September 17, 2014

Dave Sclanders, Executive Director, Business DevelopmentCalgary TELUS Convention Centre

1

Meeting Professionals International 

Canadian Economic Impact Study

Released in 2014 using 2012 gathered data the MPI Study Surveyed 

3,376 Planners, Destination Management Organizations, Venue 

Managers and Delegates holding meetings in Canada. 

• 550,000+ events were held in Canada that year 

• With 35+ million participants

• Generating $29 billion in meeting related spending 

So How Deep is the Ocean?

Where were those Meetings Held?

4

What Kind of Meetings Were They?

Business Event Demand

• Overall Cost of a Congress• Available venues which meet space requirements• Ease of Access/travel• Travel Costs to Destination• Other items on the list

Area hotels Distance from AirportClimate AttractionsCulture of  Area Public Perception

Areas Impacting Meetings and Conventions(as reported by Meeting Planners and Congress Organizers)

Raising the Bar on Meetings, Conventions and Incentive

Travel (MC&IT)

1. Continued sustained strength in economic recovery

2. Air Transportation

3. Government policies

7

What Canadian Convention CentresLoose Sleep Over

• USA economy – unlike the VFR sector Meetings and Conventions does not garner same benefit from a currency difference

• Stronger the US economy the less pressure on US Associations and planners to buy American

• Stronger US economy less venues are willing to discount 

• Similar in Europe and Globally, the better the local economy the more likely congresses will travel

8

Sustained Strength in Economic Recovery

• In every survey both cost and ease of access are always at the top when selecting a congress site

• As our globe continues to shrink and as Canadian destinations chase more international business Canadian Visa requirements become more important 

• Perception of Canada as a destination

Air Transportation Impacting Centre Business

• Concerns about the potential impact of government policies reducing spending and investment in Centres

• Reinvestment in Centre infrastructure

• Government participation  

Government Policies

• Convention Centres generate:• Future visitor revenues, • support the business and academic 

communities,• attract global expertise, • promote knowledge transfer and create 

educational opportunities

11

Convention Centres are More Than Just Economic Development