Jump to content

      



























Photo

Victoria Conference Centre Turns 20


  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 City Folk

City Folk
  • Member
  • 4 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 01:08 PM

Hot off the press:

The Victoria Conference Centre, BC's second largest convention facility, opened its doors 20 years ago this week. Celebrating two decades of hosting conferences, meetings, and tradeshows, the VCC has hosted 6,495 events generating more than $670 million in estimated economic impact for Victoria.

"Twenty years ago, Victoria City Council had the foresight to invest in this facility to capture a share of national conference business,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. “I am pleased that in 2007 Council recognized the opportunity for expansion of this successful enterprise with the acquisition of the Crystal Garden, and made an $8 million investment to bring increased conference business to the City.”

"Over the past two decades the Victoria Conference Centre has earned its place as a national leader in hosting major conferences, meetings and exhibitions, “ noted Jocelyn Jenkyns, VCC General Manager. “The VCC’s success is directly related to a diverse business mix with particular focus on professional associations which must continue to meet despite economic conditions, based on their charters or bylaws. We are ramping up our sales and marketing activities to deliver more delegates to the city and the related hotel room nights and direct spending into our local economy."

Hosting more than 250 events per year, the VCC welcomes delegates from all over the world. In 2008, the VCC hosted 262 events and generated more than $50 million in direct delegate spending for Victoria. With the Crystal Garden expansion, the VCC offers a total of nearly 75,000 square feet of function space.In uncertain economic times, a conference centre can be a key economic driver for the community. Conference centre clients are business travellers, as opposed to leisure travellers, or tourists. In times when our local tourism industry is experiencing setbacks, conference centre business can provide a real boon to the hospitality industry, suppliers, and the workers they employ. Conference delegates often fill hotel rooms during the shoulder season and mid-week travel when leisure travel is traditionally low. In addition, many conferences are booked years in advance, and as such are less susceptible to short-term economic fluctuations. Conference delegates tend to spend, on average, $450 per day.

Since 1989, the Victoria Conference Centre has built a solid reputation as a top-notch facility for meetings, conventions and tradeshows. In 2008, the VCC hosted the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) congress, a prestigious conference for international conference organizers and industry leaders. The ICCA congress had never been held in Canada before and was the culmination of five years of focus in the international meetings market. The benefits of hosting this event will result in increased international conference business for the city.

About the Victoria Conference Centre - 20 Facts for 20 Years
1. In 20 Years at the VCC: 6,495 events, 2,568,577 delegate days, and $672 million in economic impact.
2. The VCC was built on the original parking lot of the Empress Hotel. Bawlf Cooper Associates were the successful architects and Nicholas R. Bawlf’s design won a Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal for Excellence.
3. First International Event: The International Bear Association’s 8th annual Convention was held on February 20th, 1989, just days after the VCC opened its doors.
4. Most serene event: International Pranic Healers who practiced meditative yoga in the courtyard on breaks.
5. Largest Event: Northwest Math Conference in October of 2006 (1,700 people).
6. Most Creative Configuration: To accommodate up to 1,500 delegates, the VCC acquired glass and steel courtyard pavilions to convert both courtyard levels into function space for the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography in 2006.
7. Royal visits to the VCC include Prince Philip, Prince Andrew and Queen Noor of Jordan.
8. 986,187 guests have been served at VCC since 1989 which amounts to the entire population of the City of Victoria visiting the facility 12.5 times.
9. VCC celebrity encounters include: Pamela Anderson, Kid Rock, Robin Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Al Gore, Robert Redford, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Priestly, Trailer Park Boys, Merv Griffin, Ed McMahon, Michael Buble, Josh Groban and Justin Trudeau.
10. 1,267,703 cups of coffee have been served in the first 20 years.
11. The VCC hosted the prestigious International Congress and Convention Association congress in 2008.
12. “Wildest” VCC discovery: a cougar in the parkade.
13. Most notable mix up: delegates and meeting planners convening at VCC when they were supposed to be at their conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
14. The Crystal Garden facility opened in 1925 as a salt water swimming pool and tea garden.
15. Johnny Weissmuller, five time Olympic Gold Medalist and star of “Tarzan” fame, set the 100 yard swimming record at Crystal Garden in 1925 and was celebrated as the “Human Hydroplane”.
16. Native artwork within the VCC represents the nations of Vancouver Island: Kwagiulth, Nuu-chah-nulth, Haida and Coast Salish.
17. At the time of the VCC opening, City of Victoria Mayor was Gretchen Brewin.
18. Strangest item ever found at the VCC: a gun in a paper bag in the VIP garage. It turned out to be a hidden murder weapon.
19. The Crystal Garden expansion was built to conform to LEED for Commercial Interiors standards.
20. Most popular evening haunt for conference goers: The Fairmont Empress’ famed Bengal Lounge.

#2 G-Man

G-Man

    Senior Case Officer

  • Moderator
  • 13,800 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 01:15 PM

"Twenty years ago, Victoria City Council had the foresight to invest in this facility to capture a share of national conference business,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. “I am pleased that in 2007 Council recognized the opportunity for expansion of this successful enterprise with the acquisition of the Crystal Garden, and made an $8 million investment to bring increased conference business to the City.”


Wrong again. The conference centre shows a complete lack of foresight. The centre should have been twice its current size to accomodate larger events that now look elsewhere for space.

#3 jklymak

jklymak
  • Member
  • 3,514 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 04:28 PM

^ Yes, its a shame, because downtown is a great place to have a meeting. We would be very competitive with a lot of other places if the facility were larger.

#4 VicHockeyFan

VicHockeyFan
  • Suspended User
  • 52,121 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 04:55 PM

9. VCC celebrity encounters include: Pamela Anderson, Kid Rock, Robin Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Al Gore, Robert Redford, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Priestly, Trailer Park Boys, Merv Griffin, Ed McMahon, Michael Buble, Josh Groban and Justin Trudeau.


David Foster brought half of those folks there, and he gets no mention. :confused:

#5 City Folk

City Folk
  • Member
  • 4 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 05:13 PM

David Foster brought half of those folks there, and he gets no mention. :confused:


Actually I think a good portion of those were from the Courtnall Classic event that was held a few years ago (and may be still running?)

#6 VicHockeyFan

VicHockeyFan
  • Suspended User
  • 52,121 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 05:40 PM

Actually I think a good portion of those were from the Courtnall Classic event that was held a few years ago (and may be still running?)


Maybe I was a little hasty. I've been to three D. Foster Foundation events, and I've seen these:

Pamela Anderson, Wayne Gretzky, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Priestly, Ed McMahon, Michael Buble, Josh Groban and also left off the list, Jay Leno.

#7 Ginger Snap

Ginger Snap
  • Member
  • 177 posts

Posted 22 January 2009 - 07:41 PM

Maybe I was a little hasty. I've been to three D. Foster Foundation events, and I've seen these:

Pamela Anderson, Wayne Gretzky, Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Priestly, Ed McMahon, Michael Buble, Josh Groban and also left off the list, Jay Leno.


I was actually just taking a guess... but it is probably likely that they have similar circles of celebrity friends.

#8 Ginger Snap

Ginger Snap
  • Member
  • 177 posts

Posted 23 January 2009 - 09:33 PM

sorry, posted by mistake

#9 Rob Randall

Rob Randall
  • Member
  • 16,310 posts

Posted 23 January 2009 - 10:22 PM

The VCC was many years in the making. A conference centre was proposed over 30 years ago on the waterfront near the foot of Fort Street. The concrete riser that forms part of Bastion Square was intended to be the footing of a pedestrian bridge that would have taken people directly over Wharf Street to the Convention Centre.

The plan fell apart and eventually the Victoria Regent Hotel was built nearby which was the closest the comprehensive vision came to reality.

#10 VicHockeyFan

VicHockeyFan
  • Suspended User
  • 52,121 posts

Posted 12 February 2009 - 06:10 PM

Not sure if anyone noticed, but the conference centre recently applied for, and received a liquor-primary license that allows it to serve booze from 9am until I think 1am.

Of course, no private operator would ever be granted such a generous licence - in fact the City is on record that they will not grant any more liquor-primary licenses in the downtown.

I hear that Aria residents were not happy about it, but I'm sure this isn't gonna cause a problem.

In fact, it may make it tougher for the city to force more restrictions on existing liquor-primary license holders, as they will be forced to also comply with whatever rules they might dream up, as this is the first time ever the City has held such a license.

 



0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users