Montreal has been named the host city for the 2024 One Young World Summit. The announcement, made March 31, bodes well for the future of the city’s convention industry. The event is expected to generate an estimated $4.4 million in tourism revenues along with 7,000 hotel room nights. “The One Young World Summit coming to the Palais is evidence that despite the impacts of the pandemic, Montreal remains a highly attractive host city for major events,” says Luc Charbonneau, director of…
WestJet is expanding its service in Western Canada. The Calgary-based airline will add 11 non-stop routes this summer. “As we look to the coming months with cautious optimism, we know our restart agenda will be pivotal to Canada’s economic recovery,” says WestJet president and CEO, Ed Sims. “Stimulating air travel benefits all Canadians and supports those hardest hit; with one in every 10 Canadian jobs tied to travel and tourism, the ripple effect benefits our whole country.” The flights will be offered up to three times a week in…
A second Canadian city has joined the Hybrid City Alliance, a global coalition of destinations working to organize safe in-person and virtual events. Edmonton is one of eight new members. Others include Antwerp, Belgium; Cannes, France; Durban, South Africa; Seoul, South Korea; Sydney, Australia; and Lausanne-Montreux and Zurich, Switzerland. They join co-founders The Hague; Geneva; the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague; and Ottawa, expanding the alliance’s reach to now include destinations across five continents. “(We are) proud to be…
Production Canada has expanded into the U.S. with the launch of the Production Agency. “We’re extremely excited to service our American-based clients and look for new avenues for growth, and to continue our mission to produce the best and most respected events in North America,” says Todd Skinner, owner of the Production Agency. Production Canada helps clients manifest their event vision into experiences with impact. The award-winning production company blends set construction with full-service event production and what it calls…
Sixty per cent of Canada’s hardest hit businesses will not survive to the end of the year if the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) supports are not renewed beyond their June 5 deadline. This is according to a March survey released by the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, an industry-driven group of more than 100 stakeholders representing a variety of sectors, including tourism, travel, arts and culture, events and festivals, accommodation and hospitality. “Our…
Hosts Global has debuted a new collection of global destination management companies (DMCs), adding 70 to its portfolio. “Groups are excited to gather again and we’re ready with new places, new members and new possibilities,” says Marty MacKay, Hosts Global’s president of alliance events and operations. With the increase in vaccinations and travel destinations continuing to reopen, meeting and event planners are penciling in group events again. The announcement marks the first of Hosts’ new developments to meet this resurgence. From the start of the pandemic, the company…
Meetings Mean Business Canada (MMBC) will host a free virtual event on April 8, in support of Global Meetings Industry Day. Geared to government decision-makers, media and industry professionals, the theme of the 90-minute webinar is ‘We’re Ready.’ It will emphasize the industry’s readiness to reopen the travel, meetings and business events economy when restrictions are lifted. The event will feature industry leaders from across the country, including Destination Canada, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Convention Centres of Canada,…
The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has partnered with services contractor Fern to offer a premiere chapter education series that enables industry-leading content to be provided at a local level. “It is important to us to provide the best and most pertinent education programming to our members, especially as our industry strives to recover from the challenges faced in the past year,” says IAEE vice-president of learning experiences, Marsha Flanagan. “In the five years the chapter education series…
Hyatt Hotels Corp. plans to incorporate a digital health passport into its events programs. “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have believed accessibility to testing and resources would play a critical role in the travel industry’s recovery,” says Hyatt senior vice-president of global operations, Frank Lavey. The hospitality company announced it would use the VeriFLY + Stay app on March 9. The mobile app provides real-time verification of COVID-19 credentials and travel guidelines. It is currently employed by American…
The Events Industry Council (EIC) has launched a new study that will examine the events industry’s impact on the global economy and, for the first time, quantify the cumulative losses experienced in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “This study will provide critical data,” says EIC CEO, Amy Calvert. “Understanding those important points will help with advocacy efforts as we navigate towards the recovery.” The high-profile project will cover the full economic impact of events, using 2019 as a watermark,…
