Prevue November-December 2017 - 12

bureaubuzz

Destination: Canada
The latest MICE trend brings the destination experience full circle
We're a renaissance 10 years
in the making," quips David
Goldstein, president and CEO
of Destination Canada, the
crown corporation for Business Events
Canada. "We're finally seeing the fruits
of our labor from 2002 to 2012-finally
attracting businesses and conventions that
are in the wheelhouse of Canada." The
wheelhouse Goldstein refers to is a fourseason destination that is forward-thinking,
culturally inclusive and meetings-ready.
The bulk of "the lost decade," as
Goldstein describes it, was spent building
intellectual capital and collaboration
between industries, universities and
government sectors. The result is
a sophisticated, safe and "anything
goes" meetings acumen that easily
accommodates the needs of corporate,
association and incentives groups. The
groundbreaking TED conference has been
calling Vancouver home since 2014. And
when it comes to thought leadership on hot
topics such as climate change, look to the
sky-high vegetation on convention center
rooftops across the country, the plethora
of green hotels and built-in green meetings
options to see which way the wind blows.
Canada's innovative edge has
come full circle as of late, with the rise
of indigenous programming-Whistler
to Newfoundland-making its way into
meetings. "We're all about breaking down
barriers," Goldstein says, "which allows
attendees and planners to relax and let the
experience do the work."

Saskatoon
Imagine a day of tipi team building, exploring
indigenous technology and a stroll through
nature that quickly becomes a lesson in

Picture caption

Lil'wat Cultural Centre (photo credit: Pacific Destination Services)

natural pharmacology. All of this happens in
Saskatoon, and groups of up to 300 can top
this off with an event at the Wanuskewin
Heritage Centre (available for buyout), where
ceremonial singing, dancing and drumming
create the ultimate icebreaker environment.

Whistler
At the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
in Whistler, groups can experience feasts
inspired by the First Nation's culinary
traditions and transform the wisdom and
metaphor of native mythology such as the
aboriginal talking stick into professional and
personal development tools. More than
16,000 sf of meeting space is available
for buyout, including the Great Hall, which
is decked out in weavings, canoes and
floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the
Lost Lake and Garibaldi Mountain Ranges.
Whistler's natural bounty and unique cultural
offerings recently lured Vail Resorts into
the mix. "The arrival of Vail Resorts will be
a game changer for Whistler meetings,"
explains Cassandra Zerebeski, manager of

"We're all about breaking down barriers, which
allows attendees and planners to relax and let the
experience do the work."
12 | prevuemeetings.com

group business development for Tourism
Whistler. "It certainly broadens the horizon
for us as a meetings destination."

Banff & Lake Louise
Meetings and incentives combos are
trending big in Banff & Lake Louise, says
Aysun Lynch, international business
development manager for MICE with Banff
& Lake Louise Tourism. "We're currently
working with indigenous groups to expand
our programming in a culturally sensitive
way that complements the conventions that
come here." As an example, Lynch says
that a medical meetings group can include
indigenous approaches to wellness.

Newfoundland
All the way to the east of Canada, offthe-grid "healing camps" in the Torngat
Mountains are reviving exhausted
executives. Groups may travel by boat
through the Saglek Fjord's 3,000-ft verticals
to see remnants of an ancient Inuit village,
visit 5,000-year-old archaeological sites,
explore the wilderness with local guides or
hobnob with and experience the culture and
traditions of the Labrador Inuit firsthand.-
Johnalee Johnston
businesseventscanada.ca
http://www.businesseventscanada.ca http://www.prevuemeetings.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November-December 2017
