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Great Off-Site Venues

C Banquets

This hidden gem is the entire 12th floor of Mississauga’s City Hall, in the downtown core on Celebration Square. With its expansive windows and soaring 25-ft. ceilings, C Banquets offers incredible 365-degree views of the burgeoning city. This space is available year round and features a pre-function area for cocktails and interior space for a seated dinner for up to 150 people. Parking is free after 6:00 p.m. during the week and on weekends. Catering is provided by the City of Mississauga.

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The Living Arts Centre

A popular destination for business and private functions, the Living Arts Centre is a multi-purpose venue that incorporates state-of-the-art theatres, meeting rooms and expansive naturally lit event space, all conveniently located in the heart of Mississauga.

Hammerson Hall is an opulent event location and one of the largest theatres in the GTA. The rich red seating and fully equipped award-winning theatre can accommodate a full spectrum of events. It can seat up to 1,315 guests.

The versatile RBC Theatre features retractable theatre-style seats, and two tiers of balcony seating.  The ground floor can accommodate up to 200 people in 20 rounds of ten for banquets.

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Holcim Waterfront Estate

This grand estate from a bygone era has been through a complete interior renovation to host corporate and social events year round. Holcim Waterfront Estate (formerly the Harding House) was built in 1938, but was bought by the City of Mississauga in 1998. The 14-acre estate looks out over Lake Ontario and is bordered by Joshua Creek. The house can host smaller events for 60, while a tented area on the back lawn can accommodate up to 200 people. Corporate bookings include standard A/V, but planners are welcome to bring in their own supplier. Edge Hospitality provides in-house catering.

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montréal trailblazers

Art and science collide in spectacular fashion when Montréal’s creative and tech-savvy entrepreneurs turn learning, sharing and networking opportunities into unforgettable interactive experiences.

Idées au cube (ID3)
Creating emotional connections

Imagine walking through a typical congress centre and suddenly coming upon a magical digital river. As you walk along the projection, virtual footprints set currents and waves in motion. Eventually the seasons change, and as the rushing water freezes over, you hear the unmistakable sound of cracking ice with every step you take.

For a conference goer, it’s an unforgettable experience that provides a real and lasting emotional connection to the event, explains Nathalie Gélinas, vice-president and producer with ID3. The 80-foot interactive digital river was created for the World Congress on Information Technology when it was held in Montréal in 2012.

Great content, plus the combination of technology and artistry, helps cement that emotional connection. — René Lepire, ID3

ID3 specializes in preparing event attendees to be receptive to new concepts and ideas. During a congress’s opening ceremony, the company will combine video with music, lighting, live performances, and even sound effects, to help event planners convey key themes, ideas or concepts. “When you create an emotion at the beginning, you can come back to it again and again during the congress so that people can relate to it,” Gélinas explains.

Great content, plus the combination of technology and artistry, helps cement that emotional connection, says René Lepire, chief executive officer, ID3. And when you do it in spectacular fashion, it’s something people talk about during, and well after the congress is over.

 

E-180
Creative peer learning

Conferences and events are fantastic for networking. But finding that perfect stranger can sometimes be hit and miss.

Enter E-180, Inc. Founded in 2011 by Christine Renaud, CEO, and Alexandre Spaeth, chief technology officer, the company’s mobile event app takes the guesswork out of making meaningful business connections. The goal is peer learning—described by Renaud as “brain dates”—since the app matches people who have something to teach with those who want to learn.

“We ask our event organizers and attendees to help transform their event into a peer learning community,” Renaud explains. E-180 has worked with such high-profile events as C2 Montréal, as well as the 2014 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Marrakech, Morocco. E-180 also worked with Tourisme Montréal on its MTL à Paris trade mission.

“The way we measure success is whether we fostered peer learning among the attendees. We empower people to live up to their full potential,” Renaud says.
e-180.com

 

MONTRÉAL’S INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR

Montréal is a world leader in ICT with more than 120,000 workers in 5,000 companies. The city’s ICT sector represents nearly 10 per cent of private jobs in Greater Montréal, $12-billion of Québec’s GDP and more than $5 billion in exports.

 

Lucion Magical
light and sound

When it comes to personalizing the conference experience, audience engagement is key. To help facilitate conversations amongst large groups, Lucion developed Speaktree, an animated projection whose branches grow as audience members use their smartphones to text in messages. Speaktree can be a gatherer of ideas and feedback, a collective writing tool, and even a debate platform.

For Lucion’s team of artists, designers, musicians, filmmakers, screenwriters and technicians, anything is possible. In Brussels, Lucion has projected images and video onto 30-foot spheres placed along city streets. Recently, Lucion worked with Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and Tourisme Montréal on their bid to host the 62nd International Association of Public Transport World Congress and Mobility and City Transport Exhibition. When Congress representatives sat down to hear the pitch, Lucion projected onto the table a spectacular, and persuasive, multimedia presentation, says Lucion founder, Bernard Duguay. Montréal won the bid, and the Congress will take place May 13–17, 2017.

It’s an exciting time for events and business gatherings. Says Duguay: “Creative people are joining with scientists and designers and writers. I think it’s a beautiful era as we reinvent light and connect light with sound. It’s the chemistry of particles.”
lucionmedia.ca

 

MOMENT FACTORY DAZZLES

Founded in Montréal in 2001, Moment Factory is a new media and entertainment studio specializing in the conception and production of multimedia spectacles combining video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects. Over the years, Moment Factory has created more than 300 installations, events and shows around the world for such clients as Cirque du Soleil, Nine Inch Nails, Madonna, Disney, Microsoft, Sony, Quartier des Spectacles de Montréal and the Los Angeles International Airport.
momentfactory.com

 

Space & Dream
Enhancing the meeting planner toolkit

By the time Montréal celebrates its 375th anniversary in 2017, Space & Dream will have essentially reinvented the traditional travel guide. A source of high-impact visual and interactive communication solutions, Space & Dream is developing an app for the Montréal en Histoires project that will enable users to interact with Montréal’s rich history as they walk the city streets.

The app uses geolocation, audio and 3D video to turn a smartphone into a sort of historical viewfinder. When a user points their smartphone at a street corner or historical building, the screen displays a photo of that exact location from decades ago. When the user scans left or right, the historical image also scans left or right. “Your phone becomes a window into a city’s past,” explains Guillaume Langlois, Space & Dream founder and CEO.

The company employs technologies to enhance, augment and amplify immersive and interactive experiences. This includes the use of virtual reality headsets, and the company’s own Panodome system, a unique projection environment featuring curved screens that surround the viewer.

While Langlois likes to push immersive experiences to the limit, it’s not technology for technology’s sake. “People fear technology because they think it leads them astray from simplicity. But it’s quite to the contrary because technology works intuitively,” Langlois explains. “I like technology to be an invisible support that enhances, supplements and facilitates a message.”
spaceanddream.com

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PALAIS DES CONGRÈS:

On the cutting edge The Palais

The Palais des congrès de Montréal leads all others thanks to a best-in-class technology environment

It was a phone call that took Marie-Josée Boilard a little bit by surprise. A group of signage experts from Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts wanted Boilard to advise them on how to offer more creative digital signage ideas to their meeting and event clients.

MGM operates tens of thousands of digital screens in Vegas, but they’d heard about the Palais des congrès’s recent $5-million technology upgrade, and were impressed by the gold award the conference centre had won at the Digital Signage Expo 2014 APEX Awards.

GOLD, EVENT VENUES CATEGORY—DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2014 APEX AWARDS
FINALIST, WORLD’S BEST CONGRESS CENTRE 2014—INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENTION CENTRES (AIPC)

“They wanted to see how we do things in Montréal,” says Boilard, assistant director of event technologies at the Palais. The Vegas entourage spent a day learning about the Palais’s ultramodern convention and exhibition space, and how the high-performance tech environment enables the creative coordination and packaging of assets, including ideas for helping event planners generate additional revenue.

Digital integration is the key. The Palais’s recent technological upgrade features a 90-sq.-ft. video wall and 90 HD screens throughout the facility, including more than a dozen mobile screens. Now, the integration of content—from event information to sponsor messaging—is quick and easy, and can also be updated on conference mobile apps.

The ability to bring on new sponsors and other partners is a big deal to event planners who are always looking for ways to generate new revenue, says Boilard. The screens located in the Palais’s commercial mall are often used to generate excitement and advance ticket sales for public events—a bonus given that the busy concourse is home to restaurants and boutiques, and through which thousands of people walk every day thanks to its direct access to Montréal’s metro system and underground pedestrian network.

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Spotlight on San Diego

 

Named TripAdvisor’s #1 Luxury Hotel in California in 2014 and a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Hotel for the fourth consecutive year, Fairmont Grand Del Mar offers 27,000 square feet of sumptuous meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, ideal for both large and small scale events. This one-of-a-kind resort also features a 21,000-square-foot spa, which received a Five Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide in 2015; an 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed golf course and clubhouse; and six food and beverage venues including Addison, the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star rated signature restaurant. The resort boasts boutique shopping outlets, a state-of-the-art fitness center, four swimming pools, and two outdoor tennis courts.

 

 

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The Whistler Conference Centre

A centre for celebration, announcement, excellence, brainstorming, networking and so much more. Our conference centre is a striking mountain lodge in the heart of an alpine village. It’s an inspiring, friendly, and relaxed setting to stage any special event or group meeting. Our professional service and technical team is totally focused on you and the details. The chef, well he’s probably in the kitchen chopping farm fresh ingredients for tonight’s feast.

 

whistler.com/meetings

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Rethink The Meet

Great gatherings are a balancing act between creative and practical solutions. You’ve got to manage a budget, ensure delegates feel rewarded, and craft a schedule with formal and informal events that help strengthen relationships while allowing new and exciting ideas to flow.

 

Whistler’s Meetings Team knows the joy and challenge of mastering that balance, too. Rethink your meet with the power of a remarkable destination and our expertise at your back.

 

A Guide to Great Gatherings – how to have it all and make everyone happy:

 

TIME TO GET HERE

From high above snowcapped coastal mountains and ocean fjords or hugging one of the world’s most scenic highways, an unforgettable meeting starts with the journey here.

 

TIME TO SLEEP

Sweet dreams or big dreams, we’ve got you covered. Quaint lodges, elegant resorts and leading hotels offer accommodation from luxurious to resort casual.

 

TIME TO MEET

Getting your people together. Here it’s all about the synergy of your best and brightest, together, under one roof. It’s a place where business and pleasure do mix, naturally.

 

TIME TO DINE

Whistler Village is brimming with fresh sheets showcasing the very best in British Columbia food and wine. Celebrating on a mountaintop or in an elegant ballroom our innovative catering chefs will pair perfectly.

 

TIME TO CELEBRATE

Dancing a mile high, toasting by a glacier lake, mingling by a roaring fire. Here groups mix naturally tucked away in our mountain village.

 

TIME TO PLAY

You don’t need to ski, bike or hike to get your heart racing here. Just take a look around. Our mountains, lakes, forests, parks and alpine village mean downtime can be as active or as lazy as you like.

 

whistler.com/meetings

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Niagara Falls Tourism—Here’s how we can help!

Niagara Falls Tourism is the official destination marketing organization for Niagara Falls. This highly professional team is comprised of individuals who have experience on both sides of the fence: as special event, cor­porate, government and association planners and as property repre­sentatives. They walk the talk! They’ve got the resources, and the partners, to ensure your success. Just ask them.

HERE’S EXACTLY HOW THE NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM TEAM IS ABLE TO HELP YOU

ASSISTANCE IN PREPARING YOUR EVENT BID

Your NFT Team will not only assist you with all the paperwork that accompanies your bid, but they’ll also be there, to assist you with your official bid presentation. Bells and whistles included!

 

GETTING YOU TO NIAGARA FALLS

Delegate satisfaction is crucial to the success of any event and getting there and back can make all the difference. Be it working with Canadian Border Services or our preferred ground transportation providers, Niagara Falls Tourism will ensure a seamless process to getting your event to/from Niagara seamlessly and enjoyably.

 

TAX REBATE PROGRAM

In 2007, the FCTIP program was created to provide GST/HST refunds to foreign meetings and convention organizers who bring group business to Canada. Expenses eligible for rebate include con­vention facilities, related convention supplies and related convention supplies that are food, beverages and items provided under contract for catering. Ask the NFT Team how they can assist you with this very beneficial program.

 

SITE INSPECTIONS MADE EASY

Let Niagara Falls Tourism show you around. Based on your require­ments, they’ll ensure they match you up with the best options available, saving you both time and money. They’ll do all the co-ordination: you just show up.

 

ACCOMMODATION, MEETING AND SPECIAL VENUE CO-ORDINATION

Acting as an extension of your planning team, the Niagara Falls Tourism team will assist in securing your accommodations, meeting and special off site venues and ensure seamless coordination with your selected venues.

 

ONLINE ATTENDEE HOUSING MODULE

Free of charge! Niagara Falls Tourism clients will have exclusive access to the use of the internal attendee housing system. A dedicated event web­page will be created offering your delegates a secured username and pass­word giving them direct online access to the available accommodations. As a special bonus, event planners will have personalized administration access for customized performance reports.

 

MATCH-MAKER IMMEDIATE LINKS TO INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS

Many of the key partners that you’ll need to successfully expedite your Niagara Falls event have been identified within this document. Yet, Niagara Falls Tourism’s available list of resources goes way beyond just sending you a listing’s guide. They’ll actually make the connections for you and ensure there’s a perfect match for your event.

 

PROGRAM AGENDA DEVELOPMENT

Let Niagara Falls Tourism inject some of their regional flair into you pro­gram agenda. What to see, what to do, where to eat…the list is endless.
• Professional World Class Keynote Speakers
• Workshop Leadership Programs
• Experiential-Corporate Team-Building Programs
• Companion Programs
• Children’s Programs

 

PRE-EVENT PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

NFT understands how important it is to attract as many delegates as pos­sible to your events and doing so on a timely basis. Niagara Falls Tourism can assist with their regularly available marketing tools:
• Niagara Falls & Regional Images
• Lure Brochure
• Promotional Videos
• Post-cards and Posters

 

DELEGATE PROMOTIONAL GIFTS

You can just appreciate the bulk buying that Niagara Falls Tourism does on their client’s behalf for promotional give-away gifts and souvenirs. As a special thank you for selecting Niagara Falls as your destination of choice, you can be certain that the preferred suppliers of Niagara Falls Tourism will gladly extend savings onto your event. Niagara Falls Tourism will also assist in sourcing out items that are signature to the region.

 

DELEGATE/ATTENDEE WELCOME BAG

Welcome your attendees with Niagara Falls Delegate Welcome Bags chock-full of valuable Niagara Super-Saver coupons, a city map, and shopping and dining guides. Please be certain to provide ample assembly time (three weeks would be greatly appreciated)

 

 

http://fallsmeetings.com/info/

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Coming Spring 2016
The Sky’s the Limit Zip Lining in Niagara

 

Ziplines & Aerial Adventure Courses

Two high-adrenaline attractions are being added to Niagara’s diverse portfolio of eco-adventure tours this Spring 2016. The world class Zip Line experience and Aerial Adventure Courses will captivate both the young and young at heart when visiting Niagara’s entertainment district.

 
Brought to life by Niagara Adventure Excursions Inc. (NAE) and the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), both attractions promise a hybrid adventure and educational experience for groups wishing to explore and learn about the Niagara Parks in hands-on fashion; both featuring guided historical tours, an education on the surrounding eco-systems and a new and thrilling visual perspective of Niagara Falls.

 
The four side-by-side high-speed zip lines will descend 2,200 hundred feet from the NPC’s Grand View Marketplace on the Niagara Parkway into the Niagara Gorge below at the decommissioned Ontario Power Generating Plant, looking up to the Horseshoe Falls above.

 
“The zip line is right front and centre to Niagara Falls,” said Lindsay DiCosimo, Marketing Manager for NAE.   “the zipline will offer breathtaking views of the Falls and an opportunity to experience it like never before.”
The first of its kind in Niagara, the Aerial Adventure course is set to open on the north side of the Whirlpool at Thompson Point along the picturesque Niagara Parkway. This recreational activity is said to improve physical skills and strengthen mental courage; all while providing awe-inspiring vistas of the Niagara gorge.

 
“It is going to feature a little bit of everything; wobbly bridges, mini zip lines, rope swings, cargo nets,” said DiCosimo. “The obstacles that are hanging from the trees will increase in difficulty as you go through the course. So everyone starts off at the same level and as you go through, things get a little more challenging. You’re facing your fears and overcoming your self-perceived inhibitions as you build your confidence as you get through the course.”

 
DiCosimo says this unique attraction is ideal for corporate team building because it strengthens and builds trust amongst groups while encouraging team work and mutual support.

 
“You’re in a group setting, you are doing challenges that you might not think you can overcome but with group encouragement and by working together you can figure out the best way to approach the different challenges,” said DiCosimo.

 
“Some people are very shy in office settings but may excel outside of the office so by getting outside and completing a course like this people can shine in a different light,” said DiCosimo. “You can play off of different people’s strengths and bond as a group.”

 
Guides are also in place every step of the way to lend support and encouragement to anyone who is struggling and wishes to bypass an obstacle. They will also provide historical anecdotes as you enjoy the attractions, with a focus on the surrounding landmarks including: the formation of the Falls, the previously active power generators, wildlife and plant life in the area and the early explorers who settled in the region. For more information, visit http://wildplay.com/niagara/

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Seeing is Believing—Join our FAM 2016 Program

What’s the BEST way to experience a natural wonder? First hand — naturally!  Niagara Falls — a naturally inspired destination for all your meeting & convention needs. Such a powerful backdrop can only inspire and produce powerful events.  Come see for yourself. On behalf of Niagara Falls Tourism and its Regional Partners we invite you to experience Niagara Falls.  How do you get here & what about returning home? No worries — Niagara Falls Tourism will coordinate your pick-up & departure working with our airline and ground transportation partners. Your job is just to say “YES — I’ll be there”, and Niagara Falls Tourism will do the rest.   Book today — Space is limited!  Qualified applicants will be considered.

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National Music Centre

Calgary will host the 2016 Juno Awards in April to coincide with the scheduled opening of the NMC.

Anticipation is growing for next year’s debut of Calgary’s lyrical new National Music Centre (NMC). The museum is the centerpiece of the revitalization of the city’s East Village area, with condominiums, restored heritage buildings, restaurants, cafes and retail space slated for the neighbourhood.

NMC’s new 160,000-sq.-ft. facility will have five floors of exhibition space that tell the story of music in Canada, a 300-seat performance venue. The restoration of famed blues club the King Edward Hotel, that hosted the likes of Pinetop Perkins, John Hammond and B.B. King will become a live musical venue once again.

NMC’s collection includes over 2,000 rare musical instruments, artifacts, sound equipment and Canadian music memorabilia, as well as the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection. Special tours of the Rolling Stones mobile studio will be offered for aficionados.

The visitor experience is modeled after that of a music festival. The design of the facility will allow for music to be heard throughout the building. Interstitial or empty spaces will allow the sounds of music to flow through the five-storey structure and encourage visitors to explore.

The overall concept for the building design is that of a musical instrument; the exterior will be reminiscent of music cases, while interior flow will be inspired by rhythm and acoustics. The inspiration for the building was drawn from Canada’s iconic landscapes—from the cadence of waves to the lullaby of lakeshores, from the silence of the Prairies to the echo of the Arctic, and the energy and diversity of Canada’s urban spaces.

 

Illuminasia Fantasia

September 17-November 1, 2015

The night sky will glow with intricate Chinese lanterns in animal and mythical Chinese symbol shapes at the Illuminasia Lantern & Garden Festival at the Calgary Zoo in fall of 2015. The lanterns will be designed and prepared in China, then assembled on-site by a Chinese team, assisted by local trades people. Incorporated with the lantern displays will be highlights of Pan-Asian gardening techniques, authentic Oriental programming and entertainment.

 

Beakerhead Festival

September 16 – 20, 2015

Creativity thrives when the worlds of art, science and technology collide at Calgary’s innovative Beakerhead Festival, now in its third year. The Beakerhead Creative Society advances the understanding of science and engineering through the lens of art and culture.

During the weeklong festivities in 2014, over 70 events were staged citywide, Audiences were thrilled with the night extravaganza of El Pulpo Mecanico—the flame-throwing octopus—to eating the Periodic Table. Local restaurants and bars came up with their own versions of “Engineered Eats” inspired by Beakerhead, so that everyone in the city had a chance to  “eat and drink in” on the experience.

The hands-on activities encourage everyone to understanding that science and engineering are a part of everyday life. Engineers are encouraged to show their creative sides and artists are encouraged to get technical. A huge part of the program is fostering this creative collaboration in children, with youthful ambassadors promoting the festival in individual schools.

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arrivals in style

Private aviation terminals serve incentive travel groups and VIPs who prefer to travel—or meet—under the radar

Where do pro athletes, rock stars and film legends touch down in Toronto? Chances are, at one of the private aviation terminals offering a discreet, VIP welcome mat.

A short few kilometres away from its passenger terminals, Pearson International Airport has a private side that includes several private fixed-based operators, or FBOs, that discreetly take care of high-flying clientele and their aircraft.

Non-descript hangars around the airfields of west Toronto conceal executive lounges, media rooms and VIP amenities, not to mention personalized customs check in.

Downtown too, almost in the shadow of the CN Tower, Porter Airlines operates its own private Porter FBO Terminal next to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The small hangar serves private flights and business travellers, plus Porter’s charter service that will fly a group anywhere inside a 2-1/2-hour flight range.

“We see celebrities, royals and sports teams: yes, of course. But also business people – it can cost less for a corporate charter than to send ten executives first class, and it’s a much more enjoyable experience,” says Christine Condotta, customer service manager for Landmark Aviation, the Pearson-based FBO used by Delta Airlines and Air Miami, official charters for the NBA, MLB and NHL.

Over 20 years working at the FBO located just off Derry Road, Condotta has met countless billionaire business execs, film actors arriving for TIFF and major league superstars; you can guess, but she’s not naming names.

Landmark has also worked with business clients and event organizers who like the cachet of an exclusive location where vast airplane hangars and lounges are available for private events when they’re not in use.

“We’ve had a dinner for 400 for a film company. Car companies use our ramp space for test drive events. We’ve hosted meetings and conferences, and the Canadian Business Aviation Association’s annual trade show,” she says, to name a few.