Canada's National Sport Organizations (NSOs), event rights holders, and sport industry educators were on hand at the 2018 Sport Events Congress, held March 6-9, 2018, in Halifax. Groups such as Volleyball Canada, Skate Canada, and Curling Canada attended to discuss their portfolios of events and meet destination representatives from across Canada at the annual conference.
With an emphasis on education and networking, Tourism Kelowna’s Sports & Events Sales Manager, Harvey Hubball, had exclusive access to many NSOs, discussing opportunities to host their major events. Aside from these sales meetings, Harvey was also able to collaborate and share industry best practices with the other attending Canadian destinations. One of the highlights each year during the Congress, the Sport Events Exchange, gave Tourism Kelowna formal meetings with 14 NSOs to discuss future hosting opportunities for their major events.
Attending the Sport Events Congress is vital to continue growing Kelowna as a premier sport-hosting destination. Face-to-face meetings with these NSOs, usually headquartered in Eastern Canada, strengthens their relationship with Tourism Kelowna and puts Kelowna in a position of strength when bidding on major events. Notable meetings during the conference included Skate Canada, Curling Canada, Volleyball Canada, and the Can-Am Police Fire Games.
For more information on sport tourism, please contact Harvey Hubball at (250) 861-1515 ext. 209 or harvey@tourismkelowna.com.
