Vancouver gets ready for busy convention year

As Vancouver gears up for its busiest convention year ever, the local tourism industry is celebrating the city’s success in competing with top destinations from around the world.

Vancouver will host 33 citywide conventions and events in 2018, an increase from 28 in 2017 and, more importantly, the highest number the city has ever hosted in a single year.

The tourism industry defines a “citywide” convention or event as one that attracts 1,000 or more outof-town attendees and utilizes the Vancouver Convention Centre and at least three downtown convention hotels.

It’s a boon for the tourism and hospitality industries, as these 33 events are forecast to attract over 100,000 out-of-town attendees to Vancouver, where they’re sure to inject money into the local economy through hotel stays, shopping and visits to restaurants and local attractions.

But the record convention year also speaks to Vancouver’s reputation on the global stage and its ability to compete in the international marketplace.

“Vancouver’s global reputation as a place to do business, to gather, to be inspired and to hold major events and conferences is moving from strength to strength,” said Ty Speer, president and CEO, Tourism Vancouver.

This year’s strong showing on the convention circuit is driven in part by a busy summer of nature and sustainability themed conferences coming to the Vancouver Convention Centre. In March, Vancouver will welcome GLOBE, the leadership summit for sustainable business, which estimates 10,000 total attendees and 3,900 out-of-town attendees. In June, Vancouver will host the similar-but-smaller Sustainable Brands conference.

“It’s exciting to see more evidence of Vancouver’s success as a major international destination for conventions and events,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.