Association Signs Deal To Bring Annual Convention To The VCEC

Vancouver, BC (May 10, 2007) – The American Association for Justice (AAJ) has signed a contract to bring their annual convention to the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) in July 2010. Formerly called the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the AAJ is based in Washington, DC and is the world’s largest trial bar association.

“Our first trip to Vancouver in 1999, when we first started having discussions with the VCEC, really solidified our desire to host our convention here,” said Annie Seale, Director of Meetings & Conventions for the AAJ. “So we have wanted to come to Vancouver for a long time, and are happy to have finalized our contract.”

“Given the calibre of this association and the longer than usual sales cycle, this is a significant win for the VCEC and its industry partners,” said Barbara Maple, VCEC President. “With more than 9,000 room nights, this is also good news for our local hotels and other industry partners – not only because it is on the heels of what we know will be a successful Olympic and Paralympic event, but also because it is during our high season.”

Booked from July 10-14, this five day event represents more than 15,000 non-resident delegate days with a projected economic impact to the province of $18.1 million CDN. 2010 will mark the convention’s first time in Vancouver.

“The convention is focused on education, but there are many events taking place over the five days including spouse/guest functions, award recognition, student programs, expositions, and a closing reception dinner and dance,” Seale concluded. “With a beautiful city like Vancouver, I am confident that this will be one of our most popular and well-attended events to date.”

“These kinds of successes in the market demonstrate that British Columbia’s investment in the VCEC is paying dividends by attracting new and diversified convention business to the province,” said the Honourable Stan Hagen, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts.

With more than 56,000 members, the AAJ promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguards victims’ rights, and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety.

About the VCEC
Since opening in 1987, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre has been British Columbia’s flagship convention facility. In fiscal year 2007, the VCEC hosted 350 events and 745,000 delegate days, and generated more than $240 million in economic impact for the province of B.C. When its major new expansion completes, the VCEC will offer a combined total of nearly 500,000 square feet of function space and will serve as the international media and broadcast centre for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010.