What’s New for Meetings and Events in Canada

Canada’s national destination marketing organization is Business Events Canada, part of Destination Canada, a Crown corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada and formed under the Canadian Tourism Commission Act. Business Events Canada offers “inspiration, insights, introductions, bid assistance and planning tools to help you bring extraordinary events and inspiring incentives to Canada.”

According to Meetings Mean Business Canada, business events account for 40% of all tourism spending in the country and directly support 242,000 jobs. The direct economic impact is estimated at $34.1 billion ($CAD 47 billion), with $19.9 billion ($CAD 27.4 billion) in direct GDP impact.

Canada ranked 10th in ICCA’s Country Ranking 2023, with 259 meetings reported that matched ICCA’s criteria, representing a 2.47% market share.

Destination Canada, in conjunction with its Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan, has commissioned a new legacy & impact study that will evaluate the economic, social and environmental impacts of up to 16 conferences held in Canada between 2018 and 2024.

The newly announced International Convention Attraction Fund provides financial commitments for bids on major international conventions. Canadian cities making bids on conventions from the U.S. and elsewhere can tap into a new $36.75 million fund to enhance their destination’s appeal to event decision-makers. This fund is a major part of an overall $50 million investment from the 2023 Canadian Federal Budget and is a key priority of the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy (FTGS).

This destination update is based on the Skift Meetings What’s New in Meetings and Incentive Travel 2024 report. The full report features 800+ updates on 200+ destinations. Download it here.

Banff

• The Moxy Banff opened recently, offering 109 rooms at the site of The Voyageur Inn.

Calgary

• Calgary’s BMO Centre is expanding and will be Western Canada’s largest convention space after its opening on June 5. The 565,000-square-foot expansion to the current facility will feature 38 meeting rooms, two world-class ballrooms, meeting space with a private 11,000-square-foot balcony, Canada’s largest indoor fireplace, and over 1,000,000 square feet of exhibition space.
• Calgary International Airport (YYC) has a new direct seasonal connection to Seoul (ICN).

Edmonton

• Explore Edmonton helps planners contribute to the social and environmental benefit of the local community by providing many ways to give back through its Responsible Events Program. It has also partnered with Ostrom Climate, a carbon management solutions provider, to measure and offset your event’s carbon footprint through a Carbon Neutral Events program.

Halifax

• Moxy Halifax Downtown opened in February 2024 with 160 guest rooms and 1,520 square feet of meeting space.
• Westjet is connecting Halifax (YHZ) to Dublin (DUB) during the summer season starting in June 2024.

Montréal

• The Palais des congrès de Montréal and Indigenous Tourism Québec recently unveiled QUÉBEC AUTOCHTONE (Indigenous Québec), an engaging networking space to discover Québec’s 11 Indigenous Nations. 
• The provincial government of Quebec has launched its own fund, “Fonds pour stimuler le tourisme d’affaires international (FSTAI),” to support business events in the province. A maximum subsidy of $100 per participant is available, with up to $200,000 potentially on offer per event. Events taking place outside Montréal and Quebec City have access to extra funding. 
• Hotels recently opened:
  • Hyatt Centric Montreal, featuring 177 guest rooms
  • Courtyard Montréal Midtown / Residence Inn Montreal Midtown, a dual-branded hotel with 274 guest rooms
  • Warwick Le Crystal—Montreal is centrally located in the Golden Square Mile, with 131 rooms and 7,345 square feet of event space.
• Hotels coming soon:
  • The Casino de Montréal Hotel, opening in 2025, is a $150-million luxury hotel project on the iconic Parc Jean-Drapeau site. It will feature 200 guest rooms with outstanding views of the Formula 1 track during the Grand Prix.
  • Royalmount Hotel, the hospitality hub of the upcoming Royalmount, is set to open in 2026 in Mount Royal. This 1.8-acre, $7-billion, carbon-neutral real estate project will feature an 18,000-square-foot event garden and theater adjacent to an 8,000-square-foot covered pavilion.
  • The StarCité Hotel is planned to open at the Olympic Stadium in 2027. This hotel complex will offer 200 guest rooms, event space for 1,000 people and a reinvention of the StarCité cinema.
• A new direct flight between Montréal (YUL) and Copenhagen (CPH) opened recently.

Ottawa

• Moxy Ottawa will be a 222-room hotel in downtown Ottawa’s Byward Market.
• Air France is making its Ottawa (YOW) to Paris (CDG) flight a year-round service.

St. John’s

• Westjet is now connecting St. John’s (YYT) to London (LGW) during summer.

Toronto

• The newly opened W Toronto is an art-inspired “urban oasis” in the Yorkville neighborhood. It features 254 guest rooms, including 30 suites and a W Sound Suite, the brand’s signature recording studio experience.
• Soon to open, the Nobu Hotel Toronto will be situated 45 stories above the historic Pilkington Glass Factory with two dramatic residential towers housing 660 units, with the hotel located atop the west tower offering panoramic views of Lake Ontario and the city skyline. The 36-suite urban resort features a private hotel lounge, wellness facility with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, and the highly anticipated 15,000 square foot two-level Nobu restaurant with a separate bar & lounge, two private dining rooms, sushi bar and outdoor terrace.
• A summer flight service between Toronto (YYZ) and Osaka (KIX) is now operational.

Vancouver

• AZUR Legacy Collection Hotel, part of the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) portfolio, opened in September 2023. It is located in the downtown core, featuring 104 art deco-inspired rooms and a rooftop restaurant.
• Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has new direct flights to Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN) and Charlotte (CLT) during the summer.

Victoria

• Hyatt Centric Victoria—Old Town will open in 2026. It will be centrally located in Old Town Victoria and offer 135 guest rooms.

Winnipeg

• Hyatt Centric Winnipeg Downtown will open in 2025 in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. It will offer 140 guest rooms and approximately 1,200 square feet of meeting space.
• Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) now offers summer season direct flights to Chicago (ORD) and Denver (DEN).