Articles by Greg Furgala

  • Unconventional: The Metro Toronto Convention Centre does local, and they do it big

    Last year, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre saw 1.5 million conference goers, event planners, salespeople, presenters, exhibitors, speakers, tech workers and myriad other people and professions stroll through its massive atrium in downtown Toronto. Week to week the MTCC shifts from the centre of one professional universe to another, enabling thousands of people at a time to gather, network and transact. It amounts to a lot of commerce for the out-of-towners and Toronto both. Last year, the MTCC reported that…

  • Get High: CN Tower’s renovated observation deck now open

    Event planners take note: After nearly a year, the CN Tower’s $16 million renovation of its main observation deck is open to the public and for private events. Toronto-based — and appropriately-named, given the venue — Cumulus Architects revamped the space, modernizing it, making it more accessible and Toronto’s cityscape more visible. To that end, massive, 448 kg floor-to-ceiling windows were installed along the length of the deck, giving those with mobility issues or disabilities unhindered access to the view…

  • Skip the Plan, Embrace the Pop-Up

    Spontaneity is anathema to a well-planned event. Spontaneity isn’t planned, which means it’s probably getting in the way of something that is, which means attendees’ sacrosanct schedules are being upended and taking the planner’s reputation with it. Planners might be forgiven, then, for wanting to smother the impromptu — something they’d plan for, surely — under the weight of timetables, clear instruction to staff and precise allocation of resources. Trade show attendees are counting on them. Right? Turns out, they might…

  • IHG celebrates milestone of 100 Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada

    Press Release IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announces that it has crossed the milestone of 100 open Holiday Inn Express hotels in Canada, with the opening of the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivières in Quebec. Located at 2000 rue des Grands-Marchés in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, the 111-room hotel is owned by Groupe Robin. On the heels of this 100th hotel milestone are three additional openings for the brand in Canada: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brantford, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kelowna –…

  • Under the influencer: Planners are missing out on next-gen social media marketing

    It’s the age of the influencer. Social media marketing has created a strata of social media users that leverage their online followings — some as small as 1,000, with others in the hundreds of millions — to strike deals with brands and organizations to not just promote their products, but to lend them some VIP verve and spark a conversation. It’s the celebrity endorsement evolved, and it’s marketing that’s tailor-made to engage audiences and follow through on brand awareness, the…

  • Alaska Airlines awarded top ranking in J.D. Power Satisfaction Study

    Press Release For the 11th year in a row, Alaska Airlines is proud to be recognized as the highest ranked airline in customer satisfaction among traditional carriers in the J.D. Power 2018 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. “To earn this award for 11 years is a fantastic tribute to our people, especially as we worked to integrate two airlines,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden. “On behalf of the entire leadership team, I would like to thank all 23,400 Alaska and Horizon employees and our…

  • Growth in agency bookings provides increasing revenue for London’s Barbican

    Press Release The Barbican’s business events team has seen agency bookings over the last year increase to 33 per cent, continuing a trend of significant sales growth. While just 1 per cent of bookings were made through agencies in 2015, three years later they provide a third of business sales at the venue. Overall growth in the last year saw Barbican Business Events exceed sales targets by 4 per cent. “We have seen a real benefit from the commitment we…