Meeting Places Alberta 2015 by GLACIER MEDIA DIGITAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP dba BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

2015

NO LIMITS

Alberta delivers mega-event venues, World Cup sports and awe-inspiring experiences

MEETING PLACESAB MEETING AND EVENT-PLANNING IN ALBERTA LISTINGS | MORE THAN 350 VENUES AROUND ALBERTA

$25

BIG TENT VENUES

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

LESSONS LEARNED

Get full-service facilities and the social space that make it easy to connect with friends and colleagues: • Restaurant/Bar

• Saltwater Pool & Hot Tub

• Event space/Catering

• Free Hot Breakfast

• Free high-speed Internet

• Complimentary Guest Bicycles

• Comfortable rooms

• Avis Budget Car Rental

Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre 954 7th Street SW Medicine Hat, AB T1A7R7

BOOK NOW ClarionHotels.com/CN841 800.4CHOICE

CONTENTS FEATURES Big tent venues 6 Women’s World Cup 2015 8 Lessons learned 10 Meet to a different beat 12 If it’s not fun, I’m out of here 14

2015

no limits

Alberta delivers mega-event venues, World Cup sports and awe-inspiring experiences

ASSOCIATION MESSAGES 5 PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR MEETING AND EVENT PLANNERS MEETING PLACES AT A GLANCE

MEETING PLACESAB

Meeting and event-planning in alberta Listings | More than 350 venues around aLberta

$25

big tent venues

woMen’s worLd cup

Lessons Learned

PUBLISHER: Paul Harris EDITOR : Frank O’Brien WRITERS : Evan Duggan, Noa Glouberman,

BIG AND BOLD 42

Alberta regions combine ancient history and contemporary surprises

Darah Hansen, Geoff Kirbyson, Baila Lazarus, Peter Mitham, Frank O’Brien, Janet Steffenhagen, Jonny Wakefield GRAPHIC DESIGN: Randy Pearsall PROOFREADER: Meg Yamamoto PRODUCTION: Rob Benac SALES MANAGER: Joan McGrogan ADVERTISING SALES : Lori Borden, Corinne Tkachuk ADMINISTRATOR: Katherine Butler RESEARCHERS : Carrie Schmidt, Anna Liczmanska CONTROLLER: Marlita Hodgens PRESIDENT, BIV MEDIA GROUP: Paul Harris Meeting Places Alberta 2015 is published by BIV Magazines, a division of BIV Media Group, 102 Fourth Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1G2, 604‑688‑2398, fax 604‑688‑1963, www.biv.com.

LESSONS LEARNED

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2015

Edmonton hosts kickoff to multi-city event that will draw 1.5 million

ALBERTA BY THE REGION: OVERVIEW AND LISTINGS Calgary & area—20 Edmonton & area—27 Alberta Rockies—33 Central Alberta—37 Southern Alberta—42 Northern Alberta—46

Expert advice on making your next meeting or event a complete success

Copyright 2014 Business in Vancouver Magazines. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or incorporated into any information retrieval system without permission of BIV Magazines. The list of services provided in this publication is not necessarily a complete list of all such services available in Alberta. The publishers are not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions in this publication. ISSN 1205-5662 Publications Mail Agreement No: 40051199. Registration No: 8876. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department, 102 Fourth Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1G2 Email: subscribe@biv.com Cover photo: Peter McMahon/ © Parks Canada/Wood Buffalo National Park

B.C. OWNED AND OPERATED

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Association messages

MPI | GREATER CALGARY: MEETINGS MEAN BUSINESS As the Meeting Professionals International Greater Calgary Chapter (MPI GCC) looks forward to another year, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of our industry here in Calgary and in Canada. In reviewing the preliminary results of the Canadian Economic Impact Study 3.0 that were released this year, there is no denying that business meetings and events make an impact. Business events supported more than 200,000 full-year jobs in Canada and delivered $27.5 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product. Business meeting spending in Alberta totalled $5.5 billion, second only to Ontario. With those kinds of statistics, it is obvious that the work we do generates serious results and makes an impact. As the premier voice for the meetings and events

industry in Calgary, the MPI GCC will focus its 2014-15 year on the Business of Events. From delivering education sessions that provide strategic, tangible business skills to our members to reaching out and advocating for this profession to Calgary citizens, business and government, we are spreading the word that meetings and events mean business. In 2013-14, the MPI GCC improved the quality of its education and provided more unique networking opportunities to its membership. Heading into our 2014-15 year, we want to capture that momentum while making new connections within Calgary’s business community to grow and diversify our membership. To find out more, find us at www. mpi-gcc.org. Anh Nguyen, president, MPI Calgary chapter

PCMA | CANADIAN INNOVATION The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) aims to deliver superior, innovative education and promote the value of professional convention management. Representing 6,000plus meeting-industry leaders globally, our members include planner and trade show/exhibit professionals, suppliers, faculty, students and emeritis. Building on the success of the inaugural Canadian Innovation Conference of last year, November 23–25, 2014, in Montreal will once again bring together meeting and event professionals and suppliers to experience educational content in an environment customized to the Canadian market. We invite you to expand your peer network while earning continuing education units at this exciting event. T h e C a n a d a We s t c h a p t e r

educational workshop will be held Wednesday, December 3, in Vancouver, and a satellite event will be held December 2 in Calgary. Details to be announced. We encourage you to check back on the PCMA website for location and topic. Fi n a l ly, Va ncouver w i l l b e hosting the annual conference for PCMA Convening Leaders in January 2016. This is the premier education and networking conference for leading meeting professionals to advance their professional development and discover new ideas, solutions and approaches, and network with peers for meeting success. For more information on PCMA, please visit www.pcma.org. Diana Reid, president, PCMA Canada West chapter

Professional associations for meeting and event planners Professional associations provide a means of pooling resources and giving a unified voice to working professionals who share common interests. They may represent broad national and international interests or cover specialty niches within the event-planning industry. In addition to providing forums for like-minded meeting and event-planning professionals, associations offer a wealth of resources, including newsletters, magazines and other reference materials. Association of Destination Management Executives www.adme.org Business Events Industry Coalition of Canada www.beicc.com Canadian Association of Exposition Management www.caem.ca Canadian Association of Professional Speakers www.canadianspeakers.org Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners www.canspep.ca Canadian University and College Conference Organizers Association www.cuccoa.org Center for Exhibition Industry Research www.ceir.org Connected International Meeting Professionals Association www.cimpa.org Convention Centres of Canada www.conventioncentrescanada.org Convention Industry Council www.conventionindustry.org Corporate Event Marketing Association www.cemaonline.com Destination Marketing Association International www.destinationmarketing.org Exhibit & Event Marketers Association www.e2ma.org

Exhibit Designers + Producers Association www.edpa.com Exhibition Services & Contractors Association www.esca.org Event Service Professionals Association www.acomonline.org Financial & Insurance Conference Planners www.ficpnet.com Global Business Travel Association Canada www2.nbta.org/canada Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association www.hcea.org Incentive Marketing Association www.incentivemarketing.org International Association of Conference Centres www.iacconline.org International Association of Congress Centres www.aipc.org International Association of Exhibitions and Events www.iaee.com International Association of Fairs and Expositions www.fairsandexpos.com International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals www.hispanicmeetingprofessionals.com International Association of Professional Congress Organisers www.iapco.org International Association of Venue Managers www.iavm.org

International Festivals & Events Association www.ifea.com International Hotel & Restaurant Association www.ih-ra.com International Special Events Society www.ises.com International Sport Show Producers Association www.sportshow.org Meeting Professionals International www.mpiweb.org National Association of Consumer Shows www.nacslive.com Professional Convention Management Association www.pcma.org Religious Conference Management Association www.rcmaweb.org Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Canada www.sitecanada.org Society of Event Organisers www.seoevent.co.uk Society of Independent Show Organizers www.siso.org Western Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus www.wacvb.com

6 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

BIG TENTVENUES Alberta is known for wide-open and welcoming spaces, and the largest venues in the province truly live up to that billing

Edmonton’s massive (11 acres under roof) Expo Centre is the largest conference venue west of Toronto. In 2013 it welcomed more than 1.4 million guests. It is also linked to Rexall Place, centre ice for the Edmonton Oilers | EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE

BY EVAN DUGGAN

hoosing and booking the right gathering space in Alberta is never an easy task, and planners must deal with an array of factors: Where should it be? How many will attend? How flexible are the facilities? And what else is there to do in the area? To help answer those questions, Meeting Places talked to a few of the province’s top “big tent” venues. Edmonton Expo Centre In 2010, the Edmonton Expo Centre underwent a major expansion, and it now has more than 520,000 square feet of space, making it the largest of its kind west of Toronto. The Expo Centre is not just huge in size, but also in its draw, as it welcomed more than 1.4 million guests in 2013 to its eight exhibit halls, 16,000-square-foot ballroom and 4,200-seat arena. “We’ve had heavy oil equipment, farm equipment, helicopters, tanks and more in our halls,” says Adam Cook, venue director and general manager.

But the place is more than just a conference centre. The 160-acre campus is also home to a racetrack, casino and Rexall Place, the home of the Edmonton Oilers. The setting of Northlands, combined with the venue’s experienced staff, set the centre apart from other large gathering places, he says. “Our event and sales team has a combined 100 to 120 years of experience just at Northlands, so they have tremendous capabilities with our facilities.” As for some important 2015 dates, Cook says they are welcoming 1,600 delegates for FarmTech, Canada’s top

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Heather Lundy, director of marketing and communications for the Calgary Telus Convention Centre. The centre offers 122,000 square feet of flexible space and 36 meeting rooms and is connected to a trio of fourstar hotels in the heart of the city | LAURA LEYSHON

crop production and management conference. Another 10,000 delegates are set to come for Youth Conference, a multi-denominational Christian youth event. Banff Centre The Banff Centre, set within the Canadian Rockies, bills itself as the “largest arts and creativity incubator on the planet.” Each year, the centre hosts 8,000 artists and roughly 80,000 audience members. It also welcomes more than 20,000 attendees of about 500 annual conferences, conventions and events, says Jodi Burke, director of sales and conference services. “The centre is a campus,” she says. “We have 400 guest rooms, we have 72,000 square feet of venue and meeting space, and we have a full working production theatre that holds 1,000 people.” Clients can hold their meetings in the centre’s traditional banquet spaces but can also choose a more “creative environment” in the art halls or performance venues. She says arts programming is often integrated into hosted events. “For our corporate groups, we’ve had a banquet dinner on the stage of our theatre, so we had them dine on the stage and served them a three-course meal on the stage,” she says. “Completely different than being in a ballroom.” One of Banff Centre’s regular visitors is an annual mathematics conference that brings together top minds from around the world. “They actually recently presented at the Banff Centre about the logistics and possibility of Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak,” Burke says. Rocky peaks, forests, alpine lakes and wildlife surround the centre, she says. “When you’re here, it’s a feeling of innovation and creativity, no matter your discipline or business.” Calgary Telus Convention Centre Calgary’s Telus Convention Centre is one of the busiest

The Banff Centre in the Alberta Rockies bills itself as the “largest arts and creativity incubator on the planet.” Each year, the centre hosts 8,000 artists and roughly 80,000 audience members | BANFF CENTRE

meeting places in the country, hosting more than 700 events a year. But it’s the friendliness of the community and the venue’s convenience that ensure that conventions return, the centre’s spokeswoman, Jenna McLeod, tells Meeting Places. “We have a special location in the heart of downtown Calgary along the city’s pedestrian-only Stephen Avenue Walk,” she says, noting that the route is “lined with dozens restaurants and shops, perfect for attendees.” The centre, which was built in 1974, offers 122,000 square feet of flexible space, 47,000 square feet of exhibit space, 36 meeting rooms, five pre-function areas, a multi-purpose hall and a ballroom, she says. The centre is connected to 1,100 guest rooms of three four-star hotels: the Marriott Downtown, the Fairmont Palliser and the Hyatt Regency. “We are minutes from one of Calgary’s greatest outdoor features, the 635-kilometre pathway system along the Bow and Elbow rivers,” she says. Calgary’s airport offers non-stop flights to over 60 international cities and is only one stop away from every major city in the world. The airport’s $2.1 billion expansion is set to be complete in fall 2015. It includes the construction of a new international terminal, which will add 22 aircraft gates and double the airport’s size. 

8 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

2015

It kicks off in Edmonton with the final showdown in Vancouver – 1.5 million spectators are expected

M BY DARAH HANSEN

ark your calendars, soccer fans. Here’s a game you won’t want to miss. On July 5, 2015, Canada will play host to the two best women’s teams in the world in what promises to be a nail-biting (if history is any indication) gold-medal showdown in Vancouver.

Canadian soccer superstar Christine Sinclair (centre) celebrates the launch of the Women’s World Cup 2015, the largest single sports event ever hosted in Canada | FIFA CANADA

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It’s the final game in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015, the largest single sport event ever hosted in the country. The World Cup will feature 24 teams competing in a total of 52 matches. Beginning June 6, the games will be played over four weeks in six official host cities, including Vancouver and Edmonton. Vancouver will host a total of nine games, including the final. All the games will be played at BC Place stadium, home of the Vancouver Whitecaps and BC Lions, as well as the world’s largest retractable roof and second-largest video board in North America. Edmonton will host a total of 11 matches, including the World Cup kickoff at a newly renovated Commonwealth Stadium on June 6. The final game scheduled to take place in the city is July 5. In all, organizers are anticipating record crowds of 1.5 million attending the games, upwards of 1,300 accredited media and a global television viewership of one billion. Total economic spinoff from the event is expected to generate about $267 million, according to the Canadian Soccer Association. The projections include anticipated spending by out-of-town visitors, capital construction costs and operational expenditures associated with hosting the competitions. The economic impact, including both direct and indirect impact, on Edmonton alone is estimated at $48.5 million, with nearly 320 full-time jobs created and nearly 3,500 hotelroom nights booked up by spectators, media and players. “It is definitely a big deal for us,” says Lindsay Harrison, manager of event attraction with Edmonton Tourism. The expected impact on Vancouver is estimated at $36.8 million, with about 275 full-time jobs generated. Data on projected hotelroom night bookings was not available. Women’s international soccer burst onto Canada’s radar in 2002 when Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria played host to the U-19 World Championship. History will record the U.S. team as the tournament winners, but Canadians remember it as the moment break-out star Christine Sinclair, and a team of talented, determined teenagers, put the country on the map as a serious soccer contender. Peter Montopoli, CEO of the National Organising Committee for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada

2015, says the success of the 2002 championship proved women’s sport was a sound investment. The event shattered spectator records at the time, with 47,000 people coming out to witness the final game at Commonwealth Stadium. Since then, women’s soccer has only grown in popularity, while our national team has grown in depth and experience. In 2012, nearly 11 million Canadians watched women’s Team Canada battle to a (very) bitter end against their American competitors at the London Olympic Games. The game ranks among the most-watched events at the Games. “And it will only get bigger and better,” says Montopoli. Sinclair, now 31, is a star domestically and internationally. She’s expected once again to captain the women’s national team at the World Cup next year. The 2015 World Cup marks the second time in consecutive years Edmonton will feature women’s soccer. In August, the city was among four municipalities, including Toronto, Montreal and Moncton, selected to host the world’s top youth soccer players competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014. That event was estimated to generate about $10.4 million in direct and indirect expenditure in Edmonton. Beyond the dollars behind the headline events, Edmonton has also identified soccer as an important element in an overall strategy to strengthen the city’s global image as a sports leader. “Reputation is a huge one for us,” Harrison says. “It’s about making Edmonton more competitive as a worldclass city.” In Vancouver, tourism officials view the World Cup as a means to build on the enormous goodwill and global exposure that was the legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. “We’ve been extremely excited, not only because our women’s [soccer] team is one of the best in the world, but because this event is a prestigious one internationally. It’s building on popularity and growth on the sport and it puts a profile on Vancouver that often doesn’t come our way,” says Walt Judas, vice-president of marketing with Tourism Vancouver. 

LINDSAY HARRISON | MANAGER OF EVENT ATTRACTION, It is definitely a big deal for us

Top scorer Christine Sinclair leads Canada’s women’s soccer tream into Edmonton for World Cup 2015 | FIFA CANADA

EDMONTON TOURISM

10 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

LESSONS LEARNED

If a million things can go wrong, something usually does

BY JANET STEFFENHAGEN

Anh Nguyen, Spark Event Management, Calgary: “we still come across new situations, but every time that happens it’s one less thing that will catch you off guard next time” | SPARK EVENT MANAGEMENT

t is the reality for the professionals who organize large conferences and special events, but the best in the business aren’t fazed when carefully laid plans slip off the rails – they’ve learned to expect it.

“No matter what you do, no matter how much you plan, something is going to go sideways,” advises Shelley Johnson of SLJ Productions in Vancouver. “There are just too many elements for it not to, and too many elements that

you cannot control.” Charlene Roth-Diddams, a conference organizer and founding member of the International Special Events Society in Calgary, agrees. “If you go into this business,

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Shelley Johnson, SLJ Productions, Vancouver | MALCOLM PARRY

you do so because you love surprises. Part of the adrenalin rush is problem-solving and figuring out how you’re going to work around it.” Planning for a large conference usually starts a year in advance and involves dozens of people with diverse interests, including the client, sponsors, vendors, suppliers, decorators and caterers. The first requirements are to make sure everyone understands the vision, respects the budget and works to move forward together. “Things go awry when you have too many groups operating independently and all the information hasn’t been passed on,” says Johnson, who is also president of the Vancouver chapter of the International Special Events Society. “It’s like a puzzle… each piece has to be assembled in a choreographed way.” But even the most carefully crafted plans can be disrupted. Johnson recalls a near disaster at one of her events a dozen years ago when some of the tall paper programs – heavy with ink in those days and standing upright on attendees’ tables – were toppled by the breeze from the air conditioning system. A few tipped across the tea lights on the tables and

ignited. Johnson and the banquet manager, alerted by puffs of smoke, bustled about collecting smouldering programs and placing the others flat on the table. Although there were several hundred guests, no one noticed anything going awry, which for a conference organizer is a sure indicator of success. Being able to think on your feet and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances is a prerequisite for the job, adds Anh Nguyen of Spark Event Management in Calgary. Having a detailed plan is essential, but don’t expect perfection, she says. During her 10 years in the business, Nguyen says, she’s organized only one conference that followed the script perfectly. One of her biggest challenges was when a keynote speaker, due to a health problem, cancelled less than 12 hours before the event was to begin. “We worked the phones for a couple of hours, found a speaker who could do it and flew him in,” she says, a testament to the importance of having a good network and strong relationships. Just as challenging is the highly paid speaker who turns out to be a bore. Roth-Diddams, national director of event services at POP Kollaborative, says she’s learned to vet speakers before recommending them to clients. In particular she advises them not to shun controversy. “One of the big things I’ve learned is that a controversial speaker is usually very good for a conference because it gets people talking. They love him or they hate him… They might even stand up and fire back with questions, but man, that means people are engaged. “The worst thing that can happen is people walking away saying, ‘Who was that guy and what was he talking about?’ And you’ve just spent $30,000, $40,000 or $50,000 to have him there.” Marischal De Armond of Victoria, owner of Podium Conference Specialists, recalls a tense time when he and his team landed in Amsterdam late one Friday for an event starting Sunday. He discovered that a printing error meant he had an oversupply of one item and an undersupply of another. The fact it was a weekend only heightened anxieties while he tried to contact the suppliers and correct the errors. Meanwhile, his staff worked furiously on alternative plans in case those attempts were unsuccessful. Things ended well, but it was a reminder of the importance of double-checking everything and being prepared to respond to last-minute developments over which a planner has no control, he says. No matter what happens, planners must remain calm. “The more you do it, the more you know these things are inevitable,” Nguyen says. “We still come across new situations, but every time that happens it’s one less thing that will catch you off guard next time.” 

CHARLENE ROTH-DIDDAMS | NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF EVENT SERVICES, POP KOLLABORATIVE If you go into this business, you do so because you love surprises. Part of the adrenalin rush is problem-solving and figuring out how you’re going to work around it

Charlene Roth-Diddams, national director of event services at POP Kollaborative, Calgary. Top tip: “love surprises”

Marischal De Armond, owner of Podium Conference Specialists, Victoria

12 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

MEET TO A

DIFFERENT BEAT Alberta’s offbeat venues stand out from the regular fare

BY BAILA LAZARUS

n business, the 21st century is being marked by the realization that salary is no longer enough to keep employees happy and inspired; programs that give your employees that little “extra” can go a long way to keeping the creative juices – and loyalty – flowing. Luckily, Alberta has enough off-the-beaten-track venues to give you plenty of choices to impress even jaded workers. Star power If you’re out to make staff feel like Hollywood A-listers, how about having them walk a red carpet to their meeting venue? Cineplex Alberta has a number of locations that can be rented out for a staff appreciation night or the largest PowerPoint presentation they’ve ever seen. Venues can stream web video or countrywide satellite multi-casts. Companies can have training seminars presented from a single location to in-auditorium corporate meetings elsewhere, and lobbies can be used for breakout sessions or cocktail receptions. Add a private or preview movie screening, and they’ll have plenty to talk about at the water cooler. Theatres hold up to 579.

For special corporate functions needing that extra bit of elegance, opt for Watson House at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, one of only six Relais & Châteaux hotels in Western Canada | POST HOTEL

Smash hit Often overlooked due to its renown as an interpretive centre, Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump is a stunning alternative for regular meetings within a few hours’ drive of Calgary in southern Alberta. The World Heritage Site offers its Joe Crowshoe Sr. Lodge that can be rented for meetings for up to 30 people.

Art felt Hotel Arts in downtown Calgary is a boutique hotel that makes people feel like they are staying in a museum. Created by the Hotel Arts Group, a team of Calgary investors formed in 2005, Hotel Arts offers 185 rooms, with a large collection of curated art. It has an expanded conference and meeting facility, as well as full banquet services and a dedicated events team. The site has 11,000 square feet of flexible event space, including the 9,500-square-foot Spectrum Ballroom that divides into different sections and two boardrooms for breakout use. For an energetic boost between meetings, guests can take advantage of the hotel’s free bike program and borrow some Brooklyn Cruisers to explore the city.

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Stage presence Canmore’s Cornerstone Theatre, located one hour from Calgary and a few minutes from Banff, is available for rent for conferences, meetings, gala dinners, parties, company retreats and more. The theatre’s rustic feel fits perfectly in the mountain surroundings in Canmore. With comprehensive audiovisual equipment, a commercial kitchen, licensed bar open until 2 a.m., free Wi-Fi and onsite parking, the theatre has complete conference and banquet solutions. The venue can seat a boardroom meeting for 12; 250 in classroom style and sit-down galas for 180. The 500-square-foot stage is open for use along with stage lighting and audiovisual equipment. In addition, 6,000 square feet of floor space means the possibility of 230 dinner guests or 280 theatre-style. Educate yourself If it’s just meeting rooms you’re looking for and not necessarily a gourmet meal, educational institutions are always a great bet. The University of Calgary can fit up to 900 in lecture format, Mount Royal University Events and Conference Services in Calgary can host up to 600, the University of Alberta Conference Centre in Edmonton can fit up to 400 and Red Deer College in Red Deer has 50 meeting rooms for groups up to 800. Most universities and colleges offer dorm accommodation, but usually between May and August when students are away. Open to new ideas For a more open-concept meeting arena, check out Headspace in Sunalta in Calgary’s southwest. The 5,300-square-foot space is completely changeable for different layout options. It follows the concept that you can promote more creative thinking and problem-solving by removing physical and organizational barriers that standard meeting spaces have. Even more rare – it’s entirely solar-powered. Keep staff posted As a luxurious option that takes meetings to a different level of elegance, consider Watson House at the Post Hotel in Lake Louise. One of only six Relais & Châteaux hotels in Western Canada, the Post is a perfect venue for a corporate retreat or small special function. Watson House itself is a private, 3,000-square-foot, two-storey mountain lodge. It can accommodate 10 for sleeping, and its grand living room is perfect for retreat meetings with the privacy and luxury of a private mountain home. 

Rustic – yet high-tech – Cornerstone Theatre in Canmore, located one hour west of Calgary, can seat 230 dinner guests or 280 theatrestyle | GASTON MAQUEDA Visitors are dwarfed by a namesake sculpture at Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump. The World Heritage Site has meeting rooms for up to 30 guests | PROVINCE OF ALBERTA

14 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

IF IT’S NOT FUN, I’M OUT OF HERE Here are five bright ideas to put the fun back into your next event, be it a business meeting or a social happening. You might be surprised by the impact of incorporating just one or two of these tips. Including all five suggestions is a surefire template for success.

BY SHARON BONNER

Sharon Bonner is president and CEO of Bright Ideas Event Coordinators Ltd., of Vancouver, and has been providing professional event co-ordination services to an international roster of companies and organizations since 1988.

Bright idea 1 – move your body Mental fatigue sets in after you’ve been sitting for an extended period of time. You must get up and move your body to stay focused and alert. Whether it’s a group jog in the morning or midday yoga, incorporating the chance for physical movement into events and conferences gets brains stimulated and thinking. Even short breaks, such as having attendees stand up and stretch, can boost thinking and engagement. Getting your move on is also a good tactic if you want to add some fun and frivolity to the agenda. After dinner at your next event, hold a dance contest. Guests stand on an LED-lit dance platform and use their feet to touch coloured arrows laid out in a cross pattern, to musical and visual cues. Guests are judged by how well they time their dance to the patterns presented to them, with a chance to pick more music when they win. Bright idea 2 – work as a team In addition to brain stimulation from exercise, team-building activities create learning experiences guests can apply to their everyday life. Team-building is a great way to improve communication and problem-solving. For event guests, team-building activities also provide opportunities for networking and getting to know their colleagues. The best type of team-building activity is unstructured. Guests are placed on a team at the start of the event, branch off individually

throughout the event and then regroup at the end of the event. This combination seems to give guests the variety of working/playing as a team, but enough autonomy to do their own thing as well. Bright idea 3 – be creative Some of the most successful and fun events I have produced over the last 25 years included creativity. If the creative activity came with a prize, it was even more appreciated. A perfect example of creative activity that guarantees fun is party hats. Your guests become creative hat-makers, decorating colourful hats with all sorts of fantastic trimmings such as feathers, beads, flowers, etc. The fun and excitement continues as they wear the hats throughout the event, participate in a hat parade and then take them home as a souvenir. This activity is great fun for any event, regardless of age, gender, or occupation. With no right or wrong way to create a party hat, it’s a great way to get your team using the lateral thinking skills that foster innovation. Another successful creative activity is the community canvas. Guests are encouraged to paint a square on a giant canvas. Painting alongside your boss or colleague can break the ice and allows one and all to connect on another level. Painting and drawing for the pure fun of it is something that many people haven’t done since they were children, but the benefits to the brain are well documented. And, once the tape is removed, the combined creative

results are invariably magnifico. Bright idea 4 – play time We are all big kids at heart. When it comes to events, why not give your guests an opportunity to play? For corporate meetings and conferences we suggest setting up a few Ping-Pong tables and arcade games (old-fashioned and virtual) and let your guests run wild. Give them a punch card and hand out prizes when they have tried all of the activity stations. You can also include passive activity stations such as a Caricaturist, CD recording booth, LED shuffleboard and social media video booths. Guests can visit these stations at their leisure and play as long as they like. Bright idea 5 – laugh a lot Actors, magicians or comedians are a must at your next event. When they are strolling throughout the crowd and entertaining a few guests at a time, they are spreading the laughter and fun. Have them interact with the guests and provide and pose for Polaroid photos. The most effective way to utilize these entertainers is to give them small gifts that they can award to guests. Everyone loves to win a prize, so a small, branded freebie brings a smile to faces and enhances your profile. Movement, creativity, fun. They form the magic menu for a memorable event. A professional will manage the myriad details that make the difference between OK and outstanding. 

We are all big kids at heart. When it comes to events, why not give your guests an opportunity to play?

Your Event Registration System Should Help Your Event Succeed, Get Work Off Your Plate and Make You Look Good! If you’re dealing with registration glitches, have frustrated registrants or were expecting more from your registration software see these 2 tips!

Tip #1 Be Careful With Ultra Low Priced Systems

Tip #2 Use Your System In the Right Way

With so many systems on the market promising great things it can be hard to tell them apart. This means that decisions are often based on the upfront cost which is rarely the whole cost of using the system. Even if the software is good, if it’s not quite right for your needs it will cost you in terms of time, frustration and maybe lost registrations. Avoid getting into the wrong software by asking a lot of questions upfront, exploring the system with a free account and testing out the support before you really need it.

Even the best software can give you a headache if it’s not used in the right way. For example, if you don’t give careful consideration to the types of fields you put on the form, you may not be able to pull the reports you need. Plus, advanced features might sound great but may cause more work than they save if not deployed in the right way. Good registration support staff will answer your questions while great ones will review your form and offer advice and suggestions to make your event registration a smooth and easy experience for all.

2 Free Offers

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16 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Meeting places at a glance

How to use Meeting Places’ region-by-region directories of venues and services Welcome to the meeting planners’ resource section of Meeting Places, including directories of all the resources you’ll need for planning meetings, conferences, conventions and trade shows throughout Alberta. Start by using the colour-coded map of Alberta on page 19 to identify the region of your intended event. Then use the two main sections of the Meeting Places resource guide: Meeting Places at a Glance, which offers details of meeting venues in each region; and regional directories, which guide you to all the services you’ll need wherever you are holding your event.

Calgary & Area—20 Edmonton & Area—27 Alberta Rockies—33 Central Alberta—37 Southern Alberta—42 Northern Alberta—46

Regional Directories

Company Index

Refer to the Alberta map on page 19 for the page numbers of individual regional directories. The introductory pages will update you on the latest news: new conference or convention facilities that have come on-line in the past year, or significant meeting-venue renovations. The directories that ensue list the services available in each of the region’s towns and cities.

If you a l ready know the compa ny you want for the job, simply turn to the company index at the back of the regional directories. You’ll find an alphabetized listing of every company, referring you to the page that includes a description of the company and contact information.

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number Holiday Inn Calgary - MacLeod Trail South/ 403‑450‑5716 Hotel Arts/403‑266‑4611 Hotel Blackfoot/403‑252‑2253 Hotel Clique Calgary Airport/403‑460‑9588 Hyatt Regency Calgary/403‑717‑1234 Il Sogno/403‑232‑8901 Inglewood Bird Sanctuary/403‑268‑2489 International Hotel Calgary/403‑290‑7851 Kahanoff Conference Centre/403‑262‑1224 Kensington Riverside Inn/403‑228‑4442 Marlborough Park Community Centre/403‑248‑1775 Metropolitan Conference Centre, The/403‑266‑3876 Mount Royal University Events and Conference Services/403‑440‑8890 Ramada Plaza Calgary Airport Hotel & Conference Centre, The/403‑250‑4585 Ranchman’s Cookhouse & Dancehall Inc/ 403‑253‑1100 Sandman Hotel & Suites Calgary Airport/403‑219‑2475 Sandman Hotel & Suites Calgary West/403‑288‑6033 Sandman Hotel Calgary City Centre/403‑513‑2544 Service Plus Inns & Suites Calgary/403‑256‑5352 Shawnessy Community Centre/403‑256‑5206 Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire/403‑266‑7200 Spruce Meadows/403‑974‑4264 Stage West Theatre Restaurant/403‑243‑7077 Strathcona Community Association Building/ 403‑249‑1138 Talisman Centre/403‑233‑8393 Theatre Junction GRAND/403‑205‑2922 Valley Ridge Golf Club/403‑221‑9682 Westin Calgary/403‑508‑5206 Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South/403‑514‑0099 Cochrane Cochrane Golf Club/403‑932-5103 Crossing at Ghost River, The/403‑932‑3392 Days Inn & Suites Cochrane/403‑932‑5588 Ramada Cochrane/403‑932‑6355

Num

Meeting Places at a Glance

If you’re looking for details of specific venues, start with Meeting Places at a Glance, below. First check the Alberta map on page 19 to confirm which region your event is in, then browse the listings under that region.

Calgary & Area

Airdrie Comfort Inn & Suites Airdrie/403‑948‑3411 Nose Creek Valley Museum/403‑948‑6685 Ramada Inn & Suites Airdrie/403‑945‑1288 Bragg Creek Bragg Creek Community Centre/403‑949‑4277 Calgary Acclaim Hotel Calgary Airport/403‑291‑8000 Austrian Canadian Cultural Centre/403‑250‑9126 Best Western PLUS Port O’ Call Hotel/403‑291‑4600 Best Western PREMIER Freeport Inn & Suites/ 403‑264‑9650 Calgary Stampede/403‑261‑0282 Calgary TELUS Convention Centre/403‑261‑8500 Century Casino Calgary/403‑287‑1183 Cilantro Restaurant/403‑245‑8880 Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre/800‑661‑1464 Commonwealth Centre/403‑338‑2100 Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Calgary-Airport/ 403‑250‑1800 Days Inn Calgary South/403‑243‑5531 Deerfoot Inn & Casino/403‑236‑7529 Delta Bow Valley/403‑205‑5415 Delta Calgary Airport/403‑250‑6031 Delta Calgary South/403‑225‑8620 Earl Grey Golf Club/403‑249‑5548 EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts/403‑294‑7455 Executive Royal Hotel Calgary, The/403‑291‑2003 Fort Calgary/403‑290‑1875 Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport/403‑648‑3177 Glamorgan Community Centre/403‑246‑8218 Glenbow Museum/403‑268‑4132 Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre, The/403‑279‑8611 Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Calgary University/ 403‑289‑9800 Headspace/403‑541‑2799 Heritage Park Historical Village/403‑268‑8500

1 2 1

40 103 • • 6,590 • 75 59 • •

350

12 2 12

550 225 280 250 200

•

• • • • •

• •

3 110 97 • • • 30 9,000 • • 36 4,000 • 2 1,000 • 2 40 • 13 1,300 248 • • • • 3 1,600 1 24 106 • • • 7 300 134 • • 14 700 188 • • 11 325 394 • • 15 200 296 • • • 16 350 252 • • • 2 180 12 1,800 • • 7 400 200 • • • 9 220 • 5 300 159 • • • • 3 160 • 5 500 • 14 1,000 169 • • • 3 30 96 • • 1 100 12 1,000 • •

b er o

f me etin g ro o L arg ms est m ro o m e eti n capa g cit y (p er Num sons b er o ) f sle epin g ro o Res t ms aura nt on p r e Walk mis e s to sh ops / re s t Po ol aura /s p a nts /g y m Air p or t s hut t le

Num

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number

b er o f me etin g ro o L arg ms est m ro o m e eti capa ng cit y (p er Num sons b er o ) f sle epin g ro o Res t ms aura nt on p rem Walk is e s to sh ops / r e s taur Po ol ant s /s p a /g y m Air p or t s hut t le

Meeting places at a glance

7 300 151 • • • 8 1,000 185 • • • 10 280 198 • • • • 5 250 103 • • • 24 1,800 355 • • • 3 80 • 3 60 7 100 248 • • • 6 110 • • 3 60 19 • • 4 300 8 600 • 17 600 600 • • • • 8 500 210 • • • • 1 1,100 • 5 110 177 • • • 1 50 111 • • 3 150 300 • • • 1 60 139 • • 2 13 600 323 • • • • 7 700 3 400 9 200 • 5 150 • 3 400 • • 3 200 • 25 2,000 525 • • • 3 100 103 • • 1 150 • 2 85 24 • 2 40 61 • 1 25 72 •

Edmonton & Area

200

•

4 400 72 • • •

Edmonton Alberta Place Suite Hotel/780‑423‑1565 1 90 85 • Best Western Cedar Park Inn/780‑434‑7411 3 175 195 • • Best Western Plus City Centre Inn/780‑479‑2042 3 100 109 • • Best Western Plus South Edmonton Inn & Suites/ 780‑801‑3580 1 25 105 • Best Western Plus Westwood Inn /780‑483‑7770 8 500 172 • • • Campus Tower Suite Hotel/780‑439‑6060 3 60 90 • • • • Canterra Suites Hotel/780‑421‑1212 1 65 44 • • • • Chateau Lacombe Hotel/780‑420‑8357 13 1,000 307 Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre/ 780‑452‑7770 11 325 140 • • • • Chateau Nova Hotel & Suites Kingsway/780‑732‑5734 3 250 152 • • Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel/780‑423‑4811 9 500 299 • • • • Conference Services - University of Alberta/ 780‑492‑6057 24 320 • • • Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton Downtown/ 780‑945‑4735 4 100 177 • • • Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton West/780‑638‑6070 6 485 136 • • Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel/780‑429‑3900 17 400 169 • • • Delta Edmonton South Hotel & Conference Centre/ 780‑434‑6415 21 800 237 • • • • DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton/780‑484‑0821 23 1,000 238 • • Edmonton EXPO Centre/780‑471‑7210 16 4,000 • • Executive Royal Inn West Edmonton/780‑930‑6852 6 500 235 • • • Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton South/780‑465‑7931 11 400 139 • • • Hilton Garden Inn West Edmonton/780‑443‑2233 5 200 160 • • • • Holiday Inn Conference Centre Edmonton South/ 780‑432‑1200 8 600 224 • • • Lodge at Snow Valley, The/780‑809‑2374 1 200 • Metterra Hotel on Whyte/780‑431‑5318 3 80 98 • • Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium/780‑427‑2760 6 2,514 Northlands Park Racetrack and Casino/780‑471‑7210 5 200 • • Oasis Centre - Conferencing & Events, The/ 780‑451‑9227 4 720 Polish Veterans Hall and Country Lodge/780‑475‑9366 3 350 • Quality Inn West Harvest Edmonton/780‑484‑8000 5 60 159 • • • Radisson Hotel Edmonton South/780‑437‑6010 15 1,200 235 • • • • Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre/780‑453‑7343 26 1,000 233 • • Rexall Place/780‑471‑8107 18,500 • • Sands Inn & Suites/780‑474‑5476 3 450 53 • • Shaw Conference Centre/780‑917‑7607 23 6,000 • Timms Centre for the Arts/780‑492‑2273 4 289 • • Union Bank Inn/780‑401‑2209 4 130 34 • • Westin Edmonton, The/780‑426‑3636 18 800 416 • • Wingate by Wyndham Edmonton West/780‑443‑1000 4 120 105 • • • • Winspear Centre/780‑401‑2522 6 1,716 Enoch Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort/ 780‑930‑2622 16 600 249 • Fort Saskatchewan Dow Centennial Centre - City of Fort Saskatchewan/ 780‑992‑6409 14 1,500 • • • Lac Ste Anne County (near Onoway) Old Stone House, The/780‑967‑3324 2 32 • Leduc Best Western Plus Denham Inn & Suites/780‑986‑2241 4 200 95 • • • • Days Inn Edmonton Airport/780‑986‑6550 3 150 116 • • • • Executive Royal Hotel Leduc-Nisku/780‑986‑1840 9 400 255 • • • • Nisku Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton International Airport/780‑770‑9099 2 125 112 • • • • Sherwood Park Festival Place/780‑410‑8567 9 500 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Sherwood Park/ 780‑417‑3388 1 40 90 • •

b er o f me etin g ro o L arg ms est m ro o m e eti capa ng cit y (p er Num sons b er o ) f sle epin g ro o Res t ms aura nt on p rem Walk is e s to sh ops / re s t Po ol a uran /s p a ts /g y m Air p or t s hut t le

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number Strathcona Wilderness Centre/780‑922‑3939 St Albert Best Western Plus The Inn at St Albert/780‑470‑3800

Num

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number De Winton Heritage Pointe Golf Club/403‑256‑9192 High River Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre High River/ 403‑652‑3834

Num

b er o

f me etin g ro o L arg ms est m ro o m e eti capa ng cit y (p er Num sons b er o ) f sle epin g ro o Res t ms aura nt on p rem Walk is e s to sh ops / re s t Po ol aura /s p a nts /g y m Air p or t s hut t le

| 17

•

Alberta Rockies

Banff Banff Aspen Lodge/403‑762‑4401 Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa/403‑561‑9152 Banff Centre/403‑762‑6485 Banff Park Lodge Resort Hotel & Conference Centre/ 403‑760‑3265 Banff Ptarmigan Inn/403‑561‑9152 Banff Rocky Mountain Resort Hotel & Conference Centre/403‑561‑9152 Banff Voyager Inn/Spruce Grove Inn/800‑879‑1991 Buffalo Mountain Lodge/403‑781‑8131 Fox Hotel & Suites/403‑561‑9152 Inns of Banff/403‑561‑9152 Maple Leaf Grille & Lounge/403‑760‑5088 Rimrock Resort Hotel/403‑762‑3356 Rundlestone Lodge/403‑762‑2201 Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies/403‑762‑2291 Canmore Best Western Plus Pocaterra Inn/403‑678‑4334 Blackstone Mountain Lodge/403‑609‑8098 Canmore Recreation Centre/403‑678‑0808 Canmore Rocky Mountain Inn/403‑678‑5221 Coast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre/ 403‑609‑5438 Econo Lodge Canmore/403‑678‑5488 Elevation Place/403‑678‑0808 Falcon Crest Lodge/403‑678‑6150 Grande Rockies Resort, The/403‑678‑8880 Quality Resort Chateau Canmore/403‑678‑6699 StoneRidge Mountain Resort/403‑961‑5039 Dead Man’s Flats Copperstone Resort/403‑678‑0303 Hinton Best Canadian Motor Inn Hinton/780‑865‑5099 Black Cat Guest Ranch/780‑865‑3084 Hinton Golf Club/780‑865‑2904 Holiday Inn Express Suites Hinton/780‑865‑2048 Holiday Inn Hinton/780‑865‑3321 Overlander Mountain Lodge/877‑866‑2330 Jasper Best Western Jasper Inn & Suites/780‑852‑4461 Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, The/780‑852‑3301 Pyramid Lake Resort (Mountain Park Lodges)/ 780‑852‑2516 Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre Jasper/ 780‑852‑6597 Kananaskis Boundary Ranch/403‑591‑7171 Lake Louise Baker Creek Mountain Resort/403‑522‑3761 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, The/403‑522‑3511 Lake Louise Inn/403‑522‑3791 Post Hotel & Spa/403‑522‑3989 Morley Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino/403‑881‑2830

1 18 89 • • • 2 60 190 • • • 60 959 419 • • • • 19 500 211 • • • • 2 100 134 • • • 4 5 5 1 5 4 18 2 6

175 171 • • • 130 88 • • 100 108 • • • 12 91 • • • 160 244 • • • 46 • • 500 346 • • 80 96 • • • 350 •

3 2 2 1

150 83 • • 60 127 • • 100 • • • 60 50

10 400 164 • • • • 1 85 60 • • 3 50 • • • 2 40 66 • • • 3 150 150 • • 3 135 93 • • 1 60 101 • • • 1

3 2 1 2 1 2

80 104 • 30 16 • 160 • 10 99 • • 100 104 • • 30 41 •

4 19

120 600

144 450

•

• • •

•

• •

1 60 62 • • • 7 240 153 • • • 3

200

•

1 21 3 2

30 750 100 60

35 • 554 • • 247 • 97 •

• • • •

450

110

•

Central Alberta

Blackfalds Blackfalds Community Hall/403‑885‑4677 Blackfalds Multi-Plex/403‑885‑4677 Microtel Inn & Suites/403‑885‑9797 Bonnyville Bonnyville Neighbourhood Inn/780‑826‑3300

1 250 2 125 1 40 63 • • 3

•

18 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Camrose Best Western PLUS Camrose Resort Casino/ 780‑679‑4956 Camrose Regional Exhibition/780‑672‑3640 Camrose Super 8/780‑672‑7303 Chuck MacLean Arts Centre/780‑672‑9949 Norsemen Inn/780‑672‑9171 Drayton Valley Lakeview Inns & Suites Black Gold Inn/780‑542‑3200 Ramada Drayton Valley/780‑514‑7861 Service Plus Inns & Suites Drayton Valley/888‑875‑4667 Edson Best Western High Road Inn/780‑712‑2378 Edson & District Recreation Complex/780‑723‑3311 Kitscoty Kitscoty Hall/780‑872‑9465 Lloydminster Centennial Civic Centre Auditorium/780‑875‑4529 Holiday Inn & Suites Lloydminster/780‑870‑5050 Lloydminster Exhibition Association/306‑825‑5571 Servus Sports Centre/780‑875‑4529 Tropical Inn Hotel & Conference Centre/780‑875‑7000 West Harvest Express/780‑875‑8884 West Harvest Inn Lloydminster/780‑875‑6113 Olds Olds College Conference Services/403‑556‑8359 Red Deer Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum/403‑341‑8614 Best Western Plus Inn & Suites/403‑346‑3555 Collicutt Centre/403‑358‑7524 Comfort Inn & Suites Red Deer/403‑348‑0025 Days Inn Red Deer/403‑340‑3297 Festival Hall/403‑346‑0055 Hampton Inn & Suites/403‑346‑6688 Holiday Inn & Suites Red Deer South/403‑348‑8485 iHotel 67 Street/403‑357‑1108 Motel 6 Red Deer/403‑340‑1749 Ramada Red Deer Hotel & Suites/403‑342‑4445 Red Deer Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre/ 800‑661‑1657 Sandman Hotel Red Deer/403‑343‑7400 Sheraton Red Deer Hotel/403‑755‑1150 Westerner Park/403‑343‑7800 Rocky Mountain House Prairie Creek Inn, The/403‑844‑2672 Sundre Sundre Golf Club/403‑638‑5812 Vermilion Vermilion Regional Centre/780‑581‑2413 Whitecourt Admiral Inn & Suites/780‑778‑2216 Eagle River Casino/780‑779‑2727

3 320 113 • • 9 1 60 72 • 7 125 5 475 75 • • 2 1 1

100 30 12

91 82 89 •

2 5

350 114 500

• • •

• • • •

1 455 • 1 2 8 1 7 2 3

350 80 116 • • • 1,500 • 120 350 165 • • • 50 80 • 150 96 • • •

400

600

•

2 200 1 12 92 • • 5 80 • • 4 200 88 • • • 1 100 76 • • 2 525 1 70 110 • • 1 500 114 • • • 10 300 142 • • • 0 2 70 90 • • 11 120 223 • • 2 50 143 • • • 14 2,500 241 • • • 16 1,200 • • 1

•

150

600

2 1

100 74 70

• •

• • •

Southern Alberta

Brooks Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre Brooks/ 403‑362‑6666 Ramada Inn & Suites/403‑362‑6440 Super 8 Brooks/403‑363‑0080 Lethbridge Coast Lethbridge Hotel & Conference Centre/ 403‑327‑5701 Days Inn Lethbridge/403‑327‑6000 Econo Lodge Inn & Suites/403‑328‑5591 Fort Whoop Up National Historic Site/403‑329‑0444 Galt Museum & Archives/403‑320‑4247 Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Lethbridge/ 403‑394‑9292 Holiday Inn Lethbridge/403‑359‑5612 Lethbridge College /403‑329‑7218 Lethbridge Exhibition Park/403‑317‑3213

6 600 106 • • • 2 60 101 • • 1 45 94 • 6 1 1 5 4

550 103 • • • 15 70 • • 10 75 • • 300 200 •

1 6 2 6

20 114 • • • 150 124 • • • 500 • 34,000 •

Lethbridge Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre / 403‑328‑1123 Quality Inn & Suites Lethbridge/403‑331‑6440 Ramada Lethbridge/403‑329‑0555 Regent Restaurant/403‑328‑7800 Ric’s Grill & The Mix by Ric’s Lounge in the Watertower/403‑317‑7427 Sandman Hotel Lethbridge/403‑328‑1111 Super 8 Lethbridge/403‑328‑6636 University of Lethbridge Conference & Event Services/403‑329‑2244 Medicine Hat Best Western Plus Sun Country/403‑527‑3700 City of Medicine Hat - Arenas/403‑502‑8745 Clarion Hotel & Conference Centre/403‑527‑8844 Comfort Inn & Suites Medicine Hat/403‑504‑1700 Desert Blume Golf Club/403‑581‑4653 Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre/403‑502‑8787 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Medicine Hat/ 403‑504‑5151 Medalta - Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District/403‑529‑1070 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede/403‑527‑1234 Medicine Hat Lodge Resort/403‑502‑8190 Paradise Valley Golf Course/403‑526‑3330 Southside Events Centre/403‑528‑9997 Pincher Creek Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre Pincher Creek/403‑627‑5000 Taber Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre Taber/ 403‑223‑4424 Waterton Park Bayshore Inn at Waterton Lake/403‑859‑2211

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number

Num

Meeting place or venue/City/Phone number

Num

b er o

Meeting places at a glance

10 850 190 • • • • 1 15 60 • • 2 30 86 • • 3 80 • 3 150 • • 8 350 119 • • • 1 10 75 • • 75 350 1 3 1 1 2 6

• • •

40 122 • 120 550 65 • • • 40 100 • • 160 • 240 •

3 100 93 • • • 2 200 7 2,000 • 9 500 222 • • • 1 50 • 2 455 • • 3 260 77 • • 4 300 74 • • 4

300

•

Northern Alberta

Athabasca Athabasca Golf & Country Club/780‑675‑4599 Athabasca Super 8/780‑675‑8888 Days Inn Athabasca/780‑675‑7020 Fort McMurray Chateau Nova Fort McMurray/780‑278‑6155 Clearwater Suite Hotel & Spa/780‑799‑7676 Franklin Suite Hotel/780‑788‑2199 Merit Hotel & Suites/780‑714‑9444 Nomad Hotel & Suites/780‑791‑4770 Podollan Inn & Rez-idence Fort McMurray/ 780‑790‑2000 Quality Hotel & Conference Centre Fort McMurray/ 780‑713‑3335 Super 8 Fort McMurray/780‑799‑8450 Grande Prairie Best Western Hotel & Suites Grande Prairie/ 780‑402‑2378 Crystal Centre/780‑513‑5242 Evergreen Park/780‑357‑2849 Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Conference Centre/ 780‑402‑6886 Paradise Inn & Conference Centre Grande Prairie/ 800‑661‑7954 Pomeroy Hotel & Conference Centre/780‑832‑2436 Pomeroy Inn & Suites Grande Prairie/780‑831‑2999 Sandman Hotel Grande Prairie/780‑513‑5555 Service Plus Inn & Suites Grande Prairie/780‑538‑3900 Stanford Hotel Grande Prairie/780‑539‑5678 High Level Best Western Plus Mirage Hotel & Resort/ 780‑821‑1000 Executive House Suites Hotel & Conference Centre/ 780‑926‑3311 Slave Lake Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Slave Lake/ 780‑849‑4819 Super 8 Slave Lake/780‑805‑3100

1 144 • 1 15 47 • • • • 2 30 69 • • 2 5 1 3 2

150 30 12 150 200

170 • • 150 • • • 75 • • 228 • • 165 • •

• • • • •

1 40 101 • • 6 600 153 • • • 2 50 140 • • • 3 160 100 • • • • 4 1,400 • 11 5,000 • 7 800 145 • • • • 6 5 3 2 1 2

400 800 100 150 50 40

102 • • • • 202 • • • 152 • • • 134 • • • 123 • • • • 204 • • • •

4 500 92 • • • • 3 150 32 • • 1 30 111 • 1 30 58 •

| 19

Regional map of Alberta NWT CALGARY & AREA—20 Airdrie—24 Bragg Creek—24 Calgary—24 Cochrane — 26 De Winton—26 High River—26 Okotoks—26

EDMONTON & AREA—27

High Level

Edmonton—30 Enoch—31 Fort Saskatchewan—31 Lac Ste Anne County—32 Leduc—32 Medicine Hat—32 Nisku—32 Sherwood Park—32 Spruce Grove—32 St Albert—32 Stony Plain—32

Northern Alberta—P46

Fort McMurray

ALBERTA ROCKIES—33 Banff—34 Canmore—36 Dead Man’s Flats—36 Hinton—36 Jasper—36 Kananaskis—36 Lake Louise—36

CENTRAL ALBERTA—37 Blackfalds—38 Bonnyville—38 Camrose—38 Drayton Valley—38 Edson—38 Kitscoty—40 Lloydminster—40 Olds—40 Red Deer—40 Rocky Mountain House—41 Sundre—41 Vermilion—41 Whitecourt—41

Peace River

High Prairie

Clairmont

Lac La Biche Edmonton Cold Lake & area—P27

Athabasca 40

Bonnyville

Westlock

Whitecourt

St. Paul

Grande Cache

Bruderhelm Edson

Fallis St. Albert Edmonton Sherwood Park Spruce Grove Stony Plain Enoch Beaumont Devon Nisku Drayton Valley Leduc Camrose Westerose Wetaskiwin New Norway

Wainwright

Rimbey

Sylvan Lake

Rocky Mountain House

Innisfail

Nordegg

Provost

Stettler

Red Deer

12 36

Olds

Three Hills

Lake Louise

Banff Morley Cochrane Canmore Kananaskis Calgary

Carstairs

Drumheller Airdrie 9

Rocky View Langdon Bragg Creek De Winton Okotoks Turner Valley High River

Southern Alberta—P42

Rosebud

Patricia Brooks

Calgary & area—P20

Medicine Hat Claresholm

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Picture Butte

Fort Macleod Coleman

Lethbridge

Pincher Creek

Taber 36

2 4

Waterton

WASHINGTON

Lloydminster

Alberta Rockies—P33

Kitscoty

Central Alberta—P37 93

45 36

Jasper

Heinsburg

Lamont Fort Saskatchewan

Evansburg

Hinton

NORTHERN ALBERTA—46 Athabasca—47 Fairview—47 Fort McMurray—47 Grande Prairie—47 High Level—47 Slave Lake—47

Slave Lake

Grande Prairie

SOUTHERN ALBERTA—42 Brooks—43 Drumheller—43 Lethbridge—43 Medicine Hat—44 Pincher Creek—44 Taber—44 Waterton Park—44

S AS KAT CH E W A N

IDAH O

MONT ANA

Bow Island

20 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Calgary & area

NOWTOWN Sophisticated and friendly Calgary is Canada’s city of the century

C BY GEOFF KIRBYSON

The 400-acre Spruce Meadows welcomes national and international equestrian competitions just south of downtown – and boasts 56,000 square feet of conference facilities | TOURISM CALGARY

algary’s tourism industry is confident the continued growth of non-oil-andgas sectors will keep it the top-ranked hotel city in Canada. “We will always be the oil and gas capital but we’re seeing very strong growth in the tech and health sectors. That helps protect against any downturn in the oil and gas market,” says Jon Jackson, executive director of the Calgary Hotel Association (CHA). The stronger the overall economy, the more confidence hoteliers will have to build or expand.

“We’re aware of 15 properties throughout the city in various construction phases,” Jackson says. “Calgary is still Canada’s No. 1 [hotel] market. We are such a strong business market that there’s room for growth,” he says. The CHA predicts Calgary’s hotel room stock will grow by more than 25 per cent from last year’s 12,000 total to slightly more than 15,000 by 2017. “The great thing is we’re seeing strong growth from the [major] brands, such as Hilton, Marriott and Starwood, so that’s showing the continued confidence in Calgary as a hotel city and as a city that continues to grow,” he says. The high calibre of hotels is reflected in the Hotel Le Germain downtown, which opened in 2010. The boutique

| 21

Calgary & area

Visitors take a thrilling, professionally piloted bobsled run in Canada Olympic Park legacy facilities from the 1988 Calgary Olympics | TOURISM CALGARY

22 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Calgary & area

Young people celebrate on Stephen Avenue: Alberta’s “oil capital” is Canada’s youngest city, drawing workers and visitors from around the world | TOURISM CALGARY

hotel combines luxury suites and fine dining with a series of sophisticated meeting rooms for groups from a dozen to more than 100. Starwood has just brought one of its other banners, Aloft, to Calgary. This boutique hotel is much more connected digitally than most. “It’s for young professionals, high social media users, the gen-Ys and millennials,” he says. And later this year, a Fairfield by Marriott will be opening just south of downtown. The 124-room hotel will boast “substantial” meeting space, Jackson adds. Calgary’s current convention activity bears out much of the optimism on the hotel front. Much of that takes place at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre, which has 122,000 square feet of convention space, more than 47,000 square feet of exhibit space, five pre-function areas and 36 meeting rooms. Spruce Meadows, Canada’s premier equestrian facility, has 56,000

Historic

Events Happen Here

square feet of conference and meeting space. Team-building events don’t come any livelier than challenging the bobsled run or North America’s fastest zipline at Canada Olympic Park, a popular meeting venue just west of the city. David Ferguson, senior associate at PKF Consulting Inc., a Vancouver-based advisory firm to the hospitality industry in Canada, predicts more than five per cent growth in Calgary total room supply in 2014 and 2015. City and airport planning is playing a role in the growth. Ferguson says when a new runway was built recently, the road out of the airport to the south was closed. “That has increased travel times to and from the hotels in the northeast, hence there’s a lot of interest in developing new hotels to the north of the airport terminal building because they’re now the closest hotels to the airport,” he says. 

Heritage Park Historical Village is Calgary’s most distinctive venue with facilities to suit any event, year-round. Let our Executive Chef, Jan Hansen, create the perfect menu for your culinary needs. • BANQUETS • SEMINARS • WEDDINGS • BUSINESS LUNCHEONS • BARBEQUES •

FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND BOOKING AVAILABILITY VISIT HERITAGEPARK.CA OR CALL 403.268.8526

PLANNING A MEETING OR EVENT IN CALGARY? Success Starts Here.

Whether you are hosting a meeting for 5 or a conference for 225, our team will ensure that all of your details are taken of. Delta Calgary South features 19,000 square feet of meeting space in 16 meeting rooms. We are located in the heart of the Macleod Trail business and entertainment district, minutes away ffrom world-class attractions and premium shopping. Please contact us by phone at 403-225-8631 or by email at service@deltacalgarysouth.com.

www.deltacalgarysouth.com 135 Southland Drive SE Calgary, Alberta T2J 5X5 1-877-278-5050

24 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Calgary & area Airdrie Hotels and Motels Comfort Inn & Suites Airdrie 133 Sierra Springs Dr SE, Airdrie T4B 3G7 �� p403‑948‑3411 f403‑948‑0021 ereservations@comfortinnairdrie.com wwww.comfortinn.com Ramada Inn & Suites Airdrie 191 East Lake Cres, Airdrie T4A 2H7 �� p403‑945‑1288 f403‑945‑1012 egm@ramadaairdrie.com wwww.canaltahotels.com

Venues - Event or Meeting Facilities Nose Creek Valley Museum 1701 Main St SW, Airdrie T4B 1C5 ��p403‑948‑6685 encvm@telus.net wwww.nosecreekvalleymuseum.com

Bragg Creek Photography - Event/Videography Gold Photography 31 White Ave Box 1059, Bragg Creek T0L 0K0 Gail Gold �� p403‑949‑2748 f403‑949‑2725 epgold@goldphotography.com wwww.goldphotography.com

Resorts/Retreats Riverside Chateau 104 White Ave Box 1319, Bragg Creek T0L 0K0 Marek Grzesiak ��p403‑835‑6032 einfo@riversidechateau.com wwww.riversidechateau.com

Restaurants Bavarian Inn Restaurant 75 White Ave Box 808, Bragg Creek T0L 0K0 ��p403‑949‑3611 erestaurant@thebavarianinn.com wwww.thebavarianinn.com

Venues - Event or Meeting Facilities Bragg Creek Community Centre 23 White Ave Box 39, Bragg Creek T0L 0K0 Shaye Radford ��p403‑949‑4277 especialevents@braggcreekca.com wwww.braggcreekca.com

Calgary Associations/Chambers of Commerce/ Tourist Info Centres Meeting Professionals International Greater Calgary Chapter Box 61203 Kensington RPO, Calgary T2N 4S6 �� p403‑835‑1601 f403‑266‑6709 einfo@mpi-gcc.org wwww.mpi-gcc.org Tourism Calgary 238 11th Ave SE Suite 200, Calgary T2G 0X8 �� p403‑263‑8510 f403‑263‑8510 wwww.visitcalgary.com

Audiovisual Services Mediaco 1220 28th St NE Suite 114, Calgary T2A 6A2 Peter Cornforth �� p403‑278‑1200 f403‑278‑1232 ecalgary@mediaco.ca wwww.mediaco.ca Westin Calgary 320 4th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 2S6 Andrea Fernando p403‑508‑5206 f403‑265‑7908 eandrea.fernando@westin.com wwww.westin.com/calgary

Banquet Facilities Austrian Canadian Cultural Centre 3112 11 St NE, Calgary T2E 7J1 Christa Schmidt �� p403‑250‑9126 f403‑250‑9128 einfo@austrianclub.ca wwww.austrianclub.ca Century Casino Calgary 1010 42 Ave SE, Calgary T2G 1Z4 Todd Thull �� p403‑287‑1183 f403‑243‑3166 einfo.calgary@cnty.com wwww.calgary.cnty.com Il Sogno 24 4 St NE, Calgary T2E 3R7 �� p403‑232‑8901 f403‑232‑8816 eilsogno@shaw.ca wwww.ilsogno.org

Westin Calgary 320 4th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 2S6 Andrea Fernando p403‑508‑5206 f403‑265‑7908 eandrea.fernando@westin.com wwww.westin.com/calgary

Employment Agencies/Event Staffing`

Bus Services Airport Shuttle Express Ltd 2536 7 Ave NE, Calgary T2A 2L7 �� p403‑509‑4799 f403‑272‑4799 einfo@airportshuttleexpress.com wwww.airportshuttleexpress.com

Caterers A Splendid Affair 10 Coachway Rd SW Suite 143, Calgary T3H 1E5 Beat Schmassmann ��p403‑228‑6280 ebeat@asplendidaffair.com wwww.asplendidaffair.com Distinctive Catering 2828 18 St NE Suite 1, Calgary T2E 7B1 Connie Quinton ��p403‑256‑4380 einfo@distinctivecatering.ca wwww.distinctivecatering.ca Grumans Catering & Delicatessen 230 11th Ave SE, Calgary T2G 0X8 Peter Fraiberg �� p403‑261‑9003 f403‑261‑5012 eevents@grumans.ca wwww.grumans.ca

BBW International Inc. Calgary ��p866-984-0352 esales@bbwinternational.com wwww.bbwinternational.com Local Calgary and Edmonton event staff for conference registration, cashiers, booth hostesses and experiential marketing ambassadors.

Event Marketing`

Community Halls Glamorgan Community Centre 4207 41 Ave SW, Calgary T3E 1G2 ��p403‑246‑8218 einfo@myglamorgan.ca wwww.myglamorgan.ca Strathcona Community Association Building 277 Strathcona Dr SW, Calgary T3H 2A4 Office Manager �� p403‑249‑1138 f403‑249‑7811 einfo@scacalgary.ca wwww.scacalgary.ca

PNH Solutions 5225 Creekbank Rd, Mississauga L4W 1R3 Francois Hudon ��p514‑683‑3279 einfo@pnh.ca wwww.pnh.ca PNH SOLUTIONS: Canadian leader in event marketing and trade show exhibit products - fast turnaround - knowledgeable professionals at your service.

Conference Organizers/Planners/ Tradeshow Consultants

Event Group, The 1235 17 Ave SW Suite 210, Calgary T2T 0C2 David Howard �� p403‑543‑1509 f403‑543‑1516 edave@eventgroup.ca wwww.eventgroup.ca POP Kollaborative Inc 318 11 Ave SE Suite 430, Calgary T2G 0Y2 Kenneth Kristoffersen ��p403‑264‑9801 f403‑264‑9809 einfo@pophasemail.com wwww.pophasawebsite.com

ConventionALL Management 4905 102 Ave SE Bay 3 Second Fl, Calgary T2C 2X7 Lisa Doyle �� p403‑244‑7821 f866‑808‑0366 einfo@conventionall.com wwww.conventionall.com Delisle Marketing & Events Inc 1120 44 Ave SE Suite A, Calgary T2G 4W6 Charlene Delisle � p403‑203‑9243 f403‑236‑0524 ecdelisle@dmeinc.ca wwww.dmeinc.ca Details Convention & Event Management 305 4625 Varsity Dr NW Suite 400, Calgary T3A 0Z9 Jean Silzer �� p403‑277‑7377 f888‑820‑7757 einfo@detailsinc.ca wwww.detailsinc.ca

Decor and Design Services Chair Flair Linen Rentals & Event Decor 246 Stewart Green SW Suite 2024, Calgary T3H 3C8 Shannon Collins ��p403‑923‑8751 echairflair@shaw.ca wwww.chairflair.ca Flagworks Inc 5622 Burleigh Cres SE Bay 1, Calgary T2H 1Z8 �� p403‑265‑5595 f403‑265‑5612 eflagworks@flagworks.com wwww.flagworks.com

Destination Management/Marketing Meetings + Conventions Calgary 120 9 Ave SE, Calgary T2G 0P3 ��p403‑261‑8569 einfo@meetingscalgary.com wwww.meetingscalgary.com

Display Designers & Builders Display Dynamics Ltd 1733 10 Ave SW, Calgary T3C 0K1 �� p403‑269‑5566 f403‑269‑4265 einfo@displaydynamics.ca wwww.displaydynamics.ca Nexus Exhibits Ltd 2424 2 Ave SE, Calgary T2E 6J9 �� p403‑262‑8030 f403‑266‑3414 emarketing@nexusexhibits.com wwww.nexusexhibits.com

Event Planners

Event Registration CONEXSYS Event Registration 6115 4th St SE Unit 9, Calgary T2H 2H9 Mike Carruthers � p403‑254‑0695 f403‑254‑0472 emike@conexsys.com wwww.conexsys.com

Golf Courses & Country Clubs Earl Grey Golf Club 6540 20 St SW, Calgary T3E 5L2 Jennifer Cox �� p403‑249‑5548 f403‑246‑2458 ejenn@earlgreygolfclub.com wwww.earlgreygolfclub.com Valley Ridge Golf Club 11618 Valley Ridge Park NW, Calgary T3B 5L4 Kaitlyn Bruce ��p403‑221‑9682 wwww.valleyridgegolf.com

Hotels and Motels Best Western PREMIER Freeport Inn & Suites 86 Freeport Blvd NE, Calgary T3J 5J9 Elise Shorting �� p403‑264‑9650 f403‑264‑9651 einfo@bestwesterncalgary.com wwww.bestwesterncalgary.com Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre 1316 33 St NE, Calgary T2A 6B6 �� p800‑661‑1464 f403‑248‑0749 einfo@calgaryplaza.com wwww.calgaryplaza.com Country Inn & Suites by Carlson CalgaryAirport 2481 39 Ave NE, Calgary T2E 8V8 Leanne Shaw-Brotherston ��p403‑250‑1800 f403‑250‑2121 ecx_clgr@countryinns.com wwww.countryinns.com/calgaryab Deerfoot Inn & Casino 11500 35 St SE Suite 1000, Calgary T2Z 3W4 Michael Seguin �� p403‑236‑7529 f403‑252‑4767 emseguin@dfic.ca wwww.deerfootinn.com Delta Calgary Airport 2001 Airport Rd NE, Calgary T2E 6Z8 Grant Erickson �� p403‑250‑6031 f403‑250‑8722 egrant.erickson@deltahotels.com wwww.deltacalgaryairport.com

Delta Calgary South 135 Southland Dr SE, Calgary T2J 5X5 �� p403‑225‑8620 f403‑225‑5813 eservice@deltacalgarysouth.com wwww.deltacalgarysouth.com Executive Royal Hotel Calgary, The 2828 23 St NE, Calgary T2E 8T4 �� p403‑291‑2003 f403‑291‑2019 enorthcalgary@royalinn.com wwww.executivehotels.net/calgary Four Points by Sheraton Calgary Airport 2875 Sunridge Way NE, Calgary T1Y 7K7 Karlee Zemp �� p403‑648‑3177 f403‑648‑3179 ecatering@fourpointscalgaryairport.com wwww.fourpointscalgaryairport.ca Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre, The 2720 Glenmore Trail SE, Calgary T2C 2E6 Laura Pocock �� p403‑279‑8611 f403‑236‑8035 elaurapocock@glenmoreinn.com wwww.glenmoreinn.com Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Calgary University 2231 Banff Trail NW, Calgary T2M 4L2 Rupesh Mulakkal p403‑289‑9800 f403‑289‑9200 ehsuites@shaw.ca wwww.hamptoncalgary.com Hotel Blackfoot 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE, Calgary T2H 2B5 �� p403‑252‑2253 f403‑252‑3574 esales@hotelblackfoot.com wwww.hotelblackfoot.com Hyatt Regency Calgary 700 Centre St SE, Calgary T2G 5P6 Danielle Durand � p403‑717‑1234 f403‑262‑3490 esalescalrc@hyatt.com wwww.hyattregencycalgary.com International Hotel Calgary 220 4 Ave SW, Calgary T2P 0H5 Chantel Lindal �� p403‑290‑7851 f403‑290‑7885 ecatering@internationalhotel.ca wwww.internationalhotel.ca Ramada Plaza Calgary Airport Hotel & Conference Centre, The 3515 26 St NE, Calgary T1Y 7E3 Coral Bechdholt �� p403‑250‑4585 f403‑291‑9719 ecoral.bechdholt@sodexo.com wwww.ramada.com Sandman Hotel & Suites Calgary Airport 25 Hopewell Way NE, Calgary T3J 4V7 �� p403‑219‑2475 f403‑219‑2476 esalescalair@sandman.ca wwww.sandmanhotels.com Sandman Hotel & Suites Calgary West 125 Bowridge Dr NW, Calgary T3B 3R6 �� p403‑288‑6033 f403‑288‑6063 esales_calwest@sandman.ca wwww.sandmanhotels.com Sandman Hotel Calgary City Centre 888 7th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 3J3 Sandra Watson �� p403‑513‑2544 f403‑264‑4256 eswatson@sandman.ca wwww.sandmanhotels.com Service Plus Inns & Suites Calgary 3503 114 Ave SE, Calgary T2Z 3X2 �� p403‑256‑5352 f403‑256‑5321 ereservations@spis.ca wwww.serviceplusinns.com Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire 255 Barclay Parade SW, Calgary T2P 5C2 �� p403‑266‑7200 f403‑266‑1300 ehotelinfo@sheratonsuites.com wwww.sheratonsuites.com

Westin Calgary 320 4th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 2S6 Andrea Fernando p403‑508‑5206 f403‑265‑7908 eandrea.fernando@westin.com wwww.westin.com/calgary Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South 400 Midpark Way SE, Calgary T2X 3S4 �� p403‑514‑0099 f403‑514‑0090 emeetings@wingatebywyndhamcalgary.com wwww.wingatebywyndhamcalgary.com

The

GLENMORE INN & Convention Centre

We will accommodate your business meetings and conventions with personal attention and professional service. The Glenmore Inn provides numerous options that can easily accommodate your needs. Our facilities are perfect for almost any size of special occasion. • 15,000 sq. ft. of Adaptable Banquet Space from 156 - 9,700 sq. ft. • 14 Banquet Rooms – up to 1,200 Guests • Customized Catering Menus Available • Complimentary Parking 2720 Glenmore Trail SE Calgary, AB T2C 2E6 Phone: (403) 279-8611 Toll Free: 1-800-661-3163 Fax: (403) 236-8035 E-mail: cateringmgr@glenmoreinn.com

www.glenmoreinn.com

26 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Calgary & area Meeting Planners

Signs, Banners, Flag

Venues - Event or Meeting Facilities

Calgary Stampede 1410 Olympic Way SE, Calgary T2G 2W1 Greg Newton �� p403‑261‑0282 f403‑261‑0421 egnewton@calgarystampede.com wwww.calgarystampede.com/venues EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts 205 8 Ave SE, Calgary T2G 0K9 �� p403‑294‑7455 f403‑294‑7457 ebooking@epcorcentre.org wwww.epcorcentre.org

Capitol Conferences Inc PO Box 75008 Cambrian, Calgary T2K 6J8 Amanda Barber �� p403‑210‑0596 f403‑220‑9361 ecapitol@shaw.ca wwww.capitolconferences.com Impact Events Ltd 2033 46 Ave SW , Calgary T2T 2S1 Laurel Deplaedt �� p403‑243‑3220 f403‑243‑3273 elaureld@impacteventsltd.ca

Regional Convention Spaces

Tourist Attractions - Major Calgary Stampede 1410 Olympic Way SE, Calgary T2G 2W1 Greg Newton �� p403‑261‑0282 f403‑261‑0421 egnewton@calgarystampede.com wwww.calgarystampede.com/venues Calgary TELUS Convention Centre 120 9 Ave SE, Calgary T2G OP3 �� p403‑261‑8500 f403‑261‑8510 esales@calgary-convention.com wwww.calgary-convention.com

Restaurants Westin Calgary 320 4th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 2S6 Andrea Fernando p403‑508‑5206 f403‑265‑7908 eandrea.fernando@westin.com wwww.westin.com/calgary

Heritage Park Historical Village 1900 Heritage Dr SW, Calgary T2V 2X3 Jeff Hodgson �� p403‑268‑8500 f403‑268‑8501 ejhodgson@heritagepark.ab.ca wwww.heritagepark.ca Ranchman’s Cookhouse & Dancehall Inc 9615 MacLeod Trail S, Calgary T2J 0P6 Wendy Daniel �� p403‑253‑1100 f403‑259‑5447 wwww.ranchmans.com

Cochrane Associations/Chambers of Commerce/ Tourist Info Centres Cochrane Tourism Association c/o Cochrane RancheHouse 101 RancheHouse Rd, Cochrane T4C 2K8 Hillary Richardson ��p403‑981‑6716 ecochranetourism@gmail.com wwww.cochrane-tourism.ca

Golf Courses & Country Clubs

Calgary Zoo 1300 Zoo Rd NE, Calgary T2E 7V6 Sharon Hobbs �� p403‑232‑7770 f403‑232‑7582 esalesinfo@calgaryzoo.com wwww.calgaryzoo.com

Heritage Park Historical Village 1900 Heritage Dr SW, Calgary T2V 2X3 Jeff Hodgson �� p403‑268‑8500 f403‑268‑8501 ejhodgson@heritagepark.ab.ca wwww.heritagepark.ca Hyatt Regency Calgary 700 Centre St SE, Calgary T2G 5P6 Danielle Durand � p403‑717‑1234 f403‑262‑3490 esalescalrc@hyatt.com wwww.hyattregencycalgary.com Metropolitan Conference Centre, The 333 4 Ave SW, Calgary T2P 0H9 Tracey Wilkinson p403‑266‑3876 f403‑233‑0009 etwilkinson@metcentre.com wwww.metcentre.com Stage West Theatre Restaurant 727 42 Ave SE, Calgary T2G 1Y8 ��p403‑243‑7077 email@stagewestcalgary.com wwww.stagewestcalgary.com Theatre Junction GRAND 608 1 St SW, Calgary T2P 1M6 Tod Petersen �� p403‑205‑2922 f403‑263‑3605 eevents@theatrejunction.com wwww.theatrejunction.com Westin Calgary 320 4th Ave SW, Calgary T2P 2S6 Andrea Fernando p403‑508‑5206 f403‑265‑7908 eandrea.fernando@westin.com wwww.westin.com/calgary

Venues - Historical or Themed or Outdoor

Cochrane Golf Club 240 Riverview Dr, Cochrane T4C 1K6 ��p403‑32-‑103 einfo@cochranegolfclub.com wwww.cochranegolfclub.com

Hotels and Motels Days Inn & Suites Cochrane 5 West Side Dr, Cochrane T4C 1M1 �� p403‑932‑5588 f403‑932‑9541 wwww.daysinn.ca Ramada Cochrane 10 Westside Dr, Cochrane T4C 1M1 �� p403‑932‑6355 f403‑851‑0808 egm@cochraneramada.com wwww.ramada.com

Resorts/Retreats Crossing at Ghost River, The PO Box 879 Stn Main, Cochrane T4C 1A9 Diane Young �� p403‑932‑3392 f403‑932‑2582 einfo@crossingexperience.ca wwww.crossingexperience.ca

Speakers/Facilitators Kevin Burns - Safety Speaker 14-312 5th Ave W Suite 150, Cochrane T4C 2E3 Kevin Burns ��p403‑770‑2928 ekevin@kevburns.com wwww.kevburns.com

De Winton Golf Courses & Country Clubs Heritage Pointe Golf Club 1 Heritage Pointe Dr RR 1, De Winton T0L 0X0 Mia Heitland �� p403‑256‑9192 f403‑256‑4494 emia.heitland@heritagepointe.com wwww.heritagepointe.com

High River Hotels and Motels

Take your next event out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. The Calgary Zoo is an ideal location for your next meeting or corporate function. Break away from the boardroom and let our unique surroundings motivate and inspire your team. Call (403) 232-7770 or email salesinfo@calgaryzoo.com

Heritage Inn Hotel & Convention Centre High River 1104 11 Ave SE, High River T1V 1M4 Rick Bart �� p403‑652‑3834 f403‑652‑4432 einfo.highriver@heritageinn.net wwww.heritageinn.net Calgary Stampede 1410 Olympic Way SE, Calgary T2G 2W1 Greg Newton �� p403‑261‑0282 f403‑261‑0421 egnewton@calgarystampede.com wwww.calgarystampede.com/venues Fort Calgary 750 9 Ave SE, Calgary T2P 2M5 Sandi McNeill �� p403‑290‑1875 f403‑265‑6534 einfo@fortcalgary.com wwww.fortcalgary.com Glenbow Museum 130 9 Ave SE, Calgary T2G 0P3 Allison Ainsley �� p403‑268‑4132 f403‑265‑9769 eaainsley@glenbow.org wwww.glenbow.org

Langdon Entertainment Services Room to Dance Band 26 Wilson Rd NE, Langdon T0J 1X1 JC Plett ��p403‑461‑3722 ejc@roomtodance.com wwww.roomtodance.com

Okotoks Caterers Don’s Good Time Catering , Okotoks  Donald Buehler ��p403‑606‑1247 edon@goodtimecatering.ca wwww.goodtimecatering.ca

| 27

Edmonton & area

CAPITAL IDEAS Edmonton has no lack of large and vibrant meeting venues

BY GEOFF KIRBYSON

dmonton’s downtown is about to get a transformational facelift that will give the capital city’s tourism industry and convention business a shot in the arm. Plans for the Edmonton Arena District (EAD) call for it to be the largest mixed-use sports and entertainment development in Canada. Anchored by Rogers Place arena, which will be the new home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers for the 2016-17 hockey season, the EAD will revitalize more than 25 downtown acres. Carrie Russell, Vancouver-based managing director of

hotel market consultancy company HVS International, calls the project “a game-changer for Edmonton.” Edmonton’s hotel market is already up 3.1 per cent year-over-year, Russell says, driven largely by activity taking place in the oilpatch. Most of the action is coming south of town near the airport in the suburbs of Leduc and Nisku and in the form of select service hotels. The new Renaissance hotel is among those with generous meeting and conference space. The Renaissance boasts 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a grand ballroom that can seat 415 comfortably – though it welcomed 600 to a standing-room-only crowd when it opened in May 2014. One of the central hubs of activity in Edmonton is the

The Edmonton Arena District redevelopment will transform the core of Alberta’s capital city | CITY OF EDMONTON

28 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Edmonton & area

The Shaw Conference Centre features state-ofthe-art architecture in the capital’s premier largeconference venue | SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE

Shaw Conference Centre. Cliff Higuchi, vice-president of the 250,000-square-foot facility, says it is ramping up for a busy fall and winter. He was expecting to host about 3,000 athletes for the ITU World Triathlon in early September. Shortly after that, the Canadian Country Music Association Awards roll into the centre, followed by the Tour of Alberta, an endurance bike race that will take riders

through seven communities. One of the biggest events of the year will be the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention and trade show. “Business is up about 16 per cent year-over-year and we would expect, anecdotally, that 2015 will be an even better year than this year,” Higuchi says. Bobbi Menard, manager of communications at the

EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE

In the Edmonton EXPO Centre, which offers 522,000 sq ft of conference, meeting, trade and consumer show space, featuring: • Natural light • Outstanding cuisine and attentive service • Six branded food service concessions • Convenient ground and dock access for organizers and exhibitors For More Information:

Phone 780.471.7377

Toll Free 1.888.800.7275

salesinfo@northlands.com northlands.com

| 29

Edmonton & area

Meeting & Banquet Facilities u Guestrooms u Fine Dining

The new Edmonton Renaissance hotel offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space and a ballroom that can seat 425 with ease | RENAISSANCE EDMONTON AIRPORT HOTEL

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, says the Shaw Conference Centre also hosts industry conferences, concerts and communitybased events. The Edmonton chamber has its annual formal ball there, a 2,200-person gathering to hear the mayor’s state of the city address every January. Many conferences also happen in downtown hotels, such as the Westin hotel and Sutton Place. In the south end of town, the Sawridge, which is owned and operated by the Sawridge First Nation, and, to the west, the Marriott River Cree Resort, complete with a casino, are also busy, Menard says. 

Coming soon inWhere earlyBusiness 2014 is a Pleasure

DoubleTree by Hilton™ West Edmonton

780.423.3600 1.888.423.3601 www.unionbankinn.com 10053 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton AB

Edmonton has a whole lot to celebrate. The first DoubleTree by Hilton™ in Alberta is now located at the home of the Mayfield Dinner Theatre that has been fully refurbished and freshly updated. We want you to be one of the first to enjoy everything we have to offer from Stages Kitchen & Bar to our Silverbirch Conference Centre.

There’s cookie in town Wherea the new little things mean everything.™ Where the little things mean everything.™ 16615 – 109th Avenue, Edmonton, AB, Canada T5P 4K8 T (780) 484 0821 | F (780) 486 1634

WestEdmonton.DoubleTree.com | yegnm_ds@hilton.com

30 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Edmonton & area Conference Organizers/Planners/ Tradeshow Consultants

Edmonton Associations/Chambers of Commerce/ Tourist Info Centres Meeting Professionals International Greater Edmonton Chapter 11215 Jasper Ave NW Unit 93, Edmonton T5K 0L5 ��p780‑909‑4006 empiedmonton@gmail.com wwww.mpiedmonton.org

Banquet Facilities Oasis Centre - Conferencing & Events, The 10930 177 St, Edmonton T5S 2X7 Christine Dimler � p780‑451‑9227 f780‑486‑7870 einfo@oasiscentre.com wwww.oasiscentre.com

Sands Inn & Suites 12340 Fort Rd NW, Edmonton T5B 4H5 Christee Reda �� p780‑474‑5476 f780‑477‑2714 echristee@sandshoteledm.com wwww.sandshoteledmonton.com Shaw Conference Centre 9797 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton T5J 1N9 Lisanne Lewis ��p780‑917‑7607 ellewis@edmonton.com wwww.shawconferencecentre.com Union Bank Inn 10053 Jasper Ave, Edmonton T5J 1S5 Deidre Keates �� p780‑401‑2209 f780‑401‑2213 esales@unionbankinn.com wwww.unionbankinn.com

CEO Corporate Event Organization Inc 11355 105 Ave, Edmonton T5H 3Y3 Anne Finzer �� p780‑421‑1240 f780‑429‑1591 einfo@ceoinc.ca wwww.ceoinc.ca Family Productions Inc Special Event Rentals & Sales Ltd 6010 99 St, Edmonton T6E 3P2 Lars Erickson �� p780‑435‑2211 f780‑437‑4964 einfo@specialeventrentals.com wwww.specialeventrentals.com

Event Marketing`

Four Points by Sheraton Edmonton South 7230 Argyll Rd, Edmonton T6C 4A6 �� p780‑465‑7931 f780‑485‑0611 einfo@fourpointseds.com wwww.fourpointsedmontonsouth.com Hilton Garden Inn West Edmonton 17610 Stony Plain Rd, Edmonton T5S 1A2 �� p780‑443‑2233 f780‑486‑8980 wwww.hiltongardeninn.com Radisson Hotel Edmonton South 4440 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton T6H 5C2 �� p780‑437‑6010 f780‑431‑5802 erhi_esal@radisson.com wwww.radisson.com Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre 11834 Kingsway, Edmonton T5G 3J5 �� p780‑453‑7343 f780‑453‑7324 ereservations@ramadaedmonton.com wwww.ramadaedmonton.com

Sands Inn & Suites 12340 Fort Rd NW, Edmonton T5B 4H5 Christee Reda �� p780‑474‑5476 f780‑477‑2714 echristee@sandshoteledm.com wwww.sandshoteledmonton.com

Hotels and Motels Best Western Cedar Park Inn 5116 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton T6H 2H4 �� p780‑434‑7411 f780‑437‑4836 esales@cedarparkinn.com wwww.bestwesternalberta.com Best Western Plus South Edmonton Inn & Suites 1204 101 St, Edmonton T6X 0P1 �� p780‑801‑3580 f780‑801‑3579 e61078@hotel.bestwestern.com wwww.bestwesternalberta.com

With over 7,000 square feet of meeting space, Sands Inn & Suites has 3 fully equipped banquet halls to accommodate a variety of special events ranging from 10 to 450 people. We’ve hosted wedding receptions & ceremonies, charity events, corporate functions, live music and much more. We pride ourselves in our delicious catering options, and our friendly and professional staff. • Pet Friendly • Non & Smoking Rooms

Canterra Suites Hotel 11010 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton T5K 0K9 �� p780‑421‑1212 f780‑421‑1211 einfo@canterrasuites.com wwww.canterrasuites.com Chateau Lacombe Hotel 10111 Bellamy Hill NW, Edmonton T5J 1N7 �� p780‑420‑8357 f780‑420‑8379 esales@chateaulacombe.com wwww.chateaulacombe.com Chateau Nova Hotel & Suites Kingsway 159 Airport Rd, Edmonton T5G 0W6 �� p780‑732‑5734 f780‑424‑6683 esalesandcatering@novahotels.ca wwww.novahotels.ca Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton Downtown 1 Thornton Crt, Edmonton T5J 2E7 Celia Daniel �� p780‑945‑4735 f780‑945‑4731 ec.daniel@concordhotels.com wwww.courtyardedmontondowntown.com Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton West 10011 184 St NW, Edmonton T5S 1B6 �� p780‑638‑6070 f780‑638‑6299 wwww.marriott.com Delta Edmonton South Hotel & Conference Centre 4404 Gateway Blvd NW, Edmonton T6H 5C2 �� p780‑434‑6415 f780‑434‑5298 edeltaedmonton@deltahotels.com wwww.deltaedmonton.com

• Close to Rexall & Northlands • North East Located

12340 Fort Road NW Edmonton Alberta T5B 4H5

Main 780-474-5476 Fax 780-477-2714 info@sandshoteledm.com www.sandshoteledmonton.com

DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton 16615 109 Ave NW, Edmonton T5P 4K8 Jessica Rogers �� p780‑484‑0821 f780‑481‑3923 eyegnm_ds@hilton.com wwww.westedmonton.doubletree.com

Union Bank Inn 10053 Jasper Ave, Edmonton T5J 1S5 Deidre Keates �� p780‑401‑2209 f780‑401‑2213 esales@unionbankinn.com wwww.unionbankinn.com

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Edmonton & area Regional Convention Spaces

Universities and Colleges

Venues - Historical or Themed or Outdoor

Conference Services - University of Alberta 1-047 Lister Centre, Edmonton T6G 2H6 �� p780‑492‑6057 f780‑492‑5297 econference.services@ualberta.ca wwww.ualberta.ca/conferenceservices

Venues - Event or Meeting Facilities

Rexall Place PO Box 1480, Edmonton T5J 2N5 Adam Cook �� p780‑471‑8107 f780‑471‑7134 eacook@northlands.com wwww.northlands.com

Shaw Conference Centre 9797 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton T5J 1N9 Lisanne Lewis ��p780‑917‑7607 ellewis@edmonton.com wwww.shawconferencecentre.com

Signs, Banners, Flag

Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre 11727 Kingsway NW, Edmonton T5G 3A1 Nigel Swarbrooke ��p780‑452‑7770 f780‑454‑3436 enigel@chateaulouis.com wwww.chateaulouis.com

Northlands Park Racetrack and Casino 7410 Borden Park Rd NW, Edmonton T5B 4W9 ��p780‑471‑7210 esalesinfo@northlands.com wwww.northlandspark.ca

Enoch Hotels and Motels Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort 300 Lapotac Blvd E, Enoch T7X 3Y3 Sales Hotline �� p780‑930‑2622 f780‑930‑2736 eyegmc-sales@marriott.com wwww.edmontonmarriott.com

Fort Saskatchewan PNH Solutions 5225 Creekbank Rd, Mississauga L4W 1R3 Francois Hudon ��p514‑683‑3279 einfo@pnh.ca wwww.pnh.ca PNH SOLUTIONS: Canadian leader in event marketing and trade show exhibit products - fast turnaround - knowledgeable professionals at your service.

Speakers/Facilitators Affinity Consulting and Training (ACT) 215 Blackburn Dr E Suite 105, Edmonton T6W 1B9 Brian Ward ��p877‑432‑8182 einfo@affinitymc.com wwww.affinitymc.com

Edmonton EXPO Centre 7515 118 Ave, Edmonton T5B 4X5 �� p780‑471‑7210 f780‑471‑7134 esalesinfo@northlands.com wwww.edmontonexpocentre.com Oasis Centre - Conferencing & Events, The 10930 177 St, Edmonton T5S 2X7 Christine Dimler � p780‑451‑9227 f780‑486‑7870 einfo@oasiscentre.com wwww.oasiscentre.com

Shaw Conference Centre 9797 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton T5J 1N9 Lisanne Lewis ��p780‑917‑7607 ellewis@edmonton.com wwww.shawconferencecentre.com Winspear Centre 9720 102 Ave NW, Edmonton T5J 4B2 Diana de Sousa �� p780‑401‑2522 f780‑425‑1913 eddesousa@winspearcentre.com wwww.winspearcentre.com

Inspiration. Add exceptional service to an outstanding location and you have Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre – a convention and exhibition space that inspires planners and delegates alike. Located at the heart of downtown and foot of North America’s largest urban park. Learn more at shawconferencecentre.com or call us at 780-917-7610.

Banquet Facilities Dow Centennial Centre - City of Fort Saskatchewan 8700 84 St, Fort Saskatchewan T8L 4P5 Kelly Almer �� p780‑992‑6409 f780‑992‑3150 ekalmer@fortsask.ca wwww.fortsask.ca/dowcentre

Conference Organizers/Planners/ Tradeshow Consultants Dow Centennial Centre - City of Fort Saskatchewan 8700 84 St, Fort Saskatchewan T8L 4P5 Kelly Almer �� p780‑992‑6409 f780‑992‑3150 ekalmer@fortsask.ca wwww.fortsask.ca/dowcentre

32 | MEETING PLACES ALBERTA 2015 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER

Edmonton & area Event Planners