Meet our Business Events Team! We are happy to have expanded our dedicated team in 2022 to make your business meeting, convention, or event in Ottawa an unprecedented success. Not sure where to start? Contact us.
In this issue:
Meet the team

Newsworthy
IAFF Convention
Last August, Ottawa was buzzing with excitement as the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) 56th biennial Convention took place in Canada's capital.
The event brought 2,000 people to Ottawa and had a huge economic impact on our city. The restaurants were full, taxis were busy, and the hotels and Shaw Centre were full of fire fighters and their families.
It was an unforgettable time for us at Business and Sports Events Ottawa, who were honored to be chosen as the host city for this event!
Summit Success
September saw us successfully welcome a group of new and old friends to our beautiful city for the first Ottawa Summit. We’ve always prioritized building solid relationships with our clients rather than a hard-sell, and the Summit was the epitome of that approach. The summit offered a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what our wonderful city has to offer whilst getting to know our guests in an informal setting. Dates for 2023 will be going out soon.

HCA & The Global Association Meetings Protocol
Throughout the pandemic, the Ottawa Tourism team was instrumental in setting up the Hybrid City Alliance (HCA). At IMEX last month we revealed our latest activity alongside the other members.
The Hybrid City Alliance, which boasts 24 member cities in 16 countries across 5 continents, committed to the development and implementation of strategies based on the findings and recommendations of the ICCA Global Association Meetings Protocol. The reports from these 11 destinations represent the initial progress made by the Hybrid City Alliance.
11 of the Hybrid City Alliance’s 24 members demonstrated their achievement in line with the Global Association Meeting Protocol at IMEX America. The 11 members have provided in-depth details, case studies and demonstrations of the best practice they have undertaken since committing to the protocol at IMEX in Frankfurt. This initiative has been supported by ICCA.
Emerging Leaders at CSAE
Ottawa Tourism and the Shaw Centre were thrilled to have 10 Emerging Leaders bursary recipients to receive a full conference registration for CSAE 2022 Conference - Reunite in September as they navigate their leading careers!
It was great to meet these 10 individuals, share knowledge and experiences and make connections with other emerging leaders. We are grateful to have been able to support this initiative by providing scholarships for these attendees.

Best place to work
Ottawa Tourism was recently voted one of the best places to work by the Ottawa Business Journal. We are incredibly proud of this story and accolade and wanted to share it with you all.

NEW VIA Rail Fleet!
The brand-new accessible VIA Rail fleet was unveiled in Ottawa! The new vessels contribute to a more inclusive travel experience for all Canadians. VIA Rail have worked with many specialized organizations and their representatives over the years to carefully design a fully accessible and barrier-free travel experience. The goal being to better meet the needs of people with disabilities and their support persons. Discover the new VIA Rail accessible fleet.
$65 million investment at Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
Ottawa International Airport and Porter Aviation Holdings Inc. have announced plans to invest over $65 million dollars in YOW's future. Porter is building two aircraft hangars, over approximately 150,000 sq. ft., to maintain its growing fleet, while OIAA is constructing a new taxiway and related infrastructure to support the hangar development as well as future opportunities in this section of the airport.
"Ottawa has been a critical location for Porter throughout our history," said Michael Deluce, President, and CEO of Porter Airlines. Mark Laroche, President, and CEO of Ottawa International Airport Authority (OIAA) added: “YOW was Porter’s first destination when they launched in 2006. We believe it’s very fitting that YOW is an important part of their expansion plans and their future and look forward to the benefits that come with such an extensive maintenance operation." Read more.
Upcoming Events
- IBTM World – Theresa Gatto, Julie Waterston and Adam Baggs will be in Barcelona from November 29 to December 1, 2022.
- PCMA Convening Leaders – Glenn Duncan, Lesley Mackay and Stephanie Seguin will be in Columbus from January 8-11, 2023
- CESSE CEO Leaders – Theresa Gatto will be in Baltimore on January 29 – February 1, 2023.