Vancouver – In January 2016, close to 4,000 meeting professionals and industry partners from around the world congregated in Vancouver for Convening Leaders, the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) annual professional development and networking conference. Vancouver’s hospitality industry pulled out all the stops. The post-event survey completed by attending delegates indicates the city’s stunning setting, state-of-the-art convention facilities, and highly skilled and creative hospitality community exceeded expectations.
Survey highlights:
- 98 percent of attendees were either very satisfied (82 percent) or satisfied (17 percent) with the overall destination experience
- 99 percent of attendees would recommend Vancouver to clients or colleagues as a meetings destination
- 100 percent of attendees were either very satisfied or satisfied with the Vancouver Convention Centre as a meeting venue
From the moment they landed at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), attendees were treated to a number of “surprises and delights” organized by the local host committee lead by Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre with tremendous support from local partners, such as YVR’s control tower lit with PCMA colours; yoga sessions and morning runs along the city’s most scenic routes; a bespoke “PCMA Caesar” cocktail served at host hotels; and opening and closing receptions that many attendees cited as the best they had ever attended. The conference also left its legacy in Vancouver through a social responsibility initiative that involved 150 delegates sprucing up two local at-risk daycares.
Convening Leaders contributed an estimated $6.2 million in direct spending to the B.C. economy and represents millions of dollars of potential future meetings business for Vancouver.
