Each year, Sport Tourism Canada hosts Sport Events Congress (SEC), the largest sports tourism gathering in the country. This year, more than 400 people—representing national and provincial sports organizations, event rights holders and planners, event management firms, destination tourism professionals, and elected officials—travelled to Mississauga, ON, to attend the event.
During the three-day event, which I attended alongside the City of Kelowna's Community Development Coordinator, Brad Duquette, we connected with decision-makers of sporting organizations and event planners from across the country.
As part of the congress, we attended the Sport Events Exchange, meeting face-to-face with 16 national sports organizations (NSOs) and event organizers, including Ringette Canada, Football Canada, Ultimate Canada, Aboriginal Sport Circle, and Athletics Canada, to discuss specific hosting opportunities. These face-to-face meetings are an important first step in identifying those sporting events that could be hosted in Kelowna. They also help build and maintain strong relationships with national-level decision-makers.
What We Learned
The Sport Events Congress continues to serve as an important platform for all those who work in sport tourism to exchange insights, strategies, and emerging ideas. With destinations and sport organizations across the country navigating many of the same opportunities and challenges, the event provides a valuable setting to collaborate, learn from one another, and explore practical approaches to strengthening Canada’s sport hosting landscape.
Moderated by sports broadcaster Arash Madani, the opening plenary featured insights from Andrew Baker of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Marco Di Buono of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, and Ted Scaldwell representing the Government of Ontario. The discussion explored the value of sport and the importance of building a strong case for investment in sport tourism. Panellists highlighted how events contribute not only to economic growth but also to community vibrancy and destination reputation, while sharing practical approaches to demonstrating return on investment and aligning event funding with both public and private priorities. The conversation also emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration and legacy-focused investments that create lasting benefits for host communities.
Breakout sessions throughout the congress covered a range of timely topics shaping the sport tourism industry. Attendees had the opportunity to explore discussions on driving growth in the sport-hosting sector, strategies for turning fan passion into long-term engagement and loyalty, and the importance of effectively telling the story of sport events to strengthen destination reputation and stakeholder support. Additional sessions later in the program examined regional sport trends, collaborative approaches to hosting events across both rural and urban communities, and interactive roundtable discussions that encouraged peer learning and knowledge sharing among destinations and sport organizations.
Photo credit: Sport Tourism Canada
Why is SEC Important?
Sport tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism sector, generating billions of dollars in value for the Canadian economy. SEC is organized by Sport Tourism Canada, the country's leading organization in sport tourism, which aims to increase Canada's capacity to attract and host major sport tourism events.
Attending SEC is vital to continue growing Kelowna as a premier sport-hosting destination. Face-to-face meetings with attending NSOs and event rights holders, many of whom are headquartered in Eastern Canada, strengthen their relationships with Tourism Kelowna and put Kelowna in a strong position when bidding on major events.
Major Event Strategy
Securing and supporting major events was formally strategized by Tourism Kelowna in 2016, when its Major Event Strategy was developed as an attraction framework to tap into the growing sport and event tourism industry, further the destination's national exposure, and serve as a significant driver of overnight visitation and economic activity. In partnership with the City of Kelowna, successes of the strategy related to sport tourism include the 2025 Montana Brier, which generated a direct local economic impact of $15.2 million, and the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2028, with a forecasted economic impact of more than $7 million.
For more information on sport tourism, please contact me at (250) 861-1515 ext. 218 or sara@tourismkelowna.com.
