In just over four weeks, Kelowna will host one of the world’s most prestigous figure skating events, 2026 Skate Canada International. Thousands of international athletes, spectators, family members, and fans will visit our city to experience some of the world’s most exciting figure skating competition.

To help our members, the local tourism industry, and the broader business community prepare, Tourism Kelowna recently hosted the I Speak Figure Skating webinar as part of our I Speak series.

Over the past two years, Tourism Kelowna has continued to grow the I Speak series as part of our commitment to strengthening business engagement in the lead-up to and during major events. Working in partnership with different community organizations, the series is designed to ensure our business community feels prepared to welcome visitors, understands the opportunities these events bring, and has access to the resources and information needed to make the most of them.


I Speak Figure Skating Webinar Recap

The webinar was broken into three main content blocks. The first, focused on general event information and provided an overview of what businesses can expect from the three-day event, including event schedules, locations, participating countries, Fan Fest information and programming, and other key details.

The second block focused on why it’s important for businesses to engage with the event and provided practical ideas for ways businesses can activate and create a welcoming experience for visitors. Suggested activation ideas included:
 

  • Incorporating figure skating themes and décor into business spaces.
  • Offering discounts or promotions to ticket holders to encourage them to visit (e.g., offering a discount when customers show their event ticket).
  • Displaying signage to help create a festive and welcoming atmosphere throughout the city.

The third block of the webinar walked attendees through the online 2026 Skate Canada International Business Toolkit. The digital toolkit, which serves as a centralized resource to support businesses in planning and executing their event activations, includes:
 

  • Key event information
  • Links to official schedules
  • Easy-to-use, customizable social media graphics and messaging

The toolkit also contains links to upload your themed events to Tourism Kelowna's online Events Calendar and to submit your discounts or event-related discounts to the Offers & Packages page. Submitting your events, offers, and promotions, will help amplify them to visitors and locals and will also allow our team to highlight them through various marketing tactics and through our onsite visitor services.

Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for businesses to get involved, promote the event, and create a welcoming experience for athletes, spectators, and visitors throughout Kelowna.
 

Skate Canada International 2026 Promo Image | athelte: Madeline Schizas

 

The key message shared throughout the webinar was that 2026 Skate Canada International is about far more than the event itself. It represents an opportunity for local businesses to engage with the event, showcase what Kelowna has to offer, and benefit from the increased visitation and activity it will bring to the community.


Helpful Resources

Businesses looking to learn more or get involved can access the following resources:

 

2026 Skate Canada International - I Speak Webinar