Business Events Update - September 2023

Business Events Ramps Up with Strong Presence in Market

Banff & Lake Louise Tourism facilitated the participation of three member businesses in the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Texas Roadshow in Houston, Austin, and Dallas. Dallas had the highest attendance of qualified buyers which indicated a shift from previous years when Houston received the most qualified buyers, this could be due to the influence of the oil and gas economy.

Our US rep hosted a Banff day trip to Banff for seven US meeting planners. The planners were brought to Canada by Tourism Calgary, providing an excellent opportunity to leverage our corridor strategy and showcase the destination.

We participated in the Hotel Management International (HMI) gala in Montréal to better explore the Québécois part of the Canadian market. We have a distinct appeal here due to the francophone requirements of the National Park. While we gained useful insights, this was not the best platform for the destination and will not feature in our 2024 strategy.

Our destination was featured on the SITE Global blog: Sustainable destination strengths on full display during Incentive Summit Americas 2023. Our Community Impact Program (CIP) was shortlisted for the Global Destination Sustainability Movement Innovation Award. The awards recognize and showcase destinations using innovative solutions to drive tourism and events' sustainability performance.

Member Advisory Group Meetings Inform 2024 Planning

Two Business Events Advisory Group meetings were held in September, including a discovery workshop about the Member Portal. Feedback received will help prioritize content and features for this important project which will launch in 2024. Advisory Groups play a crucial role in keeping member businesses informed while supporting alignment with our strategic efforts. They allow us to collaborate on key initiatives and share insights to enhance collective marketing efforts and impact.

Coming up for the Business Events Team

• Micebook, London UK – November 22 – 24, 2023
• IBTM Barcelona – November 27 – December 1, 2023
• SITE SoCal – December 13 – 15, 2023
• December Advisory Group Meeting – December 6, 2023 (Please RSVP to the meeting invite!)

Stay in touch with the Business Events team at meetings@banfflakelouise.com.