VCEC Selected to Pilot International Quality Standards Program

Vancouver, BC (March 20, 2007) – The Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre (VCEC) is one of five convention centres in the world – including Helsinki, Lisbon, Brighton, and San Sebastian – chosen by the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) to pilot a prestigious new quality standards program for global convention centre management. AIPC is a Brussels-based organization representing 152 convention centres in 53 countries worldwide.

The program, which is expected to complete its pilot phase by July 2007, has been designed to address quality standards in key areas of operations and management, perform a self-assessment, and set ongoing goals for continuous improvement. These quality standards include service excellence, industry relations, facility operations, accessibility, employee relations, environmental responsibility, health and safety, and community relations.

“The VCEC is looking forward to setting the course for this important program, and helping to establish a global standard for the kind of operational quality clients expect from an international convention centre,” said Barbara Maple, VCEC President. “Our facility has always placed a big emphasis on developing quality standards here in Canada, and it is a tribute to this effort that such standards are now being pursued internationally.”

Maple noted that because many international events have a worldwide rotation, there is a need for truly international standards of quality that can give event organizers confidence in the product they are going to get in any particular location. “The VCEC was selected to participate in this latest program because of our excellent service reputation and emphasis on quality facility management, as evidenced by our win of the APEX award for World’s Best Convention Centre four years ago.”

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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