Prevue July/August 2014 - (Page 48)

Vancouver Invigorating land and cityscapes facilitate ideas worth spreading F [ON LOCATION] JOHNALEE JOHNSTON From the window of an Harbour Air seaplane bobbing around 500 feet over Coal Harbor, Vancouver, the renowned "city of glass," feels strangely reminiscent of Superman's "Fortress of Solitude." In the morning light, the shiny buildings rise to a mist-swept sky like towering shards of crystal. The architectural behemoths, for all their pizzazz, are also some of the greenest buildings in the world. Hunkered down in their umbrage are urban gardens, composting bins, chicken coops and other community-driven initiatives that support the goal to become the greenest city in the world by 2020. Claire Smith, the Vancouver Convention Centre's VP of sales/marketing, says the city's gorgeous landscapes and manmade ﬂaunts are a regular lure for cost-conscious planners. "The wonderful thing about having beautiful spaces with dramatic views is that planners need not worry too much about décor-the view and architecture speak for themselves." Big name organizers are also being wooed. The Winter Olympic Games went off without a hitch in 2010-Vancouver's downtown waterfront was aﬂutter this past March when the ideacentric TED conference came to town. And in 2016, over 3,500 meetings industry professionals are anticipated to storm the city for PCMA's Convening Leaders conference. "Yes, Vancouver is beautiful and the Vancouver Convention Centre is magniﬁcent," Smith explains, "but we believe that these factors merely help facilitate great things. We want to ignite groundbreaking and game changing conversations by inspiring people with spectacular scenery and architecture." As one in a handful of journalists recently invited to explore Vancouver during TED, I think it's safe to say whether you're on the hook for the city's sprawling beauty or ﬂair for the progressive is really inconsequential-unlike Superman's top-secret pad, this fortress is a destination to be shared. THE OPUS HOTEL: TECH AND FUN SAVVY The quaint and cheeky Opus Hotel offers guests something they'll be hard-pressed to ﬁnd elsewhere: their perfect match. This is how I met Pierre, a conscientious food critic slash jazz junky from Paris with a soft spot for culinary tourism and bright orange walls. Pierre was my room's "persona," one of ﬁve ﬁctional lifestyle concierges at the hotel, and boy was he full of surprises. Each of the Opus' 96 rooms reﬂect the style of their avant-garde alter ego-from bold fabric patterns, colors and art choices to Pop Rocks and Pez dispenser turn-downs. iPads are on the house during your stay-Deluxe rooms and higher also toss in a Samsung smartphone. And holding true to its "Trendiest Hotel in Canada" TripAdvisor accolade, both devices can be taken out of the hotel at leisure thanks to internal mobile sticks that provide uninterrupted citywide internet. "The iPads are meant to mirror what our guests' tablets or iPads are like at home," General Manager Nicholas Gandossi says. "We loaded some fun and useful apps like Angry Birds and Google Maps-they have become true virtual concierges with our guests now using them to explore the city." Opus smartphones offer cost-conscious travelers an additional perk: any calls to their rooms ring through their 48 | prevue magazine 48-51_Vancouver.indd 48 7/2/14 9:10 PM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue July/August 2014

Planner’s Pick: The Franklin Institute
Fresh Meets: Marriott Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Bermuda Tourism Authority
Good Business: Anaheim/Orange County CVB
Sea Shores: Table for 2 (Hundred)
Table Talk Creativity and engagement add flavor to culinary events
SPECIAL SECTION: THE CARIBBEAN More than a vacation spot, paradise for meetings
IRF INVITATIONAL Secrets Puerto Los Cabos hosts the biggest incentive forum yet
On Location: Dominican Republic
On Location: Westin Hilton Head
On Location: Vancouver
LOUISIANA Culture, dramatic venues and immersive tours surround the Big Easy
ORLANDO AIBTM host city is a top draw for meetings
On Location: Auckland
SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS GMIC helps planners minimize their footprint
Checkout: Thompson Chicago

Prevue July/August 2014