June 2004 Article                      

Ten Reasons to Host a Meeting in Canada…and more.
Dix raisons pour organiser une réunion au Canada…et plus

1. It is another country and therefore novel. 
2. You can travel there in less time than to many U.S. cities.
3. It’s almost like being in Europe. 
4. You can get by with English everywhere.
5. The food is great.
6. You can choose from exotic cosmopolitan or spectacular scenery.
7. It is safe. 
8. Accommodations and meeting places are varied and sizable. 
9. You receive $136 of value for every $100 you spend.
10. They still like us.

Now explore the wonderful options open to you:

• Beaucoup de reasons to host an event in Eastern Canada. 
  
  
• Beautiful reasons to host a meeting in Western Canada.

Beaucoup de reasons to host a meeting in Eastern Canada

Top class hotels cost less. The exchange rate is extremely favorable to the U.S. dollar ($1.00 U.S. = $1.36 Canadian at the time of this writing.) It’s exotic but not too different. A flight from Washington, DC to Toronto takes just one hour. These are just a few of the reasons why Canada is a good meeting choice for U.S. companies, according to Jean-Paul de Lavison of JPdL, a DMC that specializes in eastern Canada. An even better reason Jean-Paul cites is that often when U.S. organizations convene in Canada, they break attendance records.

Getting more philosophical and pragmatic at the same time, JPdL’s President describes the U.S. and Canada as “an old married couple who take each other for granted. Yet each of us is the others best economic partner”, he says, and “doing business in Canada is mutually beneficial”.

But where in Canada is best for you? Here is a Jean-Paul inspired primer on three key locations.

Montreal. Compact downtown. Easily walkable. Great French cuisine. Jet boating in the summer. Jazz festival in July when streets are closed off and you can stroll with a beer or wine in hand. Great Metro subway system. One of the largest St. Patrick’s day parades in the world. Home of Cirque de Soleil and a national circus school. Largest inland port in the world. Underground walkways connecting hotels, theatres, and convention center to bypass the weather in the winter. Several conference centers that can handle groups from 500 to 1,000. A convention center with over a million square feet that can accommodate meetings of up to 20,000. A cross between New Orleans and San Francisco, but less expensive, Jean-Paul says. Yet, with that French “je ne sais quoi” quality that entrances and romances Americans.

Toronto. Amazingly accessible from U.S. cities (the most direct flights of any Canadian city), requiring less travel time and cost. A theatre district surpassed only by New York and London. Lots of activities around and about Lake Ontario. Attractions such as the CN Tower, the SkyDome, and the Hockey Hall of Fame. A mosaic of cultures that provide local color and a vast variety of restaurants. Easy drive to the Niagara wine country – home of some of the best Ice Wine in the world. Polite people. Extremely low crime rate. A convention center with over one million square feet that accommodates meetings larger than can be held in most U.S. cities. A movie stand-in for New York so often, you may encounter a shoot.

Quebec City. Walled old city. Extremely walkable. Fantastic architecture. Grand old hotels. Sidewalk cafes with terrific French cuisine. Horse drawn carriages and car ferries. Significant North American historical sites. European flair. Seaplane trips to northern lakes where you can dine on your own catch. Ideal for incentives, meetings and intermediate size conferences. So French…but English language friendly.

Only in Canada…here are a few activities that inspire a visit to Canada, even in the winter.

• Take a break from your business sessions and learn the art of curling. The sport is not too strenuous and will certainly give you something to talk about when you go home.
  
  
• Stage a new kind of power play. Brush up on your ice hockey skills coached by some NHL veterans and spend an afternoon challenging a worthy opponent.
  
  
• Go on a van rally and learn about U.S. history in Canada. This history hunt can be done with from 4 to 40 vans.
  
  
• Sponsor a maple sugar party and dine on hearty fare in a cabin in the woods – groups of up to 500!

Jean-Paul de Lavison, president, and Grant Snider, vice president, are the managing partners of JPdL, which was founded in 1982. They have offices in Toronto, Montreal, Mont-Tremblant, and Quebec City and handle arrangements for other locations in Canada. To learn more visit, www.globaleventspartners.com , call your local Krisam or GEP representative, or send an email to newsletter@theeventinsider.com. 

Beautiful reasons to host a meeting in Western Canada

A family of friendly elk welcome you to your meeting destination. The mountains loom all around you, more like Switzerland than the U.S. Rockies. You are an hour and a half away from any semblance of your workaday life. “Escape” is the best way to describe a meeting set in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

“Americans are pleasantly surprised at how spectacular it is up here, ” explains Laurie McNeill, president of Road West, a DMC headquartered in Banff. Regardless of what kind of meeting it is, she continues, guests consider the location itself an incentive. When industry conferences are held here, attendance always surpasses expectations, she says. People often dream of vacationing in the Canadian Rockies, and when they have a chance to come to a conference here, they think it’s a dream come true, Laurie explains.

Events in Western Canada can also be a dream come true for those who plan them. Your money goes further, not only because of the favorable exchange rate, but also because resort conferences are less expensive, Laurie says. The key destinations in the Rockies – Banff and Lake Louise -- provide really contained settings, ideal for meetings that are productive and socializing that brings groups together.

Though truly remote in spirit, these Canadian resorts are reached fairly easily with flights into Calgary. Road West also provides services for Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver , Whistler, and Victoria…for those who like a more city ambiance, and to Kananaskis for more outdoor pursuits.

Besides elk bear, wolf, and coyote spotting, what else do the resorts offer to please the heart of a hard-working event planner? Pencil in spectacular setting in both and go from there.

Banff. Comes with a charming town attached. Has night life and gift shopping. Can host a meeting up to 2,500 but is best at 1,000 or less. All guests can be kept together in one hotel. Great golf course. Works with younger crowd who want more activity.

Lake Louise. It’s all about the lake. One main property. Just opened new conference center. Can handle up to 700. Good for an educational conference or symposium where people are in meetings a lot. Also fine for incentives. More remote than Banff. No real town.

What’s to do once you are there? Here are a few cool Canadian touches.

• Hitchhiking allowed. On the 1.5 hour bus ride from the airport to Banff, the driver stops and picks up a hitchhiker on the road. Apprehensive Americans breathe easier when the hitchhiker takes out his guitar and provides on board entertainment until…the driver dumps him back on the side of the highway after a bit.
  
  
• Royal greeting. In addition to the greeting from the various wildlife, guests can also be welcomed by genuine Royal Canadian Mounted Police in their impressive red uniforms and distinctive hats. Though Nelson Eddy is not available.
  
  
• Medieval Banquet. Western Canadian hotels provide an especially good atmosphere for this feast where guests get to dress up in period costumes provided and dine at long tables on appropriate dishes from centuries past.
  
  
• Ranch, Rodeo, Western themes. Barbecue a hip of beef in the fire pit set in the middle of a donut tent. Rope a calf. Ride a mechanical bull. Hire a gunfighter to kidnap a key executive. Dance to a county and western band. Have your photo taken tintype style.
  
  
• Ice Fantasy. Enter an ice cave and enjoy ice wine in an ice glass from an ice bar with an ice carving bearing your company logo. And, this frozen treat can be done year-round.
  
  
• Taste of Canada. Enjoy a buffet with several stations representing the best of Canadian cuisine with an emphasis on salmon and beef fresh from the sea and the range.
  
  
• Two towns, two days, one train. Enjoy the best of the bustling and beautiful Vancouver and the relaxing, splendid Banff by booking the Rocky Mountaineer for the two-day trip between the coast and the Rockies. On train time can be used for meetings or for just enjoying the passing natural parade.

And, now a few good words about winter in Canada.

Unlike with U.S. ski resorts, prices in Canada go down in the winter so it’s very economical to host a meeting then, Laurie explains. Hotels can be as low as half price. But the fun factor during ski season which lasts from November to May is high. And, you don’t need to be a skier. Activities include downhill, cross country, skating, snowmobiling, heli-skiing and dog sledding. Non-skiers love the thrill of dog sledding, learning how to hitch up and control the team. Wacky winter games, patterned after the Olympics, are great team builders. Competitive events can include snowshoe baseball, snow golf, and tobogganing. 

Laurie McNeill was one of the founders of Road West in 1986. What began as a small tour operation quickly blossomed into a full service Destination Management Company. Road West was involved in the corporate operation of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. To learn more visit, www.globaleventspartners.com , call your local Krisam or GEP representative, or send an email to newsletter@theeventinsider.com