Star: Toronto Lands Huge Convention

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the Star:

Toronto lands huge convention
May 15, 2008 01:53 PM
Jim Byers
City Hall Bureau

Toronto has landed its largest-ever convention – a meeting of 25,000 American architects in 2017 that could fill up to 40 hotels.
And Tourism Toronto is enlisting Brampton comedian Russell Peters to try to lure even more big conventions in the future.

Tourism Toronto officials today announced both moves, as well as a program to provide $3,000 scholarships to 10 local universities and colleges as part of a series of moves to bump up the region’s tourism business.

“We’ll have Russell appear at a few events over the year, including at a meeting of convention and visitor planners who decide where all the big meetings are held,†said Andrew Weir, vice-president communications for Tourism Toronto.

“I think he’ll blow people out of the water.â€

Weir said other prominent Torontonians also could be enlisted to boost the city’s out-of-town visitor numbers.

Tourism Toronto said today that the architects will bring an enormous group to town in 2017.

“They’ve never left the United States†for an annual meeting, Weir told the Star.

“Just getting them to leave the States was a big deal. I think one of the reasons they want to come here is because Toronto is making a name for itself in architecture these days.â€

Weir said more people came to World Youth Day in Toronto a few years ago but that many stayed in private homes.

Almost all the 25,000 architects will be lodging in city hotels and spending money at local restaurants, he said.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/425773

AoD

 

[BobBob]

2017?

Sounds like good news, but who decides that far ahead where an annual convention will take place?

 

[3Dementia]

Smacks of desperation. I'm sure there were way more than 25,000 Shriners here a couple of years ago... will research and post facts. Gee... a convention planned for 9 years in the future. Wonder if they might cancel.....

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I think some of these conferences are indeed planned years ahead. I know AIDS 2006 certainly was.

It's the Star, so a bit of hyperbole is to be expected. Though if it is indeed the AIA conference, we can expect a hefty amount of international exposure to come with it. Perhaps even debate on architecture in Toronto as well, from an external perspective - like http://www.urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=5410

AoD

 

[gei]

By 2017 people will be having conferences on Mars

 

[Hydrogen]

It's not that unusual to plan conventions years in advance - particularly for that many participants.

 

[CharmAlarm]

That's pretty much par for the course; especially a large U.S. organization with tens of thousands of members. There are certain logistics involved...like finding a city that has enough hotel space and venues ie. like a giant convention centre that can accommodate this many people.

 

[Bloor West Villager]

They don't even select host cities for the Olympics that far in advance!

Where will Russell Peters' career be in 9 years?

 

[jn_12]

Did this really merit being front page news on the Star website though? You would have thought the conference was in nine weeks not nine years from now.

 

[Hydrogen]

^Well, it's a nice switch from the hand-wringing or doom and gloom.