Why Host Your Event In…Vancouver?

WHY HOST YOUR EVENT IN VANCOUVER 

A meeting in Vancouver is unlike any meeting you’ve hosted before. Vancouver’s convention centre, hotels, venues and suppliers all work together with Tourism Vancouver to ensure your experience in the city is seamless. A diverse destination on the edge of spectacular nature offers a wide range of facilities, services and experiences, while the stunning scenery, world-class dining and renowned sightseeing draws in delegates to beat previous attendance records. With North America’s second-largest west coast airport, Vancouver is easily accessible from all corners of the globe.

Getting around 

Vancouver is home to the award-winning Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the second-largest airport on North America’s west coast, just 30 minutes from the city centre. Vancouver is the gateway to the rest of Western Canada, making it easy to explore the region with pre and post-meeting excursions to areas including Whistler, Victoria, the Okanagan wine region; or on trips such as a Rocky Mountaineer train adventure or a Vancouver/Alaska cruise.

Vancouver boasts an accessible and convenient public transit system, offering a great way for visitors to see the city. Most of Vancouver’s top attractions are reachable via transit. TransLink is Metro Vancouver’s regional transportation authority and operates a public transit system made up of a network of buses, the SkyTrain, and the SeaBus, as well as the West Coast Express commuter train service.

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Accommodation 

With 21 convention hotels downtown with meeting space ranging from 185 to 4,700 sq. m. (2,000 to 51,000 sq. ft.), there are many possibilities to choose from. And with 28,000 hotel rooms in Metro Vancouver, including 13,000 in the city’s downtown core, delegates have plenty of accommodation choices as well.

Where to stay in Vancouver

Local Experts & Innovators

Vancouver is a destination with a dynamic, highly-diversified urban economy with growing knowledge-based sectors and strong global connections. With unsurpassed universities, centres of excellence, leading research facilities and teaching hospitals, Vancouver is an ideal city for your delegates to collaborate within their field of expertise.

MIND Partnership (Meeting and Innovation Network of Distinction) is a group of thought leaders committed to sharing knowledge and influence, promoting innovation, and attracting global meetings to Vancouver.

MIND Partnership can connect you to local trailblazers from industries spanning medicine, technology and beyond.

Plan a sustainable event

As the 1970s birthplace of Greenpeace, there are sustainable practices enveloped into all facets of Vancouver as a destination. The Vancouver Convention Centre’s entire facility embraces sustainable practices in all operations, from the six-acre living roof and seawater heating and cooling system, through to recycling programmes, local seasonal menus and even beehives on the roof. Hotels reach high standards in sustainability certification, while a highly accessible transit system combined with a compact, walkable downtown make it easy and eco-friendly for delegates to get around.

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World-Class Cuisine 

Vancouver has a deserved reputation as one of Canada’s best dining destinations. In fact, according to the Boston Globe, “Blessed with a bounty of staples from sea and farm, a vibrant multi-ethnic canvas to spice things up, and a population that has supported the locavore movement from its early stages, Vancouver has become one of North America’s top dining locales.”

Where to dine in Vancouver

Some of Vancouver’s accolades

• #1 International Destination in 2017 – ConferenceDirect (2018)
• #1 Rated Destination for a Business Meeting – STR (2017)
• World’s First Double LEED Platinum Convention Centre – Canada Green Building Council (2017)
• #1 Foreign City for Meetings – Revista Convenciones / MeetingsMexico.com (2017)
• #2 Convention City in North America and #1 for Client Advocate Score – Watkins Research Group (2016)
• #1 Convention City in North America for International Association Meetings – International Congress and Convention Association (2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2006)
• #1 Startup City in the World – PeoplePerHour Startup City Index (2017)
• #3 Most Liveable City in the World – Economist Intelligence Unit (2017)
• YVR Best Airport in North America – Skytrax World Airport Awards (2010 – 2018)

WHY DO WE RECOMMEND VANCOUVER

Vancouver has long been known as one of the world’s best convention cities. The waterfront, downtown Vancouver Convention Centre is within walking distance of 13,000 convention hotels, incredible restaurants, culture and nightlife, creating an unparalleled delegate experience. As home to some of the world’s most prestigious global medical conferences, we see Vancouver as a must for any rotating event.

Vancouver is consistently named as a top North American destination for international meetings by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). The city has a dynamic, highly diversified urban economy with growing knowledge-based sectors and strong global linkages. Some of the key industry sectors in Vancouver include Life Sciences, Digital Media and Tech, Forestry, Fishing and Mining. 

Convention and visitors’ bureaus often serve as official points of contact for meeting planners, assisting with meeting preparations and logistics. Yet, very few provide the level of service that BestCities bureaus do. Having Vancouver as a member of BestCities Global Alliance and being committed to deliver exceptional services is yet another reason to choose the city for your next event.

For more information on Vancouver, see the Meetings & Conventions in Vancouver Brochure from Tourism Vancouver.

For destination consultation and further assistance, contact us: info@kenes.com

Refer your delegates to information on why they should visit your congress in Vancouver: why visit an event taking place in…Vancouver?

Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver