Approaching its centennial in 2020, the D.C.-based American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has taken its annual Meeting & Exposition to Canada seven times. This historic “association” includes the host cities of Niagara Falls (1930), Montreal (1935 and 1967) and Toronto, which after securing the “Super Bowl of Conventions” in 1952, 1988 and 2009, held ASAE for a fourth time this year.
Toronto went the extra mile—700, in fact—to secure the 2017 bid. In early 2010, a team of Tourism Toronto and Metro Toronto Convention Centre senior executives arrived at ASAE’s headquarters for an apparent traditional boardroom-style bid presentation. Once gathered, however, they invited their counterparts outside to “show them something.” Parked outside, a non-descript tractor-trailer housed a surprise reveal—the Imaginarium, the bureau’s Business Events’ hospitality lounge gone mobile.
With the group comfortably settled on couches in the chic, mood-lit space, the presentation began in earnest. According to Kathryn Wakefield, Tourism Toronto’s director of client services, the idea was “to bring Toronto to ASAE, and share with them all the proposed and upcoming venues, attractions and other developments happening in Toronto that we knew would favor enhanced possibilities and new experiences for a return show in the future.”
The surprise paid off.
“Appreciating how Toronto could enhance the experience of our successful 2009 meeting, we signed on the spot,” recalled ASAE President and CEO John H. Graham IV.
It would prove the ink on another successful deal. Attracting more than 4,500 association professionals and industry partners, the 2017 show fulfilled the promise of its “What Inspires” theme with four days of motivating keynotes, educational sessions and networking.
For Toronto, which realized economic impact of $3.1 billion from meetings in 2016, it was the latest victory lap in a long track record of hosting exceptional events, as “Canada’s Downtown” continues to invest in its status as one of North America’s foremost places to meet.
Master Plans
Like ASAE itself, evolving through innovations such as the Xperience Design Project (XDP) introduced earlier this year, Toronto’s meetings profile is much changed since 2009.
“Our last Toronto meeting evaluated very well, with above-expected attendance despite the recession and then weaker dollar,” Graham said. “Back then, Canada was still viewed as an international destination, off-limits for some associations. Working closely with the Canadian Tourism Commission (now Destination Canada) and Business Events Canada over the last decade, we have done much to dissipate that travel prohibition, along with that ‘international’ stigma. Travel to Canada, or Mexico, is not like going to Asia or South America. While still requiring a passport, it’s travel within North America, and much simpler.”
For its part, Toronto more than fulfilled its promise of “enhancing the experience.” Foresting the city with cranes for nearly a decade, runaway development continues to reshape the Toronto skyline with soaring commercial and residential towers. Tourism and major events also drive infrastructure development. After hosting the G-20 Summit in 2010, Toronto set to preparing for the Pan American Games—the world’s third largest international multisport athletic competition—and accompanying Parapan American Games, in 2015.
This five-year timeframe produced luxurious new hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton in 2011, and in 2012, Trump International, Four Seasons and Shangri-La, helping to boost inventory to more than 38,000 rooms in 230-plus hotels.
New venues include Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, which added a buyout-capable group option between the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and CN Tower in 2013. Commenced in 2002, the 25-year, multibillion-dollar, multiuse transformation of some 2,000 acres of Toronto waterfront is presently the largest urban revitalization project underway in North America.
PageBreakAnother major improvement was the 2015 launch of the Union Pearson Express, or UP Express. Departing every 15 minutes, this rail service connects Toronto Pearson International Airport to downtown’s Union Station in just 25 minutes.
With future events such as MPI’s 2019 World Education Congress on the horizon, Toronto is maintaining high visibility on the visitor and group radar.
Launched in March 2017, the video-based “The Views Are Different Here” campaign showcases the “excitement and diversity that have made Toronto Canada’s largest city and most-visited destination.” This October, Tourism Toronto and NYC & Company announced an official marketing partnership to boost already healthy tourism between the two cities.
The Human Touch
With global appeal via signature events such as the annual Toronto International Film Festival, Canada’s number one convention city, and in the top five for North America, offers over 2.5 million square feet of convention and exhibition space.
National leaders include the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, nearing completion on a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of its South Building. Part of Toronto’s 192-acre Exhibition Place, the Enercare Centre (formerly Direct Energy Centre) offers 1 million-plus square feet of exhibition space, while the adjacent Beanfield Centre, Canada’s first LEED Silver conference venue, features Canada’s largest pillar-free ballroom.
Now taking reservations, Hotel X Toronto is Exhibition Place’s first hotel, offering “a cutting-edge mix of hospitality, sports and entertainment” in three buildings, including 17 meeting rooms and a three-story rooftop lounge and pool.
The former International Plaza Hotel was reintroduced this June as the 433-room Delta Hotels Toronto Airport & Conference Centre, offering 31 meeting rooms and 60,010 square feet of total space.
With more than 30 active hotel developments in the city, steadfast anchors include the incomparable Fairmont Royal York, and two 1970s heirlooms, the 1,372-room Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, and Canada’s largest hotel, the 1,590-room Chelsea Hotel, Toronto.
The former recently completed a sweeping $90 million refresh that added two ballrooms for a total of 130,000 square feet of versatile space, while the latter, steps from Yonge-Dundas Square, became an independent property of the renowned Langham Hospitality Group in 2013. Rebranded from the Delta Chelsea that year, the hotel has since invested over $24 million in property-wide upgrades. Offering over 24,000-plus square feet of event space, this welcoming property’s amenities include multiple dining concepts and a rooftop indoor pool with outdoor deck.
Awarded the Hotel Association of Canada’s Humanitarian Award in February 2017, The Chelsea exemplifies another side of the Toronto experience—compassion and giving. For the past 15 years, the property has raised significant monies in support of charitable partners including Special Olympics Canada, Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area and the SickKids Foundation.
During ASAE, delegates raised $27,231 for two local charities, the Royal Canadian Legion and Toronto Humane Society. For the former, delegates also helped support the Highway of Heroes Initiative, a program to plant 117,000 trees, one for every fallen member of Canada’s Armed Forces. One month after ASAE, Toronto hosted the third annual Invictus Games, the annual international adaptive sport event for injured active duty and veteran service members created by England’s Prince Harry.
Tourism Toronto itself champions CSR initiatives, such as its award-winning “Relax, Recharge, Renew” program. Established in 2008, this primary program of the bureau’s “families in need” CSR effort provides area parents of special needs and medically fragile children with all-expenses paid, personalized local weekend getaways.
With most of the city’s hotel community and other tourism partners participating, it’s one of many uplifting and inspiring ways in which Toronto, amid its large-scale prowess, puts people first.
