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For your consideration, we present five fresh hotel and conference facilities for your next program.
By Michelle Morra-Carlisle
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Capital It Spot. It was spring fever last April when Ottawa gave birth to its new Convention Centre, a welcome modern sight in a city of historical buildings. The centre boasts almost 200,000 sq.ft. of meeting space over four floors and the most sophisticated Information Communication Technology in Canada; a single data centre on an invisible network runs the entire facility. |
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Très Jolie Venue. Le Westin Montreal has opened its eighth floor as the latest addition of an ample menu of meeting space. There are eight breakout rooms and an 8,797 sq.ft. open concept hall, La Grande Place, which can be used for a gathering of 550 people at round tables or 1,000 reception style. The hotel also features a junior ballroom and terrace on the ninth floor and a main ballroom on the 11th floor. Le Westin Montreal is located directly across from Le Palais des Congrès, the city's largest convention facility. |
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History Repeating. A historic Vancouver hotel that once hosted Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole and British royalty has been fully restored with a new second-floor meeting space. The Rosewood Hotel Georgia opened in July of last year with rooftop terraces, a garden courtyard, a jazz lounge and a private dining room. The ornate, lovingly restored Spanish Ballroom is like stepping into the Hollywood heyday of stained-glass windows and minstrel balconies; but outside the ballroom the extensive art collection has a distinctly West Coast feel. Meeting space also includes a boardroom at the top of the grand staircase, and more intimate rooms for smaller gatherings. |
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Fall For It. Opened in April 2011, a mere 500 metres from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, Scotiabank Convention Centre includes a free-span Exhibition Hall (81,140 sq.ft), a ballroom (17,000 sq.ft), flexible meeting and breakout space (26,000 sq.ft) and a 1000-seat theatre. At the Breaking the Barrier Awards in June, Ontario March of Dimes recognized the centre for making the facility accessibly inclusive for everyone. The facility is also very green—LEED Silver designed using recycled and regional construction materials. |
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On the Waterfront. Situated alongside the St. John River in New Brunswick, the Fredericton Convention Centre opened in January 2011 and is already considered the downtown's shiny crown jewel. With a 12,500 sq.ft. ballroom and 7,400 sq.ft. of flexible meeting space, it's an ideal venue for a range of events, from executive board meetings to galas. It is fully loaded with state-of-the-art technology, free wireless, HD video conference room, and a 700-tiered soft-seat theatre. |
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For more great venue ideas, go to ignitemag.ca or share your favourite conference locations with other readers on facebook or at IgniteMeetingsConnect.
Editor's Note: Read J. Frederick Sagel's report, A Reason to Smile, outlining how TICO and BEICC have agreed to develop guidelines and how those guidelines are shaping up. |
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Meetings Industry Euchre Tournament
When: April 13, 2012
Where: Allstream Centre, Toronto
Why go: Funds raised will support Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, a world-recognized leader in the fight against cancer.
What's in it for you: Enjoy a friendly tournament and casual dinner while you network with industry colleagues at this worthy fundraising event.
More industry events at Ignitemag.ca
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INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
Under Pressure
Job website CareerCast.com recently released their list of the 10 Most Stressful Jobs of 2012 and "event coordinator" took its place at number six. Rated on a 100-point scale and awarding points for criteria ranging from deadlines and growth potential, to physical demands and total travel, event coordinators scored a 49.85. As CareerCast.com explained, event coordinators are responsible for coordinating all the logistics and activities associated with the execution of their events, and often, events will have very high visibility and high stakes for the coordinator. Go to CareerCast.com for the complete list. |
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CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Guilt Trip
Almost two thirds (62%) of business travellers recently surveyed by Best Western International and Wakefield Research say they feel guilty while traveling for business, saying the biggest issue is missing special events at home like birthdays and anniversaries. By the same token, loyalty rewards make it easier for those same road warriors to cash in points for future travel with family and friends. Almost 40 per cent of those surveyed belonged to three or more travel loyalty programs. High-speed Internet is the most important amenity for business travellers (71%), followed by breakfast at 51%. About a third of surveyed travellers found it hard to eat healthy or find time to exercise while on the road. |
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CORPORATE GIFTS + REWARDS
Game On
Businesses will be focusing on individualization in their rewards programs this year, according to a report by the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF). Analyzing existing research, incentive and business publications, and insight from industry leaders, IRF's findings in their 2012 Trends in Rewards and Recognition paper highlights recent economic changes and consumer behavior that are finding their way into the workplace. Some of the 12 trends identified in the paper include non-cash incentive programs to encourage employee participation in wellness programs, increased use of award elements, like gift cards, and integrating reward and recognition schemes into company social media sites. |
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Share your event news, case studies or story ideas with us here at ignitemag.ca. |
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A diversified role
One of Canada's largest conference tradeshow and event management companies needs a Conference Director to execute and manage a number of well-established events around the world. If you've got proven work experience, are willing to work with a team and consider strong attention to detail one of your strong points, you can apply here. |
Do you have it in you?
Canadian Blood Services needs an Events Specialist for their Vancouver office. You'll be planning and executing events to meet collection targets, and you'll need at least two years of event management experience and a post secondary degree in event management is preferred. Interested in learning more? Click here. |
Corporate travel pro needed
If you've got at least three years of experience with Sabre and can handle the day-to-day travel needs of corporate business accounts, the YYZ Travel Group is looking to hire a Senior Corporate Travel Consultant. You'll need to be TICO certified and have excellent written and oral skills. |
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