The Vancouver Convention Centre is exceeding its forecasted economic benefits in the wake of booking some of the largest conventions the city has ever seen.
There are 413 events confirmed for this year so far.
According to a government release, the Risk and Insurance Management Society’s annual conference and exhibition in May was one of the largest conventions held at the centre to date, bringing in an estimated $23 million in direct spending to the province.
In August, the convention centre will host more than 20,000 delegates for the SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) conference. This five-day event will be the convention centre’s largest to date, attracting exhibitors and delegates from around the globe.
(See: “City lands major graphics ‘Olympics’, Business in Vancouver – Issue 1133, July 12-18.)
The convention centre is in negotiations to bring several more large international events to the city through 2020.
The economic impact from activity at the convention centre was $17 million higher than the $699 million anticipated at the start of fiscal 2010-11.
Jennifer Harrison