Two Years to Go – and Counting

Vancouver, BC (March 27, 2007) – Surrounded by mountains and located on the waterfront in the heart of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) has been an internationally recognized symbol of one of the most beautiful destinations in the world since its inception in 1987. The centre hosts more than 300 meetings, conventions and tradeshows every year, and won the AIPC Apex Award for “World’s Best Congress Centre” in 2002.

Scheduled to complete in Spring 2009, a brand new expansion will triple the size of the VCEC’s existing facility, covering 111,500 square metres (or four city blocks) for a combined total of nearly 46,500 square metres of function space. The result will be a complete range of new facilities, taking full advantage of the VCEC’s waterfront setting combined with high quality service and technology.

Fully integrated with the centre’s existing building via a glass-enclosed 90-metre connector, the expansion’s vast environmental features include its 2.4 hectare “living roof” with more than 400,000 indigenous plants containing drainage and water recovery systems that collect and use rainwater as irrigation. It will also feature seawater heating and cooling and on-site water treatment; grey and black water recycling systems and measures to utilize natural lighting, ventilation, and energy conservation; and fish habitat built into the building foundation to protect marine life along the coastline.

The combined facility will serve as the international media and broadcast centre for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and in the same year and beyond, will host many international events including the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) World Education Congress in July.

Summary of Space:

Exhibit space:
• Existing: 8,470 m2
• Post-expansion: 29,380 m2

Meeting space:
• Existing: 2,310 m2
• Post-expansion: 7,980 m2

Signature ballroom space:
• Existing: 1,543 m2
• Post-expansion: 6,633 m2

Total function space:
• Existing: 31,665 m2
• Post-expansion: 43,991 m2

About the VCEC
Since opening in 1987, the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre has been British Columbia’s flagship convention facility — hosting more than 300 events and 600,000 delegate days each year, and generating more than $210 million in annual economic benefits. 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.

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