After superseding Montreal as Canada’s economic center in the 1970s, Toronto attracted two somewhat paradoxical labels: the “New York of the North” and a reputation for being bland, if not boring. In 1987, the late actor Peter Ustinov remarked, “Toronto is a kind of New York operated by the Swiss.”
While reportedly intended to mean “more cleanly and efficiently run than New York,” his observation only perpetuated the idea that Canada’s largest city lacked identity, while functioning like clockwork, without pizzazz.
Perhaps so in the city’s earlier business-centric days, but the nation’s financial capital has since evolved into a dynamic, multidimensional brand, and for groups of all sizes, is anything but a dull blade. From altitudinous adventures to avant-garde culture, Toronto, a global city built on diversity, is cutting edge defined.
Taking Notice
“I’ve learned it’s really run by the Canadians,” Ustinov subsequently said of Toronto in a 1992 interview.
Were he alive today, Ustinov would surely be surprised to discover just who these Canadians are—and the progressive difference this makes for Toronto.
“The most recent census found that 50 percent of all Torontonians were born outside of Canada, making Toronto one of the world’s leading, if not its top, international meetings destinations,” says David Whitaker, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto.
As the New York Times remarked in its July 2012 “36 Hours in Toronto” feature, globalization may have dulled other cities, but “Toronto’s immigrant neighborhoods still feel linguistically, gastronomically, gloriously distinct. The cultural diversity and urbanity seem limitless.”
For the group market, this fact alone sets Toronto apart.
“Regardless of industry or market segment, meeting planners and their organizations need to react to a global marketplace with an increasingly diverse customer and constituent base,” Whitaker says. “If an international agenda matters, if global content matters, or if diversity among our rank and file matters, then meeting in Toronto presents a significant advantage to a planner.”
Beyond demographics, this “destination advantage” provides groups with uniquely branded meetings and tangible experiences of Toronto’s remarkable mosaic of cuisine, nightlife, art, culture and neighborhoods.
“This is part and parcel of why the world has started to notice Toronto,” Whitaker says, referencing as an example Conde Nast Traveler selecting the city as one of the five “must see” destinations in the world in 2013.
It is also why 2012 was one of Tourism Toronto’s most successful years ever, he adds, confirming 19 major upcoming meetings, each with more than 1,100 peak room nights.
The hotel industry has also taken notice.
“No less than five major five-star brands have recently opened new properties here, as our existing hotels continue to expand and renovate,” Whitaker notes. “Toronto is experiencing unprecedented growth and we invite planners to learn more about how they can be a part of the excitement.”
After the 2011 opening of The Ritz-Carlton, 2012 saw Trump International, Four Seasons and Shangri-La unfurl their flags in Toronto, ushering in a new era of ultra-luxe lodging, meeting space, dining and amenities not seen since the city’s landmark Fairmont Royal York opened her doors in 1929.
Centers of Excellence
Home to some 2.7 million people, Toronto routinely commands global rankings across a range of key indicators, with 2012 highlights including the world’s second-smartest city (Fast Company), the world’s fourth most liveable city (Economist Intelligence Unit) and the world’s second most business-competitive global city (KPMG).
With powerhouse credentials in staging international events—such as hosting some 16,000 delegates last summer at the 2012 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference—Toronto’s “leading edge” status is undeniable.
“Cutting edge” may refer to trend-setting art and culture, but in a city where one of the top attractions is walking around a five-foot ledge 1,168 feet above the ground, the term assumes its own high-altitude meaning.”
Commencing its third season this April, EdgeWalk takes cable-harnessed groups of up to six on a thrilling 30-minute walk atop the CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant.
There are other lofty options, such as 180 Panorama atop the 51st floor of the downtown Manulife Centre, featuring Canada’s highest outdoor patios, and Canoe on the 54th floor of the TD Bank Tower.
No less transporting are Toronto’s terra firma engagements.
Now rivaling Cannes as the industry’s most influential showcase, the Toronto International Film Festival offers year-round programming and rental space at its striking Bell Lightbox headquarters.
Just west of the city in Mississauga, the multifunctional Living Arts Centre features more than 225,000 square feet of performance venues, studio spaces and exhibition areas.
The creative process also comes alive at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s standard-setting Weston Family Learning Centre. Opened in October 2011 and comprising some 35,000 square feet of renovated and new space, the facility offers broadcast and videoconferencing capabilities, and meeting and event space.
State-of-the-art technology similarly energizes gatherings at Corus Quay, the futuristic LEED Gold-certified lakefront headquarters of media conglomerate Corus Entertainment. It features more than 15,000 square feet of reception and meeting space.
Progressively green Toronto is also home the event-ready Evergreen Brick Works, a revived heritage site east of the city voted one of the world’s top 10 geotourism destinations in 2010 by National Geographic.
Toronto’s hotels also prioritize sustainability. With more than 130,000 square feet of function space, the 1,377-room Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel features green initiatives such as its own electric vehicle charging station and a dedicated recycling program. Since 2008, the honeybees hived atop the Fairmont Royal York have supplied the hotel with 450 pounds of honey per year, while also pollinating downtown Toronto’s plant life and flavoring the hotel’s custom Royal Stinger Honey Ale. Among the many specialty group programs at the landmark Westin Harbour Castle is “Event on the Green,” an interactive chef-led experience featuring locally sourced organic foods.
Inventive environments distinguish the city’s leading event venues, such as the c5 Restaurant Lounge at the pinnacle of the Royal Ontario Museum’s stunning Michael Lee-Chin Crystal pavilion and the unconventional spaces at the eclectic Drake Hotel, including the Sky Yard and subterranean Drake Underground.
“In concert with the diversity that really sets Toronto apart, the diversity of our community is also reflected in the variety of ‘centers of excellence’ that thrive here, providing planners with many opportunities to align their brand,” Whitaker says.
This is Toronto: one sharp destination and for groups, a singular sensation.
Regular Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman, a New Yorker for 25 years, finds Toronto miles apart—342 to be exact by air or 491 by car.
