Not again
I hope I'm not chewed out, but I have to say that if you are saying that Saunders ideas are not trust worthy, because of his sponsors, then that is a circumstantial ad hominem fallacy (I know, another mouthful - I am sorry). Here is a link: http://www.nizkor.org/features/falla...d-hominem.html
What is different about the Canadian market that makes conference centres more successful?
Not saying that at all. Heywood Saunders told me specifically that he knew nothing about the Canadian market. He also said his report focussed on large US cities. In context his report makes some valid conclusions.Originally Posted by sustainibertarian
The Canadian market is very different. Most companies and organizations will not hold their conferences outside the country. There are always people, for many reasons, that are not able or willing to go to the US. Most Canadian companies and organizations tend to be smaller than their US counterparts. Most conferences are held from October to May to get around the brief Canadian summer and its related problems (holidays etc). This, by nature of our market, means cold weather in most parts of the country for a good part of the convention season. So destinations in southwestern BC are popular.
What we have then, is demand for smaller conferences in Canadian winter destinations. Where would you rather go if you lived in Kamloops or Calgary or Lloydminster? Nanaimo fits right in. This is one of the reasons its almost impossible to book the Victoria Conference Centre.
Add to this the fact that Nanaimo is center to most of the island for anything island wide and way less costly than Victoria and Vancouver.
In my mind, the biggest problem we have is the perception that Nanaimo is a small mill town. We are not anymore and we need to adjust our thinking. We need to start putting this town on the map. We need to start looking at it like others who come here for the first time see it.
In Calgary we have Grad ceremonies/dinners and wedding receptions at our confrence centre, which is called the Telus Convention Centre...despite the Telus name and no doubt money, it still cost the city taxpayers millions.
We also have public parking there...it all contributes to the bottom line.
An example: Toastmasters is a large world-wide organization that has many clubs in British Columbia. In the early 80's I was president of one of those clubs and we had our district (provincial) conference in Nanaimo at the Tally-Ho. Since then Toastmasters has grown so much that today, Vancouver Island is it's own district and BC is now a region. They have had limited places in BC for regional conferences but Nanaimo will soon be suitable. I am sure that the Kinsmen, Kiwanis, Shriners, Seauraxuman etc are in the same boat.
the same is true of any number of school groups (teachers parents unions etc), NGOs, government depts, corporate groupings. The list goes on and on. Talk to the marketing folks. They wont tell you who, but they have some interesting numbers.
News article
This may be of interest:
http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailyne...dc97a0&k=64283
not particularly
ROFL!
Yes why comment... they missed another deadline... just like the sun rising and setting this comes to be expected.
No, you miss the point. The conference centre is done. The hotel will be built. If not by Suro, then by someone else. If Suro doesn't built the hotel, the city gets the $450,000 bond and some free land clearing. As the conference centre takes off, the demand will increase and someone will build the hotel.Yes why comment... they missed another deadline... just like the sun rising and setting this comes to be expected.
So all the doom sayers can keep searching for the slightest hint of a problem. It really doesnt matter.
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