Five Unique Offsites in Calgary

WinSport is in a league of its own. The facility was originally built for the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988 and boasted the first combination bobsleigh/luge track in North America. Today it remains a first-class venue that continues to host world championships in curling, figure skating, ice hockey, ski and snowboard halfpipe, slopestyle, and moguls, and several other varieties of sport.

Over time, WinSport has expanded to become one of the most vibrant meeting and event spaces in the city. For instance, the 7,200 sq ft Legacy Room, with natural light flooding through floor-to-ceiling windows, can be booked for large events or broken into three smaller rooms. Full size it can accommodate 600 people for a cocktail reception or 500 seated at rounds of 10. The Event Centre is a unique 20,000 sq ft multi-purpose space that can be used for sporting events, concerts, and tradeshows and can accommodate up to 4,000 people. Work with their executive chef to create menus tailored to your guests. State-of-the-art audio/visual will elevate any event. 

The icing on the cake is the opportunity for teambuilding. For a truly unique experience, book the Ice House, where your guests can learn how to launch a bobsleigh, just like the athletes who train here. And you don’t have to wait for winter. Given the indoor, climate-controlled design, access can be reserved year-round. If you are planning a winter event, steps away from the meeting rooms and you’re onto the hill for skiing, snowboarding, or winter tubing.  In summer, try downhill karting with Skyline Luge, play some mini-golf, go zip-lining from the highest viewpoint to see Calgary’s impressive skyline, or jump into a bobsleigh with a professional pilot where you’ll hit up to 80 km/h riding down the historical track.

Apart from the fact the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is one of the finest in the country and a world leader in wildlife conservation, what you may not know is its stellar reputation for hosting corporate events. Choose from four outstanding spaces for breakout sessions, pre-function cocktail receptions, or closing banquets. Whichever you choose, you’ll have the support of staff, amenities, catering, and equipment to meet your every need. 

And if you’re looking for innovative teambuilding activities, look no further. You’ll find a variety of interesting and fun options here. Discover what it’s like to be a zoo tech and learn about animal nutrition and training. Scavenger hunts are a fun way to learn more about the zoo residents. Then there is the Zoo’s take on Amazing Race and Survivor…Zoomazing Race and Zoovivor. See if your teams are up for these team building challenges, which can be customized with food and beverage options.

This new space in the booming East Village certainly lives up to its middle name. Platform occupies the first two floors of an eye-catching structure between the Central Library and Studio Bell and is a hub for Calgary’s tech innovators, bringing together entrepreneurs and investors on a mission to foster collaboration and community-building. 

Platform is a meeting planner’s dream. Anyone can book space here. With 50,000 square feet to play with, the interior design is fluid and accommodating. There are many multi-purpose spaces to choose from – five boardrooms, five meeting rooms, two classrooms and two large multi-purpose spaces that can be reconfigured to meet your needs, whether it’s a presentation for 300 to 500 delegates, or breakout rooms that flank the pitch stage (which double as a pre-function space for up to 160 people). Plus, you can bring in your own catering.

The first thing you can’t help but notice is the stunning architecture of this building that spans 4th St SE at 9th Ave. Its 160,000 sq ft encompasses a collection of nine “subtly curved and interlocking towers,” per architect, Brad Cloepfil, which are shaped to reflect musical instruments and the landscape of Alberta. 

The first of its kind in North America, Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre is a combination of live music venue, museum, recording facility and broadcast studio. Step inside the soaring atrium and look straight up to five interconnected floors of studio, exhibit, collection, and meeting spaces.  

Much sought after by meeting and event planners, there are five unique event spaces to choose from. Most popular is the Performance Hall, an elegant space with fully retractable seats which can be used for a film screening, live entertainment, or configured to accommodate a private reception or seated dinner. To whet the appetite of your delegates, organize a Behind the Glass guided tour where they can learn about the Canadian music scene and view the private collection, from the rare virginal – a more portable version of the harpsichord – made in Italy in 1560 to Elton John’s first piano where his early hits were composed.  

The East Village Skybridge which connects the new building with the revitalized King Eddy Hotel (famed blues venue for decades), offers a wide corridor with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase stunning views of the city. The open space can be configured to your needs. Think evening reception and stargazing!

Set on 127 parkland acres alongside the Glenmore Reservoir, Heritage Park Historical Village is one of the largest living history museums in the country. Established more than 50 years ago, the park celebrates the history of Western Canada from the 1860s through the 1950s. 

Meeting planners seeking a truly unique and memorable atmosphere need look no further. An eclectic selection of meeting spaces can be booked for as many as 3,000 guests! The planning team will work with you to understand your needs and execute your vision. The executive chef will help you create a memorable menu. Add in live entertainment, outstanding hospitality and superior service and you’ve got a dynamic recipe for success.

One site visit and you’re likely sold on Gasoline Alley Museum’s Grand Hall. Here your guests can mingle amidst vintage vehicles, antique gas pumps and a colourful array of oil and gas memorabilia in tribute to the age of the automobile in the 1950s. Included in the rental is the upper-level mezzanine, and open-loft style venue overlooking the Grand Hall. The adjacent Founders’ Lounge provides an intimate space steeped in 1930s elegance, richly appointed with sumptuous leather furnishings and rosewood-finish wood panelling.