Vancouver Convention Centre Chosen As World’s Best

Vancouver, BC (July 24, 2008) – The Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre is the first-ever repeat winner of the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) award for “World’s Best Convention Centre.”

“I congratulate the convention centre on its success in this global marketplace. With an expanded facility opening in spring 2009, even more delegates will be able to attend larger conventions in a showcase facility,” said Bill Bennett, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “Since many business visitors extend their stay to visit other B.C. communities, the VCEC will play an important role in fulfilling the Province’s goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2015.”

This bi-annual award was presented at the recent AIPC annual conference in Singapore in early July 2008. The Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre was chosen from a group of 18 convention centre finalists located on all continents around the world.

“We are certainly very proud of this accomplishment, and I acknowledge the convention centre’s staff and service providers who make our client and delegate experience world class,” said David Podmore, PavCo and the convention centre’s board chair. “This is a historic moment for us, as this is the second time we have won this award since its inception.”

The convention centre won the AIPC award for “Best Convention Centre” in 2002. This is the only time a convention centre has received this honour twice.

“This award truly recognizes the high standards of service that convention visitors encounter when they meet in Vancouver,” said Tourism Vancouver chair Geoffrey Howes. “An honour such as this does a lot to keep Vancouver top-of-mind among meeting planners looking to bring business to our city.”

The award is based on a comprehensive customer satisfaction analysis. Clients provide survey responses to University of Brussels-based adjudicators about all levels of their experience; from initial sales contacts, event management, customer relations, technology, food and beverage to the building facility itself.

For more information on the AIPC APEX award, please visit www.aipc.org.

The Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project (VCCEP), opening in spring 2009, will triple the size of the current facility and attract more world-class conventions to British Columbia.

Currently there are 121 confirmed events for the existing and the expanded facility through 2012 – 47 of which would not have been possible without the expansion. All these events are expected to generate over $2 billion in economic activity and attract more than 1,400 million non-resident delegate days (NRDDs). Industry research has found more than 40 per cent of non-resident convention- goers say they intend to return to B.C. within a year.

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