VCEC President Opens International Exhibition in Germany

Frankfurt, Germany (May 30, 2006) – Today marks the opening of one of the industry’s largest worldwide exhibitions for meetings and incentive travel – IMEX 2006. Well represented by the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) and industry partners including the Canadian Tourism Commission and Tourism Vancouver, VCEC President Barbara Maple addressed the industry at today’s opening ceremony.

“IMEX provides an overall forum for international collaboration,” said Maple. “For many years, the discussion revolved around recovery and survival on issues from war and terrorism to SARS and an economic recession. This year, with business growth well underway again, we’re learning how resilient our industry is.”

Maple’s opening remarks focused on the importance of long-term strategic planning for evolving demographics and the immediate impact on the labour force.

“As business leaders, we need to address what the new generation of workers is looking for and how we can effectively attract, retain, develop and compensate in a seller’s market,” she stated.

Maple also focused on the growing movement toward sustainability and managing community interactions including environmental policies and social responsibility. “This is a big issue because convention centres are such a large and obvious presence wherever we operate,” Maple commented.

Another highlight of Maple’s address included the importance of collaboratively and strategically marketing the city and the province. “The location and splendor of Vancouver is one of our most important competitive advantages,” Maple continued. “With less than four years to go until the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, attention and appreciation for BC continues to increase on a global scale, and we need to keep up that momentum together,” Maple continued.

“Since day one more than nineteen years ago, the VCEC has been serving the international congress market and today one-third of our business is international. As our expansion project progresses, we continue to book large international events into our facility through to 2018,” Maple added. “There is no doubt that the exposure garnered from the Olympics and the expansion is and will continue to increase the number of international delegates visiting Vancouver,” she concluded.

Recently promoted to President of the VCEC after eight years as General Manager, Barbara Maple is one of the most internationally recognized leaders in the meetings and conventions industry. She currently serves as President of the Association Internationale des Palais de Congrès (AIPC), a Brussels-based organization representing 147 convention centres in 53 countries, where she is the only President to be elected for three straight two-year terms. She is also Chair of the World Council of Venue Management and President of the Joint Meetings Industry Council, which represents nine international Meetings Industry associations.

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.

-30-