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You are here: Home > Meeting Planners > How We Can Help > Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Kelowna is a great place to host your next meeting or event…but admittedly we’re a little biased.  So don’t take our word for it.  Below are testimonials from other event & meeting planners who have either attended one of our FAM tours or hosted an event here in the City.  Listen to what they have to say about Kelowna – and why it should be the host of your next conference or retreat. 

Acri Event Management
“I didn’t know much about Kelowna before our FAM tour.  After a few short days, I truly felt the full Kelowna experience and all that the Okanagan has to offer.  The destination is a great candidate for many groups with various hotels and venues. The overall experience was top notch with a direct flight into the heart of Kelowna, a short drive to beautiful lakeside accommodations and food that rivals that of top chefs in Canada.  The winery tours showcased some of the best parts of Kelowna and the charm of the Kelowna Land & Orchard Co. gave uniqueness to the destination.  Tourism Kelowna was exceptional with their hospitality and foresight to arrange many locales to suit all types of meeting and incentive planner’s needs.  Thanks for the experience and I hope to bring a group soon to enjoy all the elements I did.”

Carolyn Acri,
Acri Event Management

Linda De Marco & Associates
“I would like to thank the team at Tourism Kelowna for organizing such a fun and informative FAM trip for our group of Toronto meeting planners. In a few short days you provided us with hotel and resort site inspections, gourmet meals paired with fine local Okanagan wines, activities specific to the region and a wealth of information on what Kelowna has to offer our clients for groups of all sizes.  Kelowna has demonstrated its ability to meet the needs of both business meeting and incentive programs - including transfers, facilities, quality food & beverages, and activities.  Kelowna is definitely a destination I would propose to my clients.”

Linda De Marco
Linda De Marco & Associates

TTRA Canada Conference 2005
Kelowna proved to be an excellent choice for our national conference.  Air access to our host cities is critical for us and we were able to get great flight connections from all of our key markets.  Delegate feedback from our conference was extremely positive about Kelowna as a destination.  We were fortunate to have included a significant tour of the area and some of its key tourism attractions for our delegates.  They were impressed and surprised at everything the Kelowna has to offer.   The winery tour at Gray Monk and off-site events in the Cultural District were a particular hit.  The support from Tourism Kelowna was great both before and during the event!
 
Alan Rice
Conference Chair
TTRA Canada Conference 2005

Electro-Federation Canada
 " Kelowna is certainly a unique Canadian destination for meeting planners who want to host a conference or convention in a non-traditional city destination.

The city has so much to offer! Kelowna boasts the best of Canadian weather. Not to mention, with many direct flights from major Canadian cities, and a short 20-minute transfer from the airport to downtown, makes Kelowna a convenient destination to consider for your event.  

Aesthetic appeal  along with "WOW" factor are some of the key components for our group when selecting destinations for our annual industry conference. That said, Kelowna’s beautiful surroundings made it an easy choice for our 2010 Supply & Distribution Annual Conference.  There are several pristine golf courses nearby, outstanding wineries, as well as many creative, cultural, and active tours and activities for our conference attendees to enjoy during their stay.   

The Grand Okanagan  Lakefront Resort offers spectacular views of the waterfront, majestic mountains in the background, along with ample meeting space, a resort spa and the Royal Private Residences, will entice our members to experience the conference destination for themselves   while combining business with pleasure. I am positive that we can guarantee a large number of members taking advantage of pre and post-conference stays.    

In addition to a naturally great venue choice, it has been a pleasure working with Tourism Kelowna. The staff were very friendly and familiar with my program and membership audience .  They were able to provide an incredible site inspection which included suppliers, wineries, activity options, off-site venue choices, unique shopping, and fine dining options. The staff were also able to support my conference marketing  plans. 

Make Kelowna your preferred destination choice! "

Nathalie Lajoie
Manager, Conference & Special Projects
Electro-Federation Canada

Skate Canada – Okanagan Region
On behalf of Skate Canada – Okanagan Region, I wanted to say thank you to you and Tourism Kelowna for assisting the Region in submitting a bid for Skate Canada’s National Annual Convention and General Meeting in 2011.

When I walked into your office in November 2007 looking for assistance in putting together a bid proposal for this event – the reception I was received was not what I was expecting.   What I was expecting was to receive some general information on the things to do in the area, be given some brochures and then on my way.  What I did receive was information on this new program that you were actually launching later that day – ‘Host at Home Program’.  We went over some possible ideas for events for the delegates and the space that would be required and then you offered to prepare a binder for the bid proposal.  As a volunteer, you have no idea how grateful I was that you were doing this for our organization.  Most organizations pass by these types of opportunities because they don’t have the time nor the resources to put this information together in a timely and professional manner.

The ‘Host at Home’ program will be a great asset to the City of Kelowna and surrounding areas in assisting organizations in submitting their proposals, plus also as a resource of what should be considered to have a successful event.  The package is professionally presented and included all the required information that was outlined in the request for proposal.  Not only does this program assist the organizations but will also assist the business community in increasing the number of visitors into the community during the ‘shoulder season’.  Once people have had the opportunity to see the area then they usually come back for their vacation or tell their friends and family.

Again, thank you so much for having our organization be apart of this great program and hope that we are successful in our bid to hold Skate Canada’s National ACGM in Kelowna, B.C. in 2011.

Diana Thomas
Chairman
Skate Canada – Okanagan Region

Professional Photographers Of Canada
I have been in the Professional Photography business for quite some time. I have worked with numerous committees to host conventions, organize speakers, and had the pleasure to work along side many focused, driven, and talented groups from Alberta and BC. When I was approached to put in a bid for the Professional Photographers of Canada, I was a little hesitant as I’ve only lived in Kelowna for a short period of time. I have been a resident of Kelowna for 4 years and didn’t feel I had acquired all the contacts necessary for supporting such an event.

This is where the Kelowna Tourism Bureau helped out. Tourism Kelowna convinced me that with their help, we could put in a great bid to host PPOC 2011 convention here in Kelowna. Well what can I say, we met, we talked, and with their support, we put together a proposal that is informative for decision makers and exceptionally visually impressive. I highly recommend working with the Kelowna Tourism Bureau to help make your ventures, business, and sporting, here in the Okanagan, a success

Kim Elsasser mpa
The Art of Photography

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