Top 5 Reasons to Have Your Meeting in Calgary

Calgary makes life easy for meeting planners. Two first-class convention centers can accommodate groups of any size, and the incredible natural surroundings make attendance building simple. Not only that, Calgary is affordable, an industry hub, and the ultimate host city.

Calgary offers more than 1 million sq. ft. of meeting and event space between two premier convention centers.

BMO Centre

The recently expanded BMO Centre is the largest convention centre in Western Canada with 1 million sq. ft.  of conference and event space including:

• 65 meeting rooms

• 500,000 sq. ft. of saleable exhibit, meeting and banquet space

• 500,000 sq. ft. of pre-function and heart of house space

• 3 ballrooms of 50,000 sq. ft., 20,000 sq. ft. and 12,000 sq. ft.

The building has been purposefully designed to create authentic connections between guests. Case in point, its 25,000 sq. ft. of common area features Canada's largest fireplace, a perfect place for spontaneous conversation.

Calgary TELUS Convention Centre

Location and access are major benefits of meeting at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC). The Centre is downtown, attached to 1,100 hotel rooms, and right next to the city’s train line. Its 122,000 sq. ft. includes:

• 36 meeting rooms

• 5 pre-function areas

• The largest room at 47,047 sq. ft.

• Theatre capacity of 4,000

Your delegates will appreciate being connected to the world’s largest pedestrian skywalk network that can take them to countless restaurants, cafes, and cultural attractions.

Offsite venues

Beyond the two convention centres, Calgary also offers creative offsite venues for teambuilding activities, additional breakout rooms, or space for pre/post functions. Here is a curated list of five unique offsite venues to explore for your meeting.

Delegates and their families will be thrilled with the opportunities to travel before or after an event in Calgary. The city sits right where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountains. The stunning scenery of Banff National Park is only an hour’s drive west of Calgary. A 90-minute drive to the east will transport you to the Alberta Badlands, which provide dinosaur enthusiasts with endless opportunities to explore. You will find plenty of pre & post travel inspiration below:

• Day Trips from Calgary

• 12 National Parks & Historic Sites Near Calgary

• 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites Near Calgary

• Pre/Post Itinerary – Western Luxury

• Pre/Post Itinerary – Family Vacation

Planning an exceptional meeting is hard work, so the Tourism Calgary team is here to help make the process as smooth as possible with a complete suite of destination services.

Event planning support

Tourism Calgary provides personalized expertise for meeting planners throughout the event planning process. This includes:

• Specific supplier recommendations, including support with sending out RFPs

• Local gifting options

• Prize packaging

• Organized site visit itineraries

Attendance building

To help ensure your meeting is well attended, Tourism Calgary can provide an attendance building package including postcards, swag, and table-top displays. Leading up to the event, Tourism Calgary can also provide you with a custom microsite to give delegates all the information they need about visiting the destination.

Sense of arrival

Calgary prides itself on being the ultimate host city. This is symbolized by the white cowboy hat that has become synonymous with hospitality in the city. Tourism Calgary can organize a white hat welcome at the Calgary International Airport for VIPs and a white hat ceremony for delegates during the event.

Attendees will feel welcomed as soon as they arrive in Calgary with signage opportunities available at the airport, the host venue, the host hotel, and with street banners.

See what other planners have said about hosting their meetings in Calgary.

Every dollar you spend on a meeting goes further in Calgary. Alberta is the only province or territory in Canada without a sales tax. That means your meeting expenses in Calgary will be:

• 7% less than in Vancouver

• 8% less than in Toronto

• Nearly 10% less than in Montreal

Canadian destinations are far more affordable than those in the US given the currency exchange. This typically amounts to about a 30% cost savings. In addition, Tourism Calgary also offers a comprehensive financial assistance program for qualifying events.

Discover more ways you can plan an affordable meeting in Calgary.

Tourism Calgary can connect meeting planners with leaders across six key industries, acting as a catalyst for enhancing face-to-face events. These sectors are:

• Advanced Manufacturing & Aerospace

• Agribusiness

• Life Sciences

• Natural Resources & Clean Tech

• Technology

• Transportation & Logistics

Many leading businesses in these sectors have decided to build headquarters in Calgary. The city is home to more than 100 head offices, which is the highest concentration in Canada when factoring in population. Learn how Calgary’s role in these industries can help enhance your meeting.

In recent years, Calgary has also become a major destination for film and television productions, including HBO’s massive hit The Last of Us. See what other films have been shot in and around the city.