Client events are a cornerstone of our Business Development team's work in the Eastern and Western Canadian markets and beyond. We recently hosted two events—one in Toronto and one in Vancouver—to showcase Kelowna's offerings to business event professionals in each market.
Venue Series
In May, we partnered with Venue Series to participate in two business-to-business events in Toronto.
Kicking things off was The Garden Lunch, presented by Tourism Kelowna, which welcomed 13 enthusiastic corporate clients and meeting planners. Our team featured Kelowna and the Central Okanagan’s direct air access from major cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Over lunch conversations, clients learned about the convenience of getting around Kelowna and the different kinds of off-site venues and unique experiences that can elevate their next business event.
Following lunch, the afternoon was filled with a high-energy, 8-minute appointment-style Venue Series event where several Meetings & Conferences Sales Program partners (50th Parallel Estate Winery, Cantrav, Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, Hotel Eldorado and Manteo at Eldorado Resort, Mission Hill Family Estate, and Summerhill Pyramid Winery) and I met with top-tier corporate meeting planners at Margo restaurant located inside of CLIO. Our Kelowna contingent was able to share many ways Kelowna can offer carefully curated solutions for corporate events of all shapes and sizes.
Iron-Chef Style Competition
Alongside five partners, including 50th Parallel Estate Winery, Cantrav, Coast Capri Hotel, Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort, and Eldorado Resort, our team recently hosted an exclusive event at the Professional Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver. The event brought together 22 business event professionals from various corporations, associations, and intermediaries.
We started with an exhilarating Iron Chef-style competition, in which six groups vied for the chefs' approval with their creative entrée dishes. This high-energy start fostered camaraderie and set the stage for a morning of further discovery and learning.
Following the culinary showdown, attendees settled in to watch our most recent OKGo campaign video, outlining the Central Okanagan's key economic sectors and showcasing the region's potential as a premier business event destination. While the city's stunning scenery and exceptional venues are well-known, the session focused on what truly distinguishes Kelowna: its unique collaborations that enhance the value of business events held within the community.
The engaging networking and presentation captivated the audience, with many attendees expressing newfound interest in considering Kelowna for their future events. Achieving this awareness and interest was precisely the goal of the day, and the positive responses indicated a successful outcome. By highlighting both the natural beauty and the collaborative spirit of Kelowna, Tourism Kelowna effectively showcased why it stands out as an ideal location for hosting a wide array of business events.
To learn more about Tourism Kelowna's business development activities, contact me at vanessa@tourismkelowna.com for the Eastern market or my colleague, Nicolle Gomez de Sousa, at nicolle@tourismkelowna.com for the Western market.