Meeting Community

Montreal Ranked Top International Event Host
2021/10/28

Montreal is the top-ranked city in the Americas for the number of international events hosted in 2020, according to the International Meetings Statistics Report. This is the fourth consecutive year the city has claimed first place in the report released by the Union of International Associations. The city welcomed 41 international events in 2020, outpacing other cities like Washington, New York and Chicago. Québec’s largest city dominates the Canadian market. Its closest rivals, Ottawa and Toronto, each hosted seven events, while Vancouver hosted six. In addition,…
Sky Bridge Opens at Exhibition Place
2021/10/28

Sky Bridge, the first glass-enclosed walkway of its kind in Exhibition Place, has officially opened. The pedestrian connection at Exhibition Place in Toronto provides a second-level link between the Beanfield Conference Centre and Hotel X Toronto over Newfoundland Road. “The opening of the Sky Bridge at Exhibition Place marks a significant milestone as we work towards achieving an exciting vision for the future. We are enhancing access to Exhibition Place’s historic and landmark buildings, landscapes, and features that provide…
Canadian Canoe Museum Construction Underway
2021/10/28

Construction has begun on the new 65,000 square foot Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, ON. The five-acre site of the new museum will provide stunning west-facing views of Little Lake, a connection to the Trans Canada Trail and will be surrounded by public parks. It will become a vibrant community space for activities and the Museum’s canoeing and outdoor programs and events. The inspiring two-storey building will be a purpose-built facility that will serve as home to the Museum’s…
Canada-US Land Border to Reopen
2021/10/18

The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced land borders will reopen to non-essential travel on November 8. Travellers who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 may enter the U.S. via land and ferry ports of entry provided they have proper documentation showing proof of vaccination. “In November, we will begin allowing travelers from Mexico and Canada who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to enter the United States for non-essential purposes, including to visit friends and family or for…
Oak Bay Beach named top Canadian hotel
2021/10/18

Oak Bay Beach Hotel has been named the top hotel in Canada and no. 19 worldwide according to Condé Nast Traveler. At this stately Vancouver Island hotel only three miles from downtown Victoria, it’s not uncommon to look out from your balcony or from the waterfront mineral pools and see pods of orcas swimming close to the shore. The 100-room hotel is inspired by an English manor house, complete with Tudor-influenced architectural touches and a charming pub serving halibut…
Largest conference space opens on the Westshore
2021/10/15

A new multi-purpose 500-seat auditorium and academic space has opened at Royal Roads University (RRU) in B.C. The Dogwood Auditorium is the largest conference space on the Westshore and is available for public event bookings, starting in January 2022. “I’m delighted that the partnership between our government and RRU is bringing us the first conference centre of this capacity in Westshore. I am excited that we are getting a place to gather, learn and build our community,” said Mitzi…
Transat adds two to group sales department
2021/10/15

Transat has announced two new appointments in its group department. Cole Keitamo and Marie-Eve Charbonneau have been promoted to group sales managers. Keitamo has been promoted to group sales manager, Ontario, Atlantic and Western Canada. He has more than 20 years of experience in various roles at Transat, including group supervisor and call centre supervisor. He has served as group sales manager in Western Canada since 2017. Marie-Eve Charbonneau has also been promoted to group sales manager, Quebec and…
Patrick Pollak joins Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
2021/10/13

Patrick Pollak has joined Four Seasons Hotel Toronto as general manager. He joins the brand’s global flagship property from Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, bringing a 25-years of experience with Four Seasons. “Being at the helm of this outstanding property is a Four Seasons career milestone,” says Pollak. “I am honoured to take on this role and to continue building on the success of this iconic property. My family and I also look forward to making Toronto home, exploring the…
Ontario unveils $100M for tourism sector
2021/10/08

Ontario is investing $100 million in the province’s tourism sector to help it recover from the impacts of COVID-19. The money will be distributed through the new Tourism Recovery Program, which will help for-profit tourism businesses in the attraction, accommodation, and leisure travel sectors. Eligible tourism businesses include inns and lodges, boat tours, ski centres, live performance venues, cinemas, drive-in theatres, and amusement and water parks. “The last 18-months of the pandemic have been the most challenging Ontario’s tourism industry has…
Survey: Business Professionals Miss Travelling
2021/10/05

The majority of business professionals miss travelling for business, according to a new survey by Hilton and Morning Brew. While some have returned to travelling for work, 87 per cent of respondents say they miss hopping from city to city to pursue their work. More than 7,000 of the new site’s business readers were polled. Business travellers miss visiting new places (66 per cent), discovering local culture (41 per cent), discussing projects in person (37 per cent), and attending in-person…