Meeting in the Capital 2018

MEETING OTTAWA-GATINEAU’S 2018 GUIDE TO CORPORATE EVENT PLANNING

in the Capital Inside

VENUE DIRECTORY: Updated details on more than

90

local options for your next event

A

COMPLETE GUIDE

for organizing:

• Company parties • AGMs

• Retreats • And more

2

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

3

RIGHT: Upgrades to the National Arts

Centre created brand-new meeting spaces offering unique perspectives on the city. BELOW: The Canada Science and Technology Museum recently reopened its doors following a $80.5-million renovation project.

A message from Michael Crockatt President and CEO, Ottawa Tourism After the most exciting year Ottawa has known to date, 2018 is confidently asserting itself as the year of meaningful transformation!

This year, Ottawa is making the most out of the legacy from Canada’s sesquicentennial celebrations that boosted our tourism economy and positioned our city as a unique, accessible and welcoming world capital and incredible gathering destination for conventions and events for years to come.

As we like to say at Ottawa Tourism, the party isn’t over! We are entering 2018 with a strong legacy of incredible tourism investments, adding to an already impressive list of unique off-site meeting venues: • The Canada Science and Technology Museum reopened its doors after undergoing an $80.5-million renovation project that left it entirely renewed; • A completely re-imagined Bank of Canada Museum positioning itself as the heart of the Canadian economic system; • The stunning new and avant-garde National Arts Centre façade which comes with brand-new public spaces offering stellar views of our city; • The Canadian Museum of Nature’s new Arctic Gallery, which gives

4

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

visitors insight into Canada’s northmost region; • The new Canadian History Hall in Canada’s most visited museum, the Canadian Museum of History; and • The National Gallery of Canada’s newly integrated Canadian and Indigenous Galleries.

These are only a few of the new, redesigned, renewed and reimagined spaces that appeal to meeting planners and leave visitors inspired.

Ottawa Tourism’s meetings and events team continues to be hard at work as they welcome more than 155 large-scale meetings and conventions this year. The city will welcome 19 per cent more delegates than they did just two years ago, making 2018 another great year for events, meetings, and conventions.

Our city has so much to look forward to this year: • A new Le Germain hotel opens this spring in a multi-use building after a $100-million investment in the redevelopment of the Arts Court complex; • Also in the Arts Court redevelopment, Ottawa will see the opening of the new Ottawa Art Gallery; • In May, the Rideau Canal welcomes the North American debut of Le

Boat, a company offering luxury self-drive boats allowing visitors to explore the entirety of the 202-kilometre canal at their own pace; • The Royal Canadian Geographical Society opens Canada’s Centre for Geography and Exploration at 50 Sussex Dr., which will also be the editorial offices of Canadian Geographic; • The Parliament of Canada’s Centre Block renovations commence in September, as the West Block’s new glass-covered courtyard debuts as the interim House of Commons and the Government Conference Centre serves as the meeting space of the Senate; and • The highly anticipated light-rail Confederation Line begins operation in November, wrapping up another exciting year and making our city more vibrant and more accessible than ever before.

All of these initiatives contribute to reshaping the way people think and talk about Ottawa. We look forward to continuing to offer visitors the complete capital experience, telling the story of Canada and getting people talking.

Michael Crockatt President and CEO Ottawa Tourism

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

HELLO BEAUTIFUL

FANCY MEETING YOU HERE We love showing off our city’s beauty to out-of-town guests, which is why we work with local members of both national and international associations to invite their organizations to meet here. You identify the opportunity and Ottawa Tourism will build a customized bid to win the business. Contact us and capitalize on what Ottawa has to offer!

OTTAWATOURISM.CA/MEETINGS Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

5

CONTENTS PUBLISHER Michael Curran

SEE PAGE

12

EDITOR Peter Kovessy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Regan Van Dusen Celine Paquette SALES & MARKETING Wendy Baily Cindy Cutts Carlo Lombard Victoria Stewart RESEARCHER Patti Moran

06 How I did it: Lessons learned

What’s inside Meeting in the Capital?

12

Resources and howto guides on selecting venues, contracting suppliers and first-hand lessons from Ottawa executives.

13 15 16 19 24

from planning the company’s anniversary party What’s new? Trends from around Ottawa Writing an RFP: How to engage suppliers AV: Making your event look and sound great Volunteers: Tips for staffing your event Scheduling: Major events and festivals in 2018 Venues: Details on more than 90 conference facilities, banquet halls and meeting rooms

Hindsight: Guy Laflamme reflects on organizing Canada 150 events for Ottawa’s big year. SEE PAGE 30

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mark Sutcliffe PRESIDENT Michael Curran

www.obj.ca © 2018 Ottawa Business Journal Meeting in the Capital is published once per year by the Ottawa Business Journal.

This publication contains information considered accurate at the time of printing.

However, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur.

Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the written permission of the publisher.

The Ottawa Business Journal is published

by Great River Media Inc. All original contents copyright ©2018 by the Ottawa Business Journal. Information and opinions in Meeting in the Capital are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Information contained herein has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this is not guaranteed. Company listings are considered current at press time.

PRINTED IN CANADA

Cover photo: The National Arts Centre fully reopened in 2017 with new public spaces overlooking downtown Ottawa.

6

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

CLL

S S R EESSTTOO

S BS UB PU O P E E TTO S S O O L L C

T

&

S TTAAFFFF

T NT T DD EEVVEEN NT EN VE E EV IZE Y ALLIZ D EEE NA E DLLY ED ON S ND Z SO Z I R IE R I IEN L L P P A FRRO G NA NG S ON RS S ER NIIN P F PE OS NN FF TO S AN LA AF ST TA

S BS UB PU O P E TTO S SE O OY Y CLLLL D

N FRRIIEEN

F

D

E - RE S S O MYY - A O O F T OM O L F O T L G S G A S T E D ED A N S T FF AN KR RK AR

&

G L G IIN S T NN N NP N A A L L P

i ss MYY !! AANNDD GGLLOOOOM hhaatt tthh i e rreen t t t t n K iiffXPfPfEEeCCTTEEDD DDAARRK a tt tthhiiss e yy ss a d bbee dd EEYY EEX l H d bbu utt tthh e w H u l ntt!! oo u w tthh a ddiiffffeerreen yy ssaaw w e g h e g n e t h i b e n t t t i b bbu ut m ulldd meeee t wootu hhiiss i n gg w DA ED D D PEECCTTE EEX XP Y E Y E H H aw w

T

MYY OM LOO D GGLO ND AN K A RK AR DA EED D D T C T E C E P t t EX XP H HEEYY E ntt!! w tthhaa t ren

eeeey ttssiaanw Tu ttm m d iiffffee r e ee y h t h t l dd bbee d bu b ul woou i n gg w m meeeett i-n

MYY OM OO D GGLL O A ND AN K K R R A A D s ED D D PEECCTTE EX XP a tt tthhii s r een H HEEYY E aw w tthh a e r ntt!!

Tu tt tthheeyy ss a bu

i ffff e dd bbee dd i l u l b o u o w i n gg w m meeeett i n

Best Western Plus Ottawa Downtown Suites

TO R A LTO N A TU RA L U T A LI G HT N

TO RA L U T A N LI G HT LI G HT

TO RA L U T A N LI G HT

The surprising downtown Ottawa hotel you might have missed.

377 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, Ontario 1-800-465-7275

bestwesternottawa.com

OTTAWA’SBIGGEST

BIG MINDS MEET HERE

If you’re looking for a place to stage your next meeting, choose the Albert at Bay. Our state-of-the-art meeting facilities accommodate up to 300 delegates, with boardrooms and boardroom suites for executive get togethers. And once their work here is done, your guests get to relax and recharge in Ottawa’s biggest hotel suites, located right in the heart of downtown.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

HOTELSUITES

3 blocks from Parliament Hill

albertatbay.com | 1-800-267-6644 MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

7

PERSPECTIVES Anderson had previously organized several weddings and other events and was asked to help co-ordinate Pythian’s anniversary event.

The party turned out to be a huge success, with some 300 guests from 16 countries descending on the Canada Aviation and Space Museum for a night of celebrations.

It took many months of advance planning, a hard-working committee and creative thinking. Here’s how Anderson and her team did it:

TAKING STOCK Before jumping straight into logistics, Anderson plotted a rough roadmap. What’s already been accomplished? What research has already been undertaken? What needs to be done next?

She also explored the type of atmosphere she wanted to create, which helps to answer several more practical questions. For example, should it be a formal, sit-down dinner? Or more of a cocktail-style event with lots of mingling?

VENUE

Christina Anderson is the talent acquisition programs and operations manager at Pythian Group. She helped to organize the firm’s 20th anniversary party. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

How I did it

HR specialist Christina Anderson was tasked with organizing a major anniversary party for her firm. Here’s how she tackled it.

In September 2017, the Pythian Group turned 20.

It’s a major milestone for any company and is an especially significant landmark for a high-tech firm such as Pythian, which provides IT consulting and managed services.

So, in other words, it was time to throw a

8

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

big party.

“We were ecstatic, really, that we were turning 20 years old,” said Christina Anderson, talent acquisition programs and operations manager at Pythian. “We wanted to bring the community that we work with together to celebrate.”

While not a full-time event planner,

Selecting a physical location is one of the biggest decisions for any event planner.

In Pythian’s case, Anderson explored a half-dozen venues before deciding on the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

In addition to making sure the space was an appropriate size, Anderson toured the sites armed with other questions. For example, she knew she’d have live bands playing. What are the acoustics like? When it comes to food and beverages, can they bring in their own caterer and alcohol?

Once again, the desired atmosphere played a factor. Anderson knew there would be guests who hadn’t seen each other in years and wanted to ensure there were nooks and other areas were people could connect and talk.

The museum also nicely tied in with the event’s theme of going forward with technology.

“We wanted the venue to be quintessentially cool,” Anderson said. “The aviation museum inspires that idea of looking at technology (and) looking at how we can progress into the future.”

GUESTS Pythian has office locations around the world and wanted its global team to feel included.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

— SPONSORED CONTENT —

< Pythian Group president and CEO Paul Vallée at the firm’s 20th anniversary party.

PHOTO BY ROSIE LEONARD

PROFILE

< Approximately 300 people attended the celebration.

PHOTO BY ROSIE LEONARD

To enable as many staff as possible to attend, Pythian got creative and allowed employees to tap into their professional development budget to offset the cost of their flight and hotel.

Communication was key, Anderson said. Information was included in the company newsletter and an FAQ was written up to explain what expenses would qualify.

“We had to take a look at things like how would we get them to and from the event (as well as) to and from the hotel,”she added.

This approach of enabling employees to use their own resources to co-ordinate travel logistics – rather than trying to tackle it all from Ottawa – helped keep the workload manageable.

Several local staff also got into the spirit by offering their out-of-town colleagues a place to stay during their Ottawa visit.

TEAMWORK One of the biggest lessons Anderson said she learned was the importance of relying Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

on others for their expertise.

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help (and) don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said.

That approach paid off. It turned out that a relative of one of the organizing committee members manages entertainers in the Ottawa area and was able to help arrange the musical lineup, which ultimately included Juno nominee Kalle Mattson, cover band Don Bilodeau and DJ Illo.

Anderson also drew on the expertise of outside experts for specific components, such as Top Shelf Distillers to create signature cocktails for the event.

She added that the work of the party committee, which consisted of her fellow Pythian colleagues Sisina Vivas, Lesley Slack, Jennifer Jackson and Bev Hemish, was invaluable.

“I can organize and plan this all out … (but) I’m just the one holding the clipboard,” Anderson said, praising her team. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

— With reporting by Kieran Delamont

A beautiful conference hall overlooking the water An inspiring location on the Ottawa River. Choose Nepean Sailing Club for your next business meeting and allow our dedicated team to take care of your needs from start to finish. Full catering and bar services available, as well as use of the 12-ft screen and ceiling-mounted projector.

UNIQUE FEATURES This 1200-sq-ft hall seats 80-100 people for the perfect business retreat.

Free parking. Fully accessible, including elevator.

SALES CONTACT Name: Heather Erven Phone: 613-829-6462 Address: 3259 Carling Ave, Nepean, ON K2H 1A6 Email: hospitality@nsc.ca MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

9

SPONSORED CONTENT

FACTS & FIGURES

8,400

Space details

Total meeting space in sq. ft.

3,630

3 major hotels within 15 minutes (Ramada, Hilton, Crowne Plaza)

Largest meeting room in sq. ft.

4

Shuttle buses available

320

Theatre capacity

500

Reception capacity

450

Restaurant capacity

500

Banquet capacity

Available parking Onsite, free, bus parking available

DAILY RENTAL RATE FROM $695

SALES CONTACT Name: Erin Boucher Phone: 819-827-1717 ext 2241 Email: eboucher@campfortune.com

10

Group rates available

Number of meeting rooms

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

Onsite services One of the region’s most exhilarating event spaces is nestled in the heart of Gatineau Park, less than 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa.

Camp Fortune offers a casual, relaxing atmosphere that’s ideal for gatherings of all sizes.

From banquets to weddings to corporate retreats and more, Camp Fortune offers a beautiful outdoor setting coupled with a range of indoor spaces that allow for unforgettable experiences at this four-season venue.

The location is particularly well suited to teambuilding events, given that the surrounding hills, fields and forests offer a private playground. You can bring your own activities, or take advantage of the onsite aerial park and ziplines, scenic chairlift rides and abundant hiking trails. In addition, Camp Fortune offers both a beginner disc golf course

Complimentary high speed WiFi Catering Recreation activities

Major events as well as the most challenging course in Canada, along with a free fall airbag jump, plus skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

At Camp Fortune, the food is as enticing as the environment. With 25 years of food service experience, the catering team serves up delicious casual fare as well as expertly-prepared haute cuisine. Whether you’re looking for a cocktail reception, buffet or sit-down dinner, you’ll enjoy many menu customization options.

“Our experienced staff makes arranging a group event effortless for you.”

Networking gala Wedding Company barbeque

Unique Features Relaxed, natural setting Scenic chairlift rides Private playground with tree top adventure and ziplines

ERIN BOUCHER, SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER AT CAMP FORTUNE

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

TAKE YOUR MEETING TO NEW HEIGHTS Teambuilding Activities • Staff Appreciation • Company BBQ

Conferences • Meetings • Day Retreats • Banquets All conveniently located only 15 minutes from downtown Ottawa in the heart of the Gatineau Park.

Let us help plan your next event Contact us today: Erin Boucher Britney Amarica eboucher@campfortune.com 819-827-1717 ext 2241

bamarica@campfortune.com 819-827-1717 ext 2207

300 Dunlop Road, Chelsea, Québec, J9B 2N3 CAMPFORTUNE.COM

Insta

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

11

TRENDS

Ashbury College’s signature gala in 2017 featured an aerial bartender. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS

Innovative ideas and creative trends Observations from Caroline Phillips, a self-described ‘professional party crasher’ and OBJ.Social columnist

Ottawa’s premier full-service, event production and exhibit design company offering turn key solutions for the integration of stage design, lighting, sound, audio-visual and décor to create and customize events with uniqueness beyond expectations!

www.eventdesign.ca 613.739.3442 12

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

No event planner ever wants their annual gala to be sameold, same-old. Rather, it’s about coming up with new ideas and concepts to keep the evening feeling fresh and new.

The hottest trend during Ottawa’s busy gala season this past fall was aerial acrobatics. The artists typically contort, spin, and even fly through the air, while hanging from a suspended fabric. I watched these graceful and thrilling shows at four separate galas that took place within a three-week period during October and November.

While on the subject of lofty heights, the most creative way to serve drinks these days is from above. Aerial bartenders were featured

at two fall galas, serving champagne to guests while hanging upside down from giant hoops.

It’s been a solid five years since I started seeing mobile photo booths popping up everywhere, allowing partygoers to grab oversized sunglasses, wacky hats, feather boas and other props, before mugging for the camera. The booths remain popular on the social scene, especially after guests have downed a couple of cocktails.

Also trendy are high-end food trucks, particularly at outdoor parties.

When choosing a venue, remember: Everyone likes a room with a view, whether it’s of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal or a beautiful and scenic golf course.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Mar2016_OBJ_half_4c_CMN1618_facilities_2 2016-03-23 1:31 PM Page 1

HIRING SUPPLIERS

How to write an RFP

(and keep vendors happy) Tips on drafting a request for proposals If you’ve been tasked with planning a major event for your company – whether you’re a first-time event planner or have handled events in the past – the RFP (request for proposal) process is an important one that can make for smooth sailing, or make your life more difficult.

Here are a few tips on making the process as smooth as possible:

“Look at what you can do and what kind of resources you can put into it. You’ve got to cost those resources out,” says David Dunlop, of D.R. Dunlop and Associates, a firm specializing in planning and managing events.

The more specific you can be in your needs, the easier it will be for suppliers to return clear costed-out charts to you.

ESTABLISH YOUR GOALS

HOST DOCUMENTS IN THE CLOUD

The first part of any RFP should be outlining what you want to accomplish, and what the purpose of the event is.

A little bit of early effort can save you a lot more work down the line. Veteran event planners recommend focusing on setting out clear goals for your event – what you are trying to achieve, who your company is, and why you are issuing an RFP in the first place – in order to save yourself some hassle down the road.

By laying this out clearly at the start, you not only help clarify it in your own mind, but you help suppliers gear their proposals to you.

One thing that can help with organization is to avoid having to send out different files to all sorts of people.

Keep all your documents – RFPs, proposals, etc. – in one place in the cloud, so that suppliers are easily able to reference the document, and your team does not need to send around a large number of files.

When you get into the decision stage, there will already be enough to think about, so try to streamline where you can.

Get together in nature.

RENT A SPACE IN NATURE OR HISTORY, ELEGANCE — for spaces grand to intimate — it’s only natural to consider hosting your event at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Minutes from Parliament Hill, this completely renovated treasure is perfect for private or corporate affairs. Make a statement with your next event, in Ottawa's only rental facility deep in the heart of nature.

THE ATRIUM THE BARRICK SALON

NATURE CAFÉ

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Atrium: Brian Scott. Barrick Salon: Melissa Johnston. Nature Café: Charlotte Field. Creative: STCstorytellers.com

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

13

OBJ Magazine

nature.ca

Spring 2016

FACILITY RENTALS: 613-566-4712 events@mus-nature.ca

insertion date

It’s important to work with other people in the process, especially if writing RFPs and planning events is not your main duty at your job.

This will help you avoid missing things and will clarify your needs.

“Don’t try to do it all by yourself,” says Dunlop.

“If you’re in an office where as a part of your related duties you end up having to do a conference, you really do have to bounce ideas off people.”

– By Kieran Delamont

96946 / Canadian Museum of Nature

COLLABORATE

publication

Things like budget, expected number of attendees, and other specific needs should be outlined clearly. Again, this is a process that is as much helpful for the planner as it is for the supplier. The more clearly you can pin down the specifics of what you need to do, the less time you’ll need to spend worrying about unknowns.

DASPLETOSAURUS

docket / client

LAY OUT THE SPECIFICS

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE

SPONSORED CONTENT

FACTS & FIGURES Onsite services

43,000

Complimentary parking

Total meeting space in sq. ft.

Complimentary WiFi

11,000

In-house catering

Largest meeting room in sq. ft.

37

Hotel Space details

Number of meeting rooms

576 onsite units

1,200 1,000

800

Theatre capacity

Reception capacity

Banquet capacity

550 complimentary underground parking spaces on site.

DAILY RENTAL RATE FROM $250

SALES CONTACT Name: Pamela DiNardo Phone: 613-288-3455 Email: pdinardo@ottawacec.com

14

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

The Ottawa Conference and Event Centre isn’t just one of the National Capital Region’s largest event facilities; it’s also one of the most accommodating. Formerly known as the Hampton Conference Centre, it boasts two onsite hotels with a total of almost 600 rooms, abundant complimentary parking – including over 500 indoor spots – and a layout that incorporates natural light throughout, making it a warm, welcoming space.

The atmosphere is enhanced by stellar service at all levels, including the impressive talents of the culinary team for whom customization is always on the menu. Often cited as offering the best food in the city, prepared in-house from scratch, the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre takes great pride in confirming their Chef’s commitment that no one will

Group rates available Two 24-hour fitness centres

Major events ever leave their venue hungry.

To sweeten the deal, there are no gratuity charges on any food or beverages.

From ballrooms to meeting rooms to classrooms to lecture halls, this impressive facility has loads of space and experience at hosting successful events of all sizes.

Centrally located, it’s easily accessible by car, OC Transpo and VIA Rail. Whether you’re planning a networking breakfast, a convention or a charity gala, the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre is the ideal venue.

“We’re constantly refreshing our menus and services to remain one of Ottawa’s most popular event venues.”

Charity galas Corporate conferences, tradeshows and education events Weddings

Unique Features Naturally-lit atrium; natural light in one ballroom and all meeting rooms Exceptional food Centrally located, easily accessible by car and public transit

PAMELA DINARDO, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING, OTTAWA CONFERENCE AND EVENT CENTRE

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

AUDIO/VISUAL equipment used.

BE PREPARED TO PAY

Mapping out AV requirements Tips for working with specialists to make your next event look and sound great Let’s face it: The technology being incorporated into events is getting more complicated.

There are a litany of new, 21st century decisions to be made: televisions or a projector? Do you need to livestream it? Do you need Wi-Fi for your attendees?

When you need to put together a successful event on top of your other duties, it can be hard to juggle all these questions.

We spoke to a technical events specialist about what people tasked with planning an event can do to make sure it goes smoothly.

THINK ABOUT SPACE Some event planners neglect to properly reflect on how much space they have and how much space they need, says Victoria Lamothe of Ottawa Special Events.

That presents challenges when it comes time to map out the locations of speakers and screens.

A lot of times, she says, “you have to go and explain that if they want the people in the back to hear, then they need the extra Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

speakers.”

A good rule of thumb? Think about the people at the back of the room.

ASK QUESTIONS …

AND SHARE THE ANSWERS AV specialists appreciate receiving as much information as you can provide, particularly about the venue.

For example, a venue may have a defined number of rigging points – places from which one can hang equipment from the ceiling – that can influence your AV approach.

“Something so small in your mind could make the biggest difference to us,” says Lamothe.

Some suppliers will even do a site visit with their client, which can be helpful for scouting out where they can unload and store equipment – questions that are far more convenient to answer in advance than on the day of the event.

Additionally, an AV specialist may spot things that may not have otherwise made it onto an event planner’s checklist, such as ceiling height and other architectural elements that will influence the type of

When planning an event, everyone has an idea of how much they are going to pay.

It’s usually a good idea to accept that the vision in your head is going to come with a price tag.

“Gear is not cheap,” says Lamothe.

“People will come and they want a show that will cost $10,000, but the budget is only $2,000. So you have to try to make the best you can within their budget.”

On the flip side, it’s important to make sure that you’re not paying for expensive technologies that you either don’t need or won’t work well at your event.

Requesting a itemized list of equipment and technology, as well as associated price, can help you understand your expenses and control costs.

It’s always a good idea to be upfront with your tech supplier, and try to negotiate: oftentimes suppliers might be willing to throw in some extra gear for free if they think it will make you happy enough to be a repeat customer.

CONSIDER OUTSOURCING Many large venues will have AV suppliers that they prefer event planners hire.

If you’re booking an event there, they will likely encourage you to use their suppliers, and may even have a penalty for not doing so.

There are obvious benefits for using the in-house suppliers: These teams have been vetted, intimately know the venue and are familiar with the staff.

But it’s good to consider going out-ofhouse, as it may save you a couple bucks.

“A lot of the time, we try to bid lower so that even with the charge, we’re cheaper than the in-house company,” says Lamothe.

Learning the lingo EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER: A supplier that enters into a contract with a facility and is the only one permitted to offer that service inside the facility or centre.

OFFICIAL SUPPLIER: A supplier that has an arrangement with a facility to provide services for a facilities client, but the services provided are not in an exclusive manner and outside sources are permitted.

PREFERRED SUPPLIER: A supplier that is favoured by a facility to provide a specific service. The relationship with the facility is not formal.

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

15

MANAGING VOLUNTEERS WRITE A CLEAR JOB DESCRIPTION Volunteers need to know what’s expected before they sign up. Make the job look like fun, and try to answer the who, what, when, where, why and how. Who do you need to fill the role? Are there any special requirements? What will they have to do at the event? When is the event? Where is it taking place? Why is the event important? And how do people get involved or contact you?

ACCESS TO YOU AND THE REST OF THE TEAM Establish a clear line of communication from the beginning. This is where an app like InitLive can come in handy.

THE RIGHT CLOTHES

Human help: A guide to delegating duties on event day Made-in-Ottawa technology lets event planners make the most efficient use of staff A volunteer workforce can be a unique cohort to manage.

While the enthusiasm of coworkers who are eager to pitch in and make your event a success can rarely be matched by outside contractors, one has to consider that volunteers come with varying levels of experience and may not have internalized all the details that an event planner has in their head.

And, on a day where seemingly hundreds of details need your attention, herding a volunteer workforce can add to the pressure.

“You have the logistics of the event to plan, and you have to delegate to all the right people, who are either staff or volunteers,” says Myra Beaman, a digital marketing specialist with InitLive, an Ottawa tech firm that targets event planners. “It’s just a lot of people you’ve got to manage, and ultimately you have to juggle a lot of things and trust a lot of people.”

While it may seem like a lot of work, InitLive discourages event planners from

16

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

the temptation of trying to do everything alone.

Instead, the firm says advance planning and communication are the keys to success.

InitLive has built its business around helping event planners manage staff and volunteers. Founded in 2013 by the motherdaughter team of Debbie and Melissa Pinard, the company’s platform includes communication features such as allowing managers to broadcast messages directly to the smartphones of their volunteers, to change assignments and roles on the fly as well as fill any holes left by a volunteer who can’t make their post.

Its clients include the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland as well as the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, which used InitLive to manage nearly 3,000 volunteers during the marquee events that marked Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Through its market research and interviews with event planners, InitLive has prepared a checklist for managing event volunteers:

Whether you are providing matching t-shirts or offering guidelines for what they can choose from their own wardrobe, your volunteers need to know as soon as possible what they are expected to wear.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Help make the event day as easy as possible for volunteers by telling them in advance where they can park, where they can leave their personal items as well as providing information about the venue, such as the location of the bathrooms.

Anticipate potential questions and answer them ahead of time.

WATER AND SNACKS A little sustenance goes a long way in preventing volunteer burnout during a long shift. If you can’t provide this for some reason, make sure volunteers know to bring their own food and consider sharing a list of nearby restaurants they can visit during their breaks.

SUPPLIES Check and double-check that volunteers have the supplies they need to do their jobs well. It’s no fun when a volunteer is five minutes into a shift and has to go searching for a pen.

THANK-YOU NOTES When the job is done, make sure your volunteers know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

SPONSORED CONTENT

FACTS & FIGURES Space details

6,400

Total meeting space in sq. ft.

Hundreds of hotel rooms in every price range available within 10 kilometres; shuttle service available upon request.

2,800

Largest meeting room in sq. ft.

3

Audio-Visual and WiFi

200

Delicious, expert catering

Theatre capacity

200

Reception capacity

140

Restaurant capacity

130 75

Onsite services

Number of meeting rooms

Banquet capacity

Available onsite parking

DAILY RENTAL RATE FROM $200

SALES CONTACT Name: Ravinder Tumber Email: contact@hostindia.ca http://hostindia.ca Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

One of Ottawa’s newest and most versatile event spaces, Host India’s new banquet hall is a gorgeous venue that is suited to events both large and small.

Beautifully appointed, it is perfect for corporate meetings as well as wedding, graduation, birthday, christening and anniversary celebrations.

Purposefully designed to incorporate the latest in technology, the banquet hall includes a performance stage, dance floor, high quality sound and LED lighting systems, remarkable acoustics and an innovative cyclorama screen ideal for slide, stage and light shows. The facility also boasts a large, full-service restaurant as well as a smaller meeting room.

Host India’s expert catering has delighted thousands of patrons with a menu that includes authentic Indian fare with lots of fusion cuisine and

Major events Weddings

regional delicacies. With twenty years of experience, Host India is able to provide elegant, professional service as well as exceptional food to elevate your event. With the added convenience of 75 parking spaces right at the facility, Host India’s banquet hall represents a conveniently-located, impressively affordable and extremely attractive venue.

Host India has made a name for itself by offering superior hospitality and extraordinary food and with this new banquet hall they are now better equipped than ever to help you host an unforgettable event.

Graduation, birthday and anniversary parties Cultural and corporate events

Unique features Stage, dance floor and cyclorama screen Remarkable acoustics High quality sound and LED lighting systems

“Ours is the perfect venue for people to capitalize on Host India’s legendary hospitality.”

RAVINDER TUMBER

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

17

BROOKSTREET & THE MARSHES GOLF CLUB Ottawa’s Premier Four-Diamond Hotel, Golf, Dining, Spa & Conference Destination • •

30,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space

NEW stylish ballroom accommodating up to 500 guests •

•

State of the art audio visual technology •

276 modern guestrooms & suites

•

3 restaurants, café & daily live jazz

Championship golf course, 9 hole short course & mini putting course

•

Spa, gym, indoor & outdoor pools, plus endless recreational activities •

Getaway packages featuring spa, golf, family, shopping & dining

w w w.m arsh esgolfc lu b.c om 18

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

www.b r o o ks tr e e t.co m Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

SCHEDULING YOUR EVENT

What’s on in Ottawa-Gatineau?

Choosing when to hold your event is simultaneously straightforward and complex.

While it’s as simple as selecting a date on a calendar, event planners also need to consider outside factors that can hinder or bolster attendance.

The National Capital Region is home to a wide range of festivals, athletic matches and tournaments, exhibitions and other special events throughout the year. Some organizers may want to avoid scheduling their conference or meeting too close to a competing event that could limit attendance. In other cases, though, a music festival or special museum exhibition can complement your event by providing attendees with the opportunity to partake in memorable activities during social periods and their leisure time.

Either way, consult the following pages to see what is happening in Ottawa and Gatineau in the coming months to make the most of your event.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

19

MAY Monkeyjunk National Arts Centre MonkeyJunk is the indestructible jukebox in the roadside bar spitting anthems until sunrise.

May 3 613-947-7000 / 866-850-2787 nac-cna.ca

Ottawa Bach Choir – Baroque Passion St. Jean-Baptiste Church OBC features the Passion Motets by Schütz, Handel’s brilliant Dixit Dominus and Bach’s motet, Komm, Jesu, komm.

With baroque chamber string ensemble and Canadian soloists.

May 4 613-270-1015 ottawabachchoir.ca

Ottawa ComicCon EY Centre A celebration of pop culture and entertainment featuring celebrities, personalities, fans and exhibitors from the worlds of comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, movies, TV, toys, anime and gaming.

May 11-13 ottawacomiccon.com

Hintonburg neighbourhood unique.

May 23-27 thehappeningottawa.ca

Eve Film Festival Kanata Ribfest Kanata Leisure Centre and Wave Pool Craft beer, delicious food, live entertainment and a brand new car show to kick off the barbecue season.

May 25-27 kanataribfest.ca

Canadian Tulip Festival Commissioners Park and Aberdeen Pavilion This annual world-famous festival centres around Ottawa’s love affair with the tulip, with a million tulips blooming in public areas.

May 11-21 613-567-5757 or 800-66-TULIP tulipfestival.ca

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Downtown Ottawa Almost 50,000 participants compete in a variety of challenging races, including Canada’s largest marathon, during the country’s most popular multi-day running event.

May 26-27 613-234-2221 / 866-786-6882 runottawa.ca

Sporting Life 10K Run for Ooch Lansdowne Join 2,000 people in running and walking along Ottawa’s iconic Rideau Canal to help raise critical funds for Camp Oochigeas (Ooch) and send kids with cancer to camp.

May 13 888-464-6624 www.sportinglife10k.ca

The Happening Wellington West neighbourhood Enjoy an art, music, fashion and food festival that celebrates what makes the

20

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

JUNE

Music at the Museum: Centralaires Concert Band – Music to Remember Canada Aviation and Space Museum Engaging afternoon concerts.

May 27 ingeniumcanada.org/aviation

Arts Court Theatre A feminist event that showcases and supports work by women and genderqueer directors in film.

June 1-2 evefilmfestival.ca

Doors Open Ottawa Various locations Building owners unlock their doors and welcome the public in to share the secrets of architecturally and historically significant buildings.

June 2-3 613-580-9674 ottawa.ca/doorsopen

Italian Week Preston Street Italian Week features a huge religious procession that winds through its streets, a Mardi Gras type celebration and wonderful samples of Italian food and music.

June 7-17 italianweekottawa.ca

WESTfest Gatineau BeerFest Canadian Museum of History Discover artisans, local produce, beer and food matches among friends and family.

May 31 to June 2 festibiere.ca/en/summer

Tom Brown Arena and Park A festival of music, art and life in Canada’s biggest free street party.

June 8-10 613-261-1707 westfest.ca

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Volleyball Nations League TD Place Cheer on Canada’s men’s national team as they compete against Australia, Germany and the United States.

June 8-10 volleyball.ca

Ottawa Fringe Festival

Cirque du Soleil presents Corteo

Various locations The Fringe Festival is a celebration of the arts and an opportunity for local, national and international artists to showcase their original work.

June 14-24 613-232-6162 ottawafringe.com

Canadian Tire Centre A festive parade imagined by a clown in a theatrical world of fun, comedy, acrobatics and spontaneity.

June 27 to July 1 cirquedusoleil.com

Carivibe Ottawa Caribbean Carnival Various locations Ottawa’s biggest celebration of Caribbean culture.

June 15-17 613-590-1588 carivibe.com

Ottawa Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival Vincent Massey Park See some of Canada’s best Aboriginal talent, featuring music and family programming.

June 21-24 ottawasummersolstice.ca

Franco Ontarian Festival Major’s Hill Park The biggest francophone celebration in Canada’s capital region, with concerts, street art and entertainment celebrating Franco-Ontarian culture.

June 16-18 613-321-0102 ffo.ca

TD Ottawa Jazz Festival

Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival

RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies

Mooney’s Bay Park Non-stop boat racing, free concerts, a children’s activity area and great food, drinks and vendors.

June 21-24 613-238-7711 dragonboat.net

Musical Ride Centre Performance by the world-famous RCMP Musical Ride and their signature flaglowering ceremony at sunset, among other activities and police displays.

June 27-30 rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Confederation Park and other locations From the avant-garde to big band and swing, come enjoy musical stylings to suit any jazz aficionado.

June 21 to July 1 613-241-2633 / 888-226-4495 ottawajazzfestival.com

JULY Canada Day Downtown Ottawa and Gatineau Canada’s 151st birthday in the capital, when the region resonates with pageantry and the sounds of celebration.

July 1 819-997-0055 / 866-811-0055 canada.ca/canada-day

Music and Beyond Downtown churches and concert halls A classical music festival that presents concerts, including orchestras, choirs, bands, wind ensembles, recitals, baroque groups and small ensembles.

July 4-17 613-241-0777 musicandbeyond.ca

Ottawa Beach Soccer Festival Petrie Island Beach All soccer players are invited with divisions for 35+, mixed adults, mixed U18, U14, U12, U10.

July 5-8 613-294-4549 givefestivals.org

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

21

Capital Fair Rideau Carleton Raceway Featuring a demolition derby, a critter zoo, stunt dogs, daily magic shows and a great hypnotist.

Aug. 17-26 613-741-3247 capitalfair.ca

PHOTO BY RAPH_PH / FLICKR

Capital Pride Festival RBC Bluesfest LeBreton Flats One of the largest international music events in the world, with more than 220 varied musical acts on several outdoor stages, attracting more than 300,000 music fans each year.

July 5-15 613-247-1188 / 866-258-3748 ottawabluesfest.ca

Northern Lights: Sound and Light Show Parliament Hill Discover the stories of Canada as told through a spectacle of giant images of Canada’s physical, historical and cultural landscapes projected the façade of Centre Block.

July 9 to Sept. 3 soundandlightshow.ca

H.O.P.E. Volleyball SummerFest Mooney’s Bay Park This is North America’s largest one-day outdoor beach volleyball tournament, with more than 25,000 players and spectators and a wide variety of entertainment events featuring prominent artists.

July 14 hopehelps.com

Fortissimo: Beating Retreat Ceremony Parliament Hill This annual military and musical spectacular features massed military

22

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

bands, pipes and drums, guest performers and the soldiers of the Ceremonial Guard.

July 19-21 613-992-4793 Army-armee.forces.gc.ca

Various locations From culture to partying, there’s an event for everyone. Parade and show on Sunday.

Aug. 20-26 613-252-7174 ottawacapitalpride.ca

Boochfest Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park A gathering of kombucha brewers, kombucha enthusiasts, and the kombucha curious to celebrate the world’s most refreshing and lively drink.

July 22 boochfest.ca

Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival

Carivibe Reach the Beach Party

SEPTEMBER

Petrie Island Ottawa’s biggest Caribbean beach bash with non-stop entertainment, music and plenty of Caribbean cuisine.

July 28 613-590-1588 carivibe.com

AUGUST Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light Canadian Museum of History Five international fireworks designers create amazing displays that light up the Ottawa-Gatineau sky during five nights filled with lights, music and entertainment.

Aug. 4-18 (Wednesdays and Saturdays) 819-771-3389 feux.qc.ca

Gatineau Canada’s largest balloon festival, where hot air balloons fill the Gatineau sky.

Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 819-243-2330 / 800-668-8383 balloongatineau.com

CityFolk Lansdowne Park Music, dance, storytelling and crafts festival highlighting Canada’s rich traditions as an eclectic mix of performers share the spotlight and deliver a variety of side-stage shows.

Sept. 12-16 613-230-8234 cityfolkfestival.ca

Canada Army Run Downtown Ottawa and Gatineau A half-marathon, 10K and 5K run attracts military and civilian runners, walkers and spectators from around the world.

Sept. 23 armyrun.ca Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Remembrance Day Ceremony Ottawa International Animation Festival Various locations North America’s largest animation festival showcases the finest new productions from around the world.

Sept. 26-30 613-232-8769 animationfestival.ca

Ottawa Geek Market Nepean Sportsplex A celebration of Ottawa’s growing geeky community, featuring shopping, activities and costumes.

Sept. 28-30 geekmarket.ca

NOVEMBER 2018 U Sports Women’s Soccer Championship

Beechwood Cemetery As Canada’s National Military Cemetery, Beechwood is a natural gathering place for recognizing the bravery and sacrifice of the country’s fallen heroes.

Nov. 11 613-741-9530 beechwoodottawa.ca

SPORTS CALENDAR

OCTOBER

University of Ottawa The Ottawa Gee-Gees will welcome some of the best women soccer players in Canada as they compete in a series of elimination matches for the title of national champion.

Nov. 8-11 oua.ca/sports

Halifax Harbour 1918

Ottawa Salsa Convention

Ottawa Champions Baseball Club

National Gallery of Canada This Masterpiece in Focus exhibition examines the work of Harold Gilman and Arthur Lismer in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Oct. 12 to Feb. 18, 2019 613-990-1985 / 800-319-2787 gallery.ca

Canadian Museum of History A four-day Latin dance festival where top nationally and internationally renowned dance artists give workshops and performances, followed by social dancing at night.

Nov. 9-12 613-295-5038 ottawasalsaconvention.ca

Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park Home dates: May 18-23; June 1-3; June 5-10; June 19-24; June 29-July 1; July 9-11; July 16-22; July 31-Aug. 5; Aug. 9-12; Aug. 24-26; Aug. 28-Sept. 3.

613-745-2255 ottawachampions.com

Symposium Gatineau en couleurs

Remembrance Day Ceremony

Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton (Gatineau) Check out art by 70 artists and sculptors from the Outaouais Region and elsewhere as they create masterpieces on site that can be acquired by art lovers.

Oct. 26-28, 2018 symposiumgatineauencouleurs.ca

National War Memorial A moving ceremony of remembrance for the men and women who have served in Canada’s military.

Nov. 11 613-591-3335 legion.ca

Ottawa Redblacks TD Place Home dates: May 31 (pre-season); June 21; July 12; July 20; Aug. 11; Aug. 31; Sept. 22; Oct. 5; Oct. 19; Nov. 2.

613-232-6767 ottawaredblacks.com

Ottawa Fury FC

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

TD Place Home dates: April 21; April 28; May 2; May 12; May 25; May 30; June 2; June 27; July 8; July 14; July 21; July 28; Aug. 3; Aug. 15; Aug. 18; Aug. 25; Sept. 30; Oct. 13.

613-232-6767 ottawafuryfc.com MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

23

Largest Meeting & Ranked by total meeting space. Magazine advertisers highlighted in yellow.

Venue Address Phone Fax Web

EY Centre

4899 Uplands Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 2N6

613-822-8800

613-688-4824

eycentre.ca

Shaw Centre

55 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1N 9J2

613-563-1984

613-563-7646

shaw-centre.com

Carleton University Conference Services

1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6

carleton.ca/conferenceservices

613-520-5611

613-520-2750

University of Ottawa Conventions & Reservations 85 University Pvt., Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

613-562-5771

613-562-5201

reservations.uottawa.ca

Canadian Tire Centre / Ottawa Senators Hockey Club - Meetings & Banquets

1000 Palladium Dr., Kanata, ON K2V 1A5

613-599-0100

613-599-0105

canadiantirecentre.com

Collège La Cité

801 Aviation Pky., Ottawa, ON K1K 4R3

613-742-2483

613-742-2479

collegelacite.ca

Nepean Sportsplex

1701 Woodroffe Ave., Nepean, ON K2G 1W2

613-580-2424 x23055 613-580-9607

Palais des congres de Gatineau

50 Maisonneuve Blvd., 3rd flr, Gatineau, QC J8X 4H4 819-595-8000

819-595-8012

congresgatineau.com

Hilton Lac-Leamy

3 Casino Blvd., Gatineau, QC J8Y 6X4

819-790-6444

819-790-6408

hiltonlacleamy.com

NAV Centre

1950 Montreal Rd., Cornwall, ON K6H 6L2

1-877-832-6416

613-936-5089

navcentre.ca

The Westin Ottawa

11 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON K1N 9H4

613-560-7000

613-560-7359

thewestinottawa.com

613-667-9888

Ottawaconferenceandeventcentre.com

Ottawa.ca

Ottawa Conference and Event Centre

200 Coventry Rd., Ottawa, ON K1K 4S3

613-288-3450

Lansdowne Park

450 Queen Elizabeth Dr., Ottawa, ON K1S 5J3

613-580-2429

—

Ottawa.ca/lansdownepark

Algonquin Commons Theatre/ Algonquin Students’ Association

1385 Woodroffe Ave., Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8

613-727-4723 x6442

—

algonquinsa.com

Algonquin College

1385 Woodroffe Ave., Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8

613-727-4723 x7481 613-727-7735

Fairmont Chateau Laurier

1 Rideau St., Ottawa, ON K1N 8S7

613-241-1414

613-562-7030

fairmont.com

Ottawa Marriott

100 Kent St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5R7

613-238-1122

613-783-4228

Ottawamarriott.com

algonquincollege.com/conference

RA Centre

2451 Riverside Dr., Ottawa, ON K1H 7X7

613-733-5100

613-736-6233

racentre.com

Canadian Museum of History

100 Laurier St., Gatineau, QC K1A 0M8

819-776-7018

819-776-7059

history.ca/facilityrentals

Brookstreet

525 Legget Dr., Ottawa, ON K2K 2W2

613-271-1800

613-271-3541

brookstreet.com

Delta Hotels by Marriott Ottawa City Centre

101 Lyon St., Ottawa, ON K1R 5T9

613-237-3600

613-237-9114

marriott.com/yowdm

North Grenville Municipal Centre

285 County Road 44, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0

613-258-9569 x134

613-258-9620

northgrenville.ca

Canadian War Museum

1 Vimy Pl., Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8

819-776-7018

819-776-7059

warmuseum.ca/facilityrentals

National Arts Centre - Meetings and Events

1 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1

613-232-5713

613-943-1403

nacmeetings.ca

Canadian Museum of Nature

240 McLeod St., Ottawa, ON K2P 2R1

613-566-4712

613-566-4798

nature.ca

Shenkman Arts Centre

245 Centrum Blvd., Ottawa, ON K1E 0A1

613-580-2787

613-580-2656

shenkmanarts.ca

Infinity Convention Centre

2901 Gibford Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 2L9

613-222-3700

Saint Paul University

223 Main St., Ottawa, ON K1S 1C4

613-236-1393 x2240 613-782-3005

ustpaul.ca

Centrepointe Theatres & Ben Franklin Place

101 Centrepointe Dr., Ottawa, ON K2G 5K7

613-580-2424 x41216 613-580-2704

centrepointetheatres.com

—

infinityconventioncentre.com

St. Elias Centre Conference & Banquet Facility* 750 Ridgewood Ave., Ottawa, ON K1V 6N1

613-737-4997

613-737-6493

steliascentre.com

Crowne Plaza Gatineau-Ottawa

2 Montcalm St., Gatineau, QC J8X 4B4

819-778-3880

819-778-3309

crowneplaza.com/gatineauottawa

Centurion Conference & Event Center

170 Colonnade Rd. S., Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5

613-727-1044

613-727-8293

centurioncenter.com

Fairmont le Château Montebello

392 Notre Dame St., Montebello, QC J0V 1L0

819-423-6341

819-423-5106

fairmont.com/montebello

Lord Elgin Hotel

100 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5K8

613-235-3333

613-235-3223

lordelgin.ca

Tudor Hall

3750 North Bowesville Rd., Ottawa, ON K1V 1B8

613-739-4287

613-739-8589

tudorhall.ca

Doubletree by Hilton Gatineau-Ottawa

1170 Aylmer Rd., Gatineau, QC J9H 7L3

819-778-0000

819-777-7161

doubletreegatineau.com

Orchard View Wedding and Event Centre

6346 Deermeadow Dr., Ottawa, ON K4P 1M9

613-821-2675

613-821-4692

orchardview.ca

Canada Agriculture and Food Museum

901 Prince of Wales Dr., Ottawa, ON K2C 3J9

613-327-4611

613-993-7923

cafmuseum.techno-science.ca

Calabogie Peaks Resort

30 Barrett Chute Rd., Calabogie, ON K0J 1H0

1-800-669-4861

1-877-533-5170 calabogie.com

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm

2452 York’s Corners Rd., Edwards, ON K0A 1V0

613-821-2751

613-821-5221

stanleysfarm.com

Strathmere

1980 Phelan Rd W., North Gower, ON K0A 2T0

613-489-2409

613-489-2630

strathmere.com

Sheraton Ottawa Hotel

150 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5G2

613-238-1500

613-238-8497

sheratonottawa.com

Sala San Marco Event & Conference Centre

215 Preston St., Ottawa, ON K1R 7R1

613-238-6063

613-233-3331

salasanmarco.ca

allsaints Event Space

10 Blackburn Ave., Ottawa, ON K1N 8A3

613-230-3050

Capital Hill Hotel and Suites

88 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5E9

613-235-1413

24

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

— 613-235-6047

allsaintsottawa.ca/facilities-rental capitalhill.com

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Convention Spaces Mtg space (sq. ft.)

Number. of Largest mtg Theatre mtg rooms room (sq. ft.) capacity

Reception Restaurant Banquet capacity capacity capacity

Daily rental rate

In-house catering

Free Key executie Ranked bySales contact total meeting space.

Parking

219,000

12

90,000

6,000

7,500

N/A

4,200

WND

Y

N

Neill Bales

Jennifer Diggens

192,000

28

57,740

6,000

6,000

N/A

3,840

WND

Y

N

Nina Kressler

Katrina McQuigge

150,000

26

10,000

444

500

800

340

$95-$600

Y

N

Kendra Reay

Linda Cruz

90,000

200

16,000

420

500

700

240

$100-$2,000

Y

N

Jennifer Stewart

72,182

12

14,016

500

450

350

350

$300-$2,500

Y

Y

Geoff Publow

Kailey Fleming

70,000

212

12,000

1,000

500

400

500

WND

Y

Y

Josée Derome

Annie Coutu

70,000

13

8,640

900

1,000

N/A

480

$142.30-$1,850 Y

Y

Chantal Laporte

Kay Boland

60,000

12

26,668

2,800

4,000

1,750

1,750

$285-$1,350

Y

N

Pierre Latour

Denis Carpentier

51,000

16

15,866

1,600

1,500

140

1,100

$350-$9,250

Y

Y

Alain Miroux

Fabienne Nadeau

50,000

70

9,800

875

1,000

450

500

WND

Y

Y

Kim Coe-Turner

Silvia Marino

47,750

33

16,587

1,500

1,800

200

1,250

$495-$16,200

Y

N

Ross Meredith

Shaddy Shibley

43,000

37

11,000

1,200

1,000

100

800

Starting at $250

Y

Y

Claudio Dinardo

Pamela Diane DiNardo

42,000

2

35,000

2,800

2,800

N/A

2,800

WND

N

N

Benoit Osborne

Jennifer Bradley

40,915

13

11,160

835

300

295

150

WND

Y

N

Ken McLeod

—

—

40,144

20

11,760

N/A

1,256

60

1,200

Starting at $85

Y

N

Mary Baxter

Jennifer Thurston

36,000

16

5,886

600

800

180

450

$700-$7,000

Y

N

Claude J. Sauvé

Sue Ohlson

36,000

26

6,500

600

600

180

600

$250-$4,000

Y

N

Stephane Pelletier

Amina Hassan

33,821

12

6,690

600

600

180

475

WND

Y

Y

Tosha Rhodenizer

Shelley Carbonetto

33,235

12

12,925

500

1,400

60

600

$700-$5,000

Y

N

Mark O’Neill

Genevieve Mercier

30,000

25

7,200

800

1,200

125

370

WND

Y

N

Nyle Kelly

Mark Nisbett

26,000

17

10,000

1,100

1,000

150

900

WND

Y

N

Zubair Siddiqi

Marilyn Power

23,000

5

17,000

300

300

N/A

300

$126-$1,050

N

Y

Mark Guy

Lisa Kmiel

22,000

5

9,038

231

1,500

N/A

600

$600-$4,000

Y

N

Mark O’Neill

Genevieve Mercier

20,500

6

20,500

2,800

3,100

200

2,500

$1,000-$13,800 Y

N

Nelson Borges

Lisa Levia

20,000

8

7,700

220

500

60

240

$800-$3,300

Y

N

Nathalie Boulet

Andrea Fernandes

17,795

7

6,458

500

500

N/A

N/A

WND

N

Y

Caroline Obeid

Maureen Johnson

17,000

6

15,000

1,800

1,500

1,200

1,200

WND

Y

Y

Sharron Mulvey

Jo-Anne Saikaley

15,658

32

4,600

300

300

90

150

WND

Y

N

Nadine Tremblay

Alexandra Mongrain

15,564

5

10,000

954

199

N/A

WND

N

Y

WND

Allan Sansom

Christine Etherington

15,500

4

15,500

1,500

1,200

WND

1,150

WND

Y

Y

Zare Kesyan

15,040 12 4,028 450 500 140 350 $375-$2,500 Y

N

Michael Lucas Nathalie Tremblay

14,000

7

10,500

800

800

40

800

$495-$5,000

Y

Y

Sean McGrath

Kim Le Sage Le Blanc

13,440

20

4,200

425

500

350

350

$0-$2,500

Y

Y

Genevieve Dumas

Cindy Gascon

13,000

15

2,200

200

225

160

160

$375-$2,500

Y

N

David O. Smythe

Ann Meelker

12,600

3

12,000

1,650

1,000

N/A

1,000

$500-$2,500

Y

Y

Joe Giammaria

Rosie De Leo

12,000

11

6,133

720

800

150

400

$300-$2,750

Y

Y

George Chaiban

WND

11,300

7

5,600

600

600

N/A

400

$150-$1,500

Y

Y

Adam Milito

Amanda Baker

11,068

8

2,400

150

500

N/A

138

$450-$3,000

N

N

Kerry-Leigh Burchill

Lauren DeBruyn

10,278

6

3,685

250

250

60

200

$250-$1,000

Y

Y

Maggie Fairfield

10,000

4

6,000

600

600

400

350

WND

Y

Y

Earl Stanley

10,000

8

2,800

250

600

N/A

500

$300-$650

Y

Y

Glenna Camposarcone Laura Kelly

9,700

10

2,720

275

300

85

230

$375-$2,000

Y

N

Yolaine Charette

Maria Papadakos

9,500

4

9,200

1,000

800

600

WND

$250-$5,000

Y

Y

Tony Zacconi

Jessica Marshall

9,120

5

3,096

515

515

N/A

515

Starting at $50/hr Y

Y

Leanne Moussa

8,924

8

2,650

140

200

70

150

WND

N

Hume Rogers

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Y

—

— Susan Faith-Lecoupe

— Sherri Macki

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

25

Largest Meeting & Venue Address Phone Fax Web

Global Knowledge

720-350 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7

613-798-5353

Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Conference Centre Gatineau-Ottawa

35 Laurier St., Gatineau, QC J8X 4E9

819-778-6111

819-778-3647 613-782-2228

—

traincanada.com fourpointsgatineau.com

Innovative Professional Offices

200-440 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON K1R 7X6

613-232-1110

Hellenic Meeting and Reception Centre

1315 Prince of Wales Dr., Ottawa, ON K2C 1N2

613-225-8016 ext.223 613-225-0843

hellenicottawa.ca

Residence Inn by Marriott Ottawa

161 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON K1P 5J2

613-231-2020

613-231-2048

marriottresidenceinnottawa.com

Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport

2400 Alert Rd., Ottawa, ON K1V 1S1

613-288-9001

613-249-8729

Ottawaairport.hgi.com

Dow’s Lake Court Conference Centre

865 Carling Ave., 2nd floor, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8

613-725-3855

613-725-3101

dowslakecourt.com

Holiday Inn Ottawa East

1199 Joseph Cyr St., Ottawa, ON K1J 7T4

613-744-1060

613-744-7845

hiottawaeast.com

Villa Lucia Supper Club and Banquet Hall

3430 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K2H 5B1

613-596-1346

613-596-2812

villalucia.com

Quality Inn and Suites

111 Bellehumeur St., Gatineau, QC J8T 6K5

819-568-5252

819-568-0753

qualityinnandsuitesgatineau.ca

Host Banquet and Catering Services

622 Montreal Rd, Ottawa, ON K1K 0T6

613-875-6724

Best Western Plus Ottawa Downtown Suites

377 O’Connor St., Ottawa, ON K2P 2M2

613-567-7275

— 613-567-1161

innovativeprofessionaloffices.com

hostindia.ca victoriapark.com

Canada Aviation and Space Museum

11 Aviation Pkwy., Ottawa, ON K1G 5A3

613-327-4611

613-990-3655

casmuseum.techno-science.ca

International Development Research Centre

150 Kent St., Ottawa, ON K1P 0B2

613-696-2620

613-567-4349

idrc.ca

Anderson Links Golf Club

4175 Anderson Rd., Ottawa, ON KOA 1K0

613-822-9477

613-822-9440

andersonlinks.com

Canada Science and Technology Museum

1867 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON K1G 5A3

613-991-6064

613-990-3655

sciencetech.technomuses.ca

Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown

350 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, ON K1N 7E9

613-241-1000

613-241-4804

marriottcourtyardottawa.com

Ramada Plaza Manoir du Casino

75 d’Edmonton St., Gatineau, QC J8Y 6W9

819-777-7538

819-777-6473

ramadaplaza-gatineau.com

Best Western Plus Ottawa / Kanata Hotel and Conference Centre

1876 Robertson Rd., Ottawa, ON K2H 5B8

613-828-2744

613-596-4742

bestwesternplusottawa.com

819-770-9705

Best Western Plus Gatineau-Ottawa

131 rue Laurier, Gatineau, QC J8X 3W3

819-770-8550

Andaz Ottawa Byward Market

325 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, ON K1N 7G1

613-667-4500

Albert at Bay Suite Hotel

435 Albert St., Ottawa, ON K1R 7X4

613-238-8858

613-238-1433

Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata

101 Kanata Ave., Kanata, ON K2T 1E6

613-271-3057

613-271-3060

Wakefield Mill Hotel & Spa

60 Mill Rd., Wakefield, QC J0X 3G0

819-459-3475 x106

—

wakefieldmill.com

The Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards

7 Bayview Rd., Ottawa, ON K1Y 2C5

613-216-4229

—

thebayviewyards.com

543 on the Island

6 Booth St., Albert Island, Ottawa, ON K1R 6K8

613-224-0134

—

The Meadows Golf and Country Club

4335 Hawthorne Rd., Ottawa, ON K1G 3N4

613-822-2582

613-822-6092 613-760-4767

—

bestwesterngatineau.ca andaszottawa.com albertatbay.com hisottawa.ca

zibi.ca/contact/zibi-event-rentals themeadowsgolf.com

Novotel Ottawa

33 Nicholas St., Ottawa, ON K1N 9M7

613-230-3033

La Grange Country Inn

37 Rockhurst Rd., Wakefield, QC J0X 3G0

819-459-3939

Prinzo Fine Catering

85 O’Connor St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5M6

613-565-1328

The Metcalfe Hotel

123 Metcalfe St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5L9

613-231-6555

613-231-7555

themetcalfehotel.com

Learning Tree International

2300-160 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K2P 2N8

613-237-0098

613-237-4588

learningtree.ca

novotelottawa.com

—

lagrangecountryinn.com

—

prinzo.ca

Cartier Place Suite Hotel

180 Cooper St., Ottawa, ON K2P 2L5

613-236-5000

613-238-3842

suitedreams.com

Best Western Plus Ottawa City Centre

1274 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K8

613-728-1951

613-728-1955

Ottawabestwestern.com

The Irving Greenberg Centre

1233 Wellington St. W., Ottawa, ON, ON K1Y 0G7

613-236-5192

613-232-2075

gctc.ca

Les Suites Hotel, Ottawa

130 Besserer St., Ottawa, ON K1N 9M9

613-232-2000

613-232-1242

les-suites.com

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ottawa West Nepean

2055 Robertson Rd., Ottawa, ON K2H 5Y9

613-690-0100

—

holidayinnexpressottawawest.com

Russell Curling Club

1076 Concession St., Russell, ON K4R 1A2

613-445-2829

—

russellcurlingclub.com

La Charrette

460 West Hunt Club Rd., Ottawa, ON K2E 0B8

613-225-0260

—

The Business Inn

180 MacLaren St., Ottawa, ON K2P 0L3

613-232-1121

613-232-8143

thebusinessinn.com

The Marshes Golf Club

320 Terry Fox Dr., Ottawa, ON K2K 3A2

613-271-3376

613-271-3372

marshesgolfclub.com

La Grange de la Gatineau

80 Summer, Cantley, QC J8V 3J3

819-459-3939

ARC The.Hotel

140 Slater St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5H6

613-238-2888

613-235-8421

arcthehotel.com

Radisson Hotel Ottawa Parliament Hill

402 Queen St., Ottawa, ON K1R 5A7

613-236-1133

613-236-2317

radisson.com/ottawa.ca

TCC Canada – Blackwood 304-555 Legget Dr., Tower A, Kanata, ON K2K 2X3 613-566-7000

26

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

—

—

lacharrette.ca

grange.ca

tcccanada.com/locations /blackwood-centre

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Convention Spaces Mtg space (sq. ft.)

Number. of Largest mtg Theatre mtg rooms room (sq. ft.) capacity

Reception Restaurant Banquet capacity capacity capacity

8,243

17

795

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

WND

N

N

Rodney Kelly

Dianne Beauchamp

8,000

10

2,700

150

160

45

120

$250-$1,200

Y

N

Jason Trottier

Denise Breau

7,800

10

1,200

60

40

N/A

N/A

$200-$595

Y

N

Mike Wallace

Mike Wallace

7,750

2

6,000

500

750

500

WND

WND

WND

Y

Mary Dimas

Taline LaVasseur

7,700

9

2,580

200

220

120

120

$250-$1,500

Y

N

N. Ravi

Patrick Quirouette

7,200

12

4,800

400

400

145

325

$250-$2,500

Y

Y

Franco Falcucci

Alison Hunter

7,000

7

2,434

100

75

150

N/A

$300-$1,500

Y

N

Sue Rowland

7,000

8

2,600

225

300

180

180

$925

Y

Y

Franca Coccimiglio

Ramondo Patino

7,000

2

5,000

250

100

250

250

$100-$500

Y

Y

Lucia Di Franco

Claudia Juarez

6,918

12

3,458

350

400

175

300

$155-$1,150

Y

Y

Nicole de Sampaio

Roxane Rollin

6,400

3

2,800

200

200

140

130

Starting at $200

Y

Y

Ravinder Tumber

6,000

7

2,000

160

130

N/A

150

$250-$2,000

Y

N

John Cosentino

Roger MacKinnon

6,000

7

9,000

250

1,500

N/A

450

$450-$6,000

Y

N

Chris Kitzan

Lauren DeBruyn

5,500

7

3,300

250

250

200

WND

$275-$1,175

Y

N

Dawn Lucas

Samantha Pilch

5,480

5

2,000

150

230

230

230

WND

Y

Y

Martin Patterson

5,000

9

5,000

240

500

N/A

250

$650-$6,000

Y

N

Lauren DeBruyn

Lauren DeBruyn

5,000

6

3,400

350

400

72

200

$200-$2,000

Y

Y

Nancy Champagne

Denise Breau

5,000

9

2,460

300

350

200

160

$225-$550

Y

Y

Christine Cadieux

Marie Josee Boyd

4,999

7

2,000

180

200

90

170

$200-$650

Y

Y

Julie Cheikh

Arnie Cayetano

4,511

5

3,034

300

225

70

200

$200-$900

Y

Y

Martin Fogarty

Natahlie Sarthou

4,500

6

2,679

120

200

120

140

WND

Y

N

Kayla Pierce

Florence Houlahan

4,264

9

3,200

300

220

200

200

$250-$2,000

Y

N

John Cosentino

Roger MacKinnon

4,127

7

2,784

240

350

150

150

$295-$1,100

Y

Y

Alana Haining

Susan Marcovitch

4,056

6

1,600

80

120

160

65

$200-$600

Y

Y

Brititte Milling

Luc Milling

3,850

1

3,850

250

300

N/A

N/A

$400-$1,100

Y

N

Richard Quigley

Heather Hammond

3,810

1

3,810

300

200

N/A

150

Starting at $3,000 N

N

Jeff Westeinde

Scott Simpson

3,600

2

2,000

320

WND

160

320

$500-$1,500

Y

Y

WND

WND

3,465

6

1,806

160

215

110

110

$200-$1200

Y

N

Bruno Beaudoin

Tracey Parslow

3,000

3

1,200

60

60

60

WND

$350-$500

Y

Y

Chris St. John

WND

3,000

1

3,000

208

WND

150

WND

WND

Y

N

Victor Arkulinsky

Irina Nachetaya

3,000

4

1,277

130

140

70

100

$200-$850

Y

N

Kim Jones

Patrick Quirouette

2,964

8

616

0

24

WND

WND

$725-$1,250

Y

N

Sue Armstrong

Lauren Spooner

2,414

5

1,500

150

195

88

120

$225-$800

Y

N

Heidi C. Webster

Ann E. Freel

2,394

4

1,344

160

160

110

120

$170-$480

Y

Y

Darren Ryan

Stefanie Occhionero

2,350

2

1,200

262

300

70

50

$150-$500

Y

Y

Hugh Neilson

WND

2,235

3

858

60

60

40

48

$250-800

Y

N

Chris Pierce

Mike Di Cioccio

2,205

4

1,040

85

100

N/A

56

$175-$700

Y

Y

Diana Pratt

Denise Breau

2,200

2

1,300

200

WND

150

WND

$150-$400

N

Y

Lucy Ladouceur

Lucy Ladoucuer

2,000

2

1,500

70

100

80

WND

$710

N

Y

Antonio Mauriello

WND

1,990

3

785

50

80

380

100

$250

Y

N

Barrett Karam

Julie Belanger

1,944

4

1,944

180

250

125

175

$500-$3,000

Y

Y

Nyle Kelly

Meghan Hamilton

1,782

5

1,200

100

100

80

80

Varies

Y

Y

Colette Paré

1,670

4

812

30

240

45

60

$350-$2,000

Y

N

Tammy Critch

Nicholas Litt

1,610

3

670

80

80

100

40

$345-$625

Y

N

Jenna MacLeod

Oscar Rodriguez

1,525

5

442

40

60

N/A

40

$180-$475

Y

N

Ashley Lawrence

Alison Weir

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Daily rental rate

In-house catering

Free Key executie Parking

Sales contact

—

—

—

—

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

27

Largest Meeting & Venue Address Phone Fax Web

Aquatopia Water Garden Conservatory

2710 March Rd., Carp, ON K0A 1L0

613-225-7663

—

Econiche House

32 River Rd., Cantley, QC J8V 3A1

819-827-0086

—

Days Inn Downtown Ottawa

319 Rideau St., Ottawa, ON K1N 5Y4

613-789-5555

613-789-6196

daysinn.ca

Tulips & Maple Inc.

1980 Merivale Rd., Ottawa, ON K2G 1G4

613-723-7103

613-723-5430

tulipsandmaple.com

TCC Canada – Downtown 900-251 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON K1P 5J6 613-566-7000

—

aquatopiaconservatory.com econichehouse.com

tcccanada.com/locations/ downtown-centre

Nepean Sailing Club

3259 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K2H 1A6

613-829-6462

613-828-4636

nsc.ca

Residence Inn by Marriott Ottawa Airport

1172 Walkley Rd., Ottawa, ON K1V 2P7

613-523-9600

613-523-2900

residenceinnottawaairport.com

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Ottawa Kanata 578 Terry Fox Dr., Kanata, ON K2L 4G8

613-599-7767

613-599-9971

marriott.com/yowfi

Ottawa Embassy Hotel and Suites

25 Cartier St., Ottawa, ON K2P 1J2

613-237-2111

613-563-1353

Ottawaembassy.com

Monterey Hotel

2259 Prince of Wales Dr., Ottawa, ON K2E 6Z8

613-288-3500

613-226-3813

TCC Canada – Queensway 200-15 Fitzgerald Rd., Ottawa, ON K2H 9G1 613-566-7000

—

monterey.ca tcccanada.com/locations/ queensway-centre

Days Inn Ottawa West

350 Moodie Dr., Ottawa, ON K2H 8G3

613-726-1717

613-726-1462

daysinnottawawest.com

Holiday Inn Express

2881 Gibford Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 2L9

613-247-9500

613-247-9400

hieottawa.com

TCC Canada – St. Laurent 800-1730 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON K1G 5L1 613-566-7000

—

tcccanada.com/locations/ st-laurent

TownePlace Suites Ottawa Kanata

1251 Maritime Way , Kanata, ON K2K 0J6

613-599-7200

613-599-7204 marriott.com

Travelodge Ottawa East

1486 Innes Rd. , Ottawa, ON K1B 3V5

613-745-1133

613-745-7380

Ottawatravelodge.com

Hampton Inn

2869 Gibford Dr., Ottawa, ON K1V 2L9

613-248-1113

613-248-1114

hilton.com

Commemorative book highlights the best of the nation and its capital

WA’SUIDE A T T O ING G BUY FORDBUUCSTINSESESS PRO SERVIC AND

K O BO OF S LIST www.canada150book.ca For orders of 12 books or more, email books@greatriver.ca 28

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

S GORIE CATE 5 3 N THA MORE STATS ES T NAM NOMIC O RS C E NTAC O C UMBE KEY 0 THE N AN 60 Y H B T S E ESSE MOR ILES BUSIN PROF WA’S TIVE U C E OTTA O: EX ’S WH WHO

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

Convention Spaces Mtg space (sq. ft.)

Number. of Largest mtg Theatre mtg rooms room (sq. ft.) capacity

Reception Restaurant Banquet capacity capacity capacity

Daily rental rate

In-house catering

Free Key executie Sales contact Parking Ranked by total meeting space.

1,500

N/A

N/A

N/A

150

150

WND

N

Y

Nicholas Bott

WND

1,500

3

750

60

75

100

WND

WND

Y

Y

Nancy Bailey

Rita Berthiaume

1,440

2

610

60

45

30

N/A

$250-$350

Y

N

Fayez Thawer

Dmitriy Mosiychuk

1,400

2

1,200

72

100

N/A

70

WND

Y

Y

Erin Loney

WND

1,350

5

500

45

45

N/A

20

$180-$540

Y

N

Ashley Lawrence

Alison Weir

1,200

1

1,200

110

120

80

100

$420-$560

Y

Y

Heather Erven

1,200

2

900

48

48

N/A

N/A

$250-$395

Y

Y

Anu Sohal

1,000

3

500

35

N/A

WND

WND

WND

WND

WND

Dave Fowler

936

1

936

50

35

50

50

$250

Y

N

Colin Morrison

Jonatan Hudgson

860

3

625

50

70

120

150

$150-$2,500

Y

Y

George Chaiban

Divine Mwimba

625

4

442

30

40

N/A

20

$180-$450

Y

N

Ashley Lawrence

Alison Weir

528

1

528

25

25

25

25

$225-$250

Y

Y

Embrett I. Rose

Nimroz Thawer

500

1

500

25

25

N/A

N/A

$295

Y

Y

Anu Sohal

Sandra Sullivan

500 4

250

N/A

100

N/A

N/A

$180-$450

Y

N

Ashley Lawrence

Alison Weir

— Lee Knowles

500

1

500

35

35

N/A

N/A

$150-$450

N

Y

Courtney Groenewoud Ryan Latimer

483

1

483

30

24

75

24

$200-$350

N/A

Y

Jocelyn Brunet

Tarek Khefifi

400

1

400

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

$250

Y

Y

Anu Sohal

Rebecca Tremblay

COMING AUGUST 2018 Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

29

HINDSIGHT

Guy Laflamme is the executive director of the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, the non-profit organization that planned many of the large festivities marking Canada’s 150th anniversary in the capital. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON

Guy Laflamme looks back on Ottawa 2017 Reflections from the lead organizer behind many of the large-scale events celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary Guy Laflamme has a hard time believing what happened in 2017.

“What we accomplished was close to a miracle,” said Laflamme. “Had you asked me two years ago if this crazy, 300-page business plan that I wrote would become a reality — if we would succeed in achieving all those crazy, audacious concepts — I would have said no way. Maybe a five, 10 per cent chance.”

Laflamme, who spent 12 years helping to organize major events at the National Capital Commission before leading the Ottawa 2017 Bureau, was the key person behind the year-long festivities marking Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Many of these events were without precedence in Canada’s capital. The Rideau

30

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

Canal locks next to the Château Laurier were turned into a high-speed downhill racetrack for Red Bull Crashed Ice; an unfinished underground light-rail station was transformed into a venue for the Kontinuum sound and light show; and a 12-metre-high robotic spider and dragon were invited to battle on downtown Ottawa roads as part of the La Machine street theatre.

Now, with the benefit of hindsight – and an opportunity to catch his breath – Laflamme was able to look back on the three-year project that brought Ottawa 2017 to life.

LESSONS The event-packed year, he said, taught him some important lessons.

“I had nothing to lose with 2017,” he said.

“I could have retired before I took on that role — I had nothing to prove, I didn’t have any political or career aspirations, and as a result I finally had the guts to push back in some cases, to be more determined.

“In hindsight, I should have had those guts for my entire career.”

Financing the celebrations also required a unique approach, as the Ottawa 2017 Bureau was looking for corporate sponsors – such as lead supporter CIBC – that shared the organization’s vision.

“It was never about how we can get people to sign up for credit cards, or new accounts,” said Laflamme, adding the goal was instead “to grow our community.”

Logistics can be a challenge for even the most straight-forward event; those hurdles are multiplied many times over for the complex festivities held last year.

At Kontinuum, for example, all the work met stringent fire and safety codes while complex lighting and sound equipment was installed in what was still a dark, dusty transit station in progress.

And it all had to be completed in “record time” as organizers only had about two and a half weeks to put the elaborate production together once construction crews building the light-rail line vacated the site in midJune.

“With this kind of ambitious, incredibly complex and challenging project, inevitably you have moments where you doubt. Quite often, I was going, ‘Oh my God, why did I get into this?’” Laflamme recalled.

However, advance planning, the ability to overcome those doubts, passion and a willingness to roll up one’s sleeves when needed – Laflamme was spotted putting finishing touches on the paint job just hours before Kontinuum opened for previews in mid-July – helped ensure Kontinuum was a success.

The dozens of special events of 2017 were met with near-universal positive reviews. One of the few exceptions where some discontent was publicly aired was the Inspiration Village installation in the ByWard Market. Public parking on York Street was replaced by a succession of special exhibits and performing arts events meant to showcase each of Canada’s provinces and territories.

Some ByWard Market merchants said the loss of parking hurt their business.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

ABOVE: La Machine featured robotic creatures roaming the streets of Ottawa. BELOW:

An under-construction light-rail station served as the venue for the Kontinuum sound and light show. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OTTAWA 2017 BUREAU

Innovation Meets Activation Laflamme’s approach was to encourage businesses to keep the scale in perspective – only 70 out of 4,000 parking spots were affected, he said – and incorporate Inspiration Village into their own marketing.

It worked for some; the Chateau Lafayette, for one, reported a spike in business as the nearby Inspiration Village acted as a magnet for tourists.

LOOKING AHEAD Whether the city can carry the 2017 momentum into this year and beyond remains an open question.

Both Laflamme and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson have flirted publicly with the idea of carrying some events over into future years, but nothing has been set in stone.

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning

But with a year of mechanical monsters, underground light shows and thousandperson dinners behind him, Laflamme is looking forward to a change of pace.

“I want to go from an intense pace and crazy life, to a peaceful life and just enjoying simple things in life,” he said, adding he plans to retire to a remote house he owns on the Magdalen Islands in eastern Quebec.

But for anyone who has seen Laflamme’s energy and enthusiasm first-hand, it’s hard to imagine him sitting still for long.

“I’m a thrill seeker. Obviously I thrive with adrenaline rush, and I’ll be experiencing the world,” he said. “I’ll be busy planning my exotic adventures.”

– By Kieran Delamont

Seamless planning, smart technology and energized environments make every meeting dynamic and productive.

Refreshed meeting spaces coming in September 2018.

150 Albert Street Ottawa, ON K1P 5G2 T 613 238 1500

©2018 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preferred Guest, SPG, Sheraton and their logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

For full terms and conditions, visit sheraton.com/ottawa

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

31

ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S TOP RANKING HILTON HOTELS

THE HILTON LAC-LEAMY THE ULTIMATE FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN GREATER GATINEAU-OTTAWA

• 349 guest rooms including 37 suites

• Four restaurants, bars and nightclub

• 51,000 square feet of multipurpose convention and exhibit space

• Spa, fitness centre, outdoor and indoor pools

• Multifunctional theatre

• Minutes from downtown Ottawa

• Casino Lac-Leamy inter-connected - Open 24 hours

• Complimentary WiFi and outdoor parking

To receive information on our special Hilton Honors signature bonus program, please contact our sales department.

819-790-6444 | 1-866-488-7888 | sales@casino.qc.ca | casinolacleamy.ca 32

MEETING IN THE CAPITAL 2018

Ottawa-Gatineau’s guide to meeting planning