than prepared to fulfill its dream.

Today, meeting attendees can experience that Olympic glory firsthand, including skiing the downhill course, sliding down the fastest and most technical bobsleigh and skeleton track in the world and celebrating like a gold medalist in the heart of the village at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

“In Whistler, we like to say we were born for the Games,” says Patricia Westerholm, communications manager for Tourism Whistler. “Whistler continues to celebrate the spirit of the Winter Games, and we invite the world to join us in keeping that passion alive.”

The year-round destination is much more than a ski town, having risen up as a popular choice for small meetings, executive retreats and incentive travel. It boasts 24 hotels and 10,000 guest rooms, including townhomes, condos and chalets. Add in 100 restaurants and bars, 25 spas and tons of outdoor activities such as rock climbing, golf and hiking, and you can see why Whistler has emerged as a great meeting city.

Whistler Conference Centre is part meeting venue and part mountain lodge, offering 40,000 sq. ft. of versatile space. It served as the media center during the Winter Games and can host 1,500 for general sessions.

Planners seeking a mountaintop experience for attendees need look no further than Whistler, a city that has game.

Calgary

Sure, Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, but Alberta’s capital city refuses to rest on its laurels and is going through a growth spurt that can definitely benefit meeting planners and attendees.

Regarded as one of North America’s best airports, Calgary International Airport (YYC) is undergoing a $2.1 billion expansion that will be completed by the end of 2016. The project includes a new international terminal that will add 22 gates.

Calgary’s hotel supply grew by 4.7 percent this year with 1,703 new guest rooms, and more than 3,000 are expected to be added by 2017. The 124-room Fairfield Inn & Suites Calgary Downtown opened in June with a great location beside Central Memorial Park and within walking distance to Calgary Telus Convention Centre. The property is expected to be very popular with millennials due to its proximity to biking trails, bowling, fly-fishing and even kayaking.

Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel completed a multimillion-dollar renovation in July that expanded its state-of-the-art meeting space to more than 11,000 sq. ft. There’s also a cool new whiskey bar and updated fitness center. The 388 completely remodeled guest rooms and suites incorporate multifunctional spaces for work and relaxation, including easily accessible plug-in points for enhanced connectivity.

One of the most exciting new projects in Calgary is the National Music Centre, which is expected to open next spring. Located near the convention center, it will provide rental space for groups of up to 400.

“Calgary is a vibrant city and competes on a global level in many areas,” says Carolyn Watson, manager of marketing and communications with Meetings + Conventions Calgary. “With more than 100 years of experience hosting events, we know how to throw a party.”

Banff & Lake Louise

Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta

The iconic Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise are truly memorable places for meetings and incentive travel. But these two stunning historic properties only begin to scratch the surface of what the Alberta towns of Banff and Lake Louise are all about.

“It has the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery, a vibrant town, activity options for whatever your adrenaline level preference may be, flexible meeting space and luxurious hotels,” says Cathy Macdonald, senior manager of meetings and incentives for Banff Lake Louise Tourism. “You just simply feel alive when you are in Banff and Lake Louise.”

Both Fairmont properties and the two towns are located within the boundaries of Banff National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canada’s oldest national park stretches 2,564 sq. mi. and is revered by international travelers for its mountains, glaciers, ice fields, forests and alpine landscapes.

For attendees suffering from “nature deficit disorder,” as Macdonald likes to call it, Banff and Lake Louise provide the perfect tonic to otherworldly experiences. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, for example, not only boasts a scenic glacial lake with emerald-colored water outside its front door, but also features Victoria Glacier. For once-in-a-lifetime photos of executive board members and top performers, there is no better backdrop for a group photo.

World Cup skiing comes to the Canadian Rockies twice this year, when Lake Louise Ski Resort hosts men’s and women’s downhill and super-G events Nov. 28−29 and Dec. 4−6, respectively. The resort is one of few to host both men’s and women’s World Cup speed events, and Lake Louise’s international allure will get an extra measure of exposure, with a television audience expected to exceed 184 million.

“Everywhere you look you have spectacular vistas,” Macdonald says. “It stays with you, and for that reason it’s hard to put a dollar value on the experience when you meet in Banff and Lake Louise.”

Oh, Western Canada

There are many glorious, vivid visuals that emanate throughout Western Canada, and they help create indelible memories for meetings, events and incentive trips in British Columbia and Alberta.

“It literally can take your breath away,” Macdonald says. “There’s a sense of place. You know you’re someplace special.”

The Big Stage

When the FIFA Women’s World Cup final took place in July, Vancouver’s BC Place stadium (pictured) drew more than 53,000 fans. The event was also watched on TV by millions of people from around the world, giving Vancouver’s marquee venue massive exposure.

This was not the first time that BC Place stadium was in the international spotlight. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games were also held there.

Here are 10 facts to help you decide if BC Place is the right venue for your group:

– BC Place is the largest multipurpose events venue in British Columbia.
–It features the biggest retractable roof in the world. In other words, weather will never be an issue.
–It has the second-largest video board in North America.
–The stadium is one of the most technologically advanced event venues in the world, with 800 Wi-Fi ports and 1,100 digital screens.
–It’s located downtown.
–It has an energy-efficient LED lighting display that regularly helps bring awareness to events, charities and nonprofit causes important to communities in British Columbia. (Note to planners: Can you say branding opportunity?)
–The stadium underwent a complete renovation in 2011.
– It has a seating capacity of 54,500.
–A flexible secondary roof system between the lower and upper tiers of the stadium can be closed to create space for 22,000.
–This event venue implements many green practices, including a comprehensive recycling program using biodegradable cleaning products and a catering department that locally sources food.