These unique meeting and event venues share a common past as banking halls.

A former Toronto Dominion Bank heritage building donated to Simon Fraser University, the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue is perhaps best recognized for its magnificent Asia Pacific Hall, equipped with services and technology that could rival the UN.

This beaux-arts beauty in downtown Winnipeg’s Exchange District opened in 1911 and was used by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Today, the Millennium Centre creates a grand presence for galas and corporate banquets, with a 6,000-sq.-ft main hall topped by a 52-ft. stained glass ceiling dome.

Built in the mid-1800s, One King West became Toronto head office of the Dominion Bank in 1879. Now, as One King West Hotel & Residence, the restored offices become history-filled event spaces. The original marble tellers’ counter inspired a 100-foot bar in the Grand Banking Hall, natural for a gala. Or, descend into the Vault, for an intimate meeting behind the doors of the bank’s original four-foot thick steel door.

If you like to judge the quality of a venue by its silverware, this Stanley Cup shrine puts this one over the top. One of the few buildings surviving Toronto’s Great Fire of 1904, this former head office of the Bank of Montreal is now the Hockey Hall of Fame. Suites such as the Esso Theatre are a mainstay for annual meetings, and the full facility can be used after hours for events of up to 1,250 guests.

In 1910, the Union Bank of Canada commissioned its new Edmonton branch during the peak of an economic boom. Today, the Union Bank Inn retains the spirit of the original as a business-oriented boutique hotel, in the heart of the city with three private banquet spaces.

The former bank vault inside the Hotel Le St. James features a stone wall that was once part of Montreal’s original fortifications. Today, the luxe boutique hotel makes the best of a piece of history, transforming the vault into Le Spa for a perfect incentive retreat.

What venues have you used to give your event a unique edge? Share your ideas and connect with peers on facebook or at IgniteMeetingsConnect. More resources at ignitemag.ca.

INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Industry compliance spawns new meetings reporting tools
Watch for the introduction of new meeting expense reporting tools to come as a by-product of healthcare legislation in the US. For one, Cvent has plans to roll out a new Strategic Meetings Management reporting product for meeting managers at pharma and medical supply companies who will have to start reporting gifts and payments made to healthcare professionals starting next year, counting in meeting-related expenses and honoraria. It’s another indicator of event expense reporting being put in the spotlight, as compliance rules tighten across industries and public service organizations to open the books on meeting costs.

CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
The apps are coming
Corporate travel management firm Egencia has announced plans to introduce a mobile app for its corporate travel customers on iPhone and Mobile Web, planned for imminent release. In addition to flight schedules and online check-in, it will include interactive maps for all trip segments, including directions to hotels, security features including traveller alerts and one-click-to-call customer service by phone.

CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
This free lunch earns (frequent flyer) points
As far as promo gifts go, perhaps there is such a thing as a free lunch: To promote awareness of its new business travel service between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, Calgary-based WestJet picked up the tab for diners at three local restaurants in each city a few weeks ago: When the bill arrived, patrons were handed a promo flyer in place of the cheque, giving them half off their next flight to Montreal or Ottawa. The restaurants, included Le Local in Montreal and Ottawa’s Play.