Work on the 2010 Winter Olympic Games venues is well under way, with new projects in the works and existing venues expanding and improving.
It’s an effort that will draw worldwide attention to the region—and add long-term benefits for groups.
Richard Yore, director of sales, meetings and conventions for Tourism Vancouver, says the increased international exposure will significantly boost conference attendance in the city.
“Vancouver already draws, on average, 10 percent higher attendance numbers than the previous year’s location; we have this fact third-party audited,” Yore says. “A unique spirit has also [encouraged] the local community to invite the world to see our city. This happened in 1986 when Vancouver hosed the World Expo. That event brought international attention to the city and moved us from one level to another. We expect the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to have a similar effect.”
Among the new venues will be the Richmond Oval, a speed-skating facility that will hold 7,600 spectators. The facility will be located 25 minutes from downtown Vancouver near Vancouver International Airport. Following the games, the venue, which is scheduled for completion in August, will become a multipurpose sports and wellness facility.
Another new facility is the 6,650-person UBC Winter Sports Centre, which will be used for ice hockey and ice sledge hockey. Set for completion in April, the facility will be located on the campus of the University of British Columbia.
Near Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park, the new Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park will be used for curling and wheelchair curling events. Scheduled for completion in November, the facility will hold 5,700 spectators, and following the Olympics, it will serve as a community center, a gymnasium and a library.
The eyes of the world will also be on existing BC Place, the domed stadium that will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, while the expanded Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre will serve as media headquarters for the event.
Nearby Victoria also expects the Olympics to be a boon for business.
“We do anticipate that Victoria will benefit from the additional exposure from the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, including the opportunities presented by working to secure smaller bookings that may have gone into the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre prior to the completion of its expansion,” says Melissa McLean, Tourism Victoria’s interim president and CEO.
