Kelowna will welcome visitors from around the globe, including some of the world's top figure skaters, for 2019 Skate Canada International, which is taking place at Prospera Place from October 25 to 27, plus a day of official practice on October 24. This means that downtown Kelowna will be full of high-profile athletes, including their families and coaches, as well as excited fans, many of whom will be visiting Kelowna for the first time.

As the number of people in the city, and particularly in the downtown core, will be much higher than normal for this time of year, we want to make sure your team is ready to join us in extending a warm Kelowna welcome to these visitors!

Here are a few things you may want to do to prepare:

  • Let your team members know the event is taking place, informing them of the potential influx of customers, including many international visitors.
  • Consider adjusting your staffing levels in relation to the event schedule and to the number of visitors that will be in Kelowna. 
  • Welcome visitors through your social media channels and/or share event-related content using #exploreKelowna and #SCI19 (Skate Canada International's official hashtag).

In addition to providing services at the Kelowna Visitor Centre and at our Airport Kiosk, our Visitor Experience team will be onsite at Prospera Place to answer questions and provide recommendations to visitors. Together, we can make sure everyone visiting for 2019 Skate Canada International has a remarkable experience, not only at the event but also while they #exploreKelowna. 

Click here for more information about the 2019 Skate Canada International. For more information about Tourism Kelowna's support of the event, please contact Jennifer Horsnell at (250) 861-1515 ext. 205 or jennifer@tourismkelowna.com.

 

About Skate Canada International 

Skate Canada International is the second competition in the annual International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figuring Skating series. The other events take place in the United States (Skate America), Finland (ISU Grand Prix of Helsinki), Japan (NHK Trophy), Russia (Rostelecom Cup), and France (Internationaux de France).

The 2019 Skate Canada International line-up will feature 2019 Canadian National Champions, Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro, and Nam Nguyen, as well as current world medalists Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue of the United States, and more.

 
About Tourism Kelowna's Major Events Strategy

The 2019 Skate Canada International is a signature event that will generate more than $3 million in new, economic impact for Kelowna. The event was secured in part through Tourism Kelowna's major events strategy, in partnership with the City of Kelowna. This collaboration positioned Kelowna as the perfect host for the 2019 championship, with our team assisting to prepare the bid document, to secure funding, and to establish key relationships with Skate Canada. The 2020 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia, taking place in May, was also supported through Tourism Kelowna's major event strategy.