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Toronto
May/June, 2007
Regional Profile
By Rachel Naud
It’s no wonder Canada’s largest city is the most popular choice for meeting delegates. This world-class city, boasting a population of nearly five million people, offers endless choices when it comes to meeting facilities, hotels and things to see and do.
Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, farther south than Minnesota and much of Michigan, Toronto is one of the most accessible cities in North America by road, air, rail and water. The city is only a one-hour drive away for approximately five million Canadians and within a 90-minute flight for 60 percent of the United States population.
The New York of the North, Toronto is known for its creativity and cultural diversity. Although the two official languages spoken there are French and English – Chinese, Italian, Tamil, Portuguese and Spanish round up the top dialects in the city. The extraordinary multiculturalism in the city results in world-class cuisine, entertainment and architecture.
“You know the feeling you get when you come across an amazing menu and want to order every dish? That’s what it’s like in Toronto,” says Michele Simpson, manager of media relations for Tourism Toronto. “Literally, Toronto’s cultures offer an unparalleled variety of spice, but we take fusion to a level far beyond cuisine. Find beautiful architecture of the city’s settlers alongside modern, sleek, gold-tined skyscrapers.”
One of Toronto’s classic landmarks is the CN Tower. The CN Tower dominates Toronto’s skyline and is the tallest freestanding structure in the world. Standing at 1,815 feet and five inches, it offers a perfect visual place mark for newcomers. It’s also a great place to host a meeting. The CN Tower’s 1,100 sq ft of fully flexible meeting rooms are equipped for audiovisual presentations. A variety of room layouts can accommodate up to 90 people for meetings, breakout sessions and working lunches. Delegates can feast pre- and post-meeting on decadent fare such as Truffle Scented Portobello Mushroom Steak or Parsley Crusted Ontario Waters Pickerel in the award-winning 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower.
For another convenient downtown meeting location, meeting planners can also check out the St. Andrew’s Club & Conference Centre. Situated at 150 King St. W. at University, St. Andrew’s is located on three floors within the Sun Life Financial Tower. The centre boasts 16 meeting rooms for as few as six people or as many as 170 delegates. To ensure a successful meeting, St. Andrew's Club & Conference Centre maintains an inventory of audio-visual equipment on-site including TVs, Video/Data Projector, Audio Cassette/CD Player and Camcorder with Tripod. The facility also offers high-speed wired or wireless Internet, tele-conferencing and video conferencing technology. However, most delegates appreciate the venue as much as the amenities inside.
“Our rooms are very functional for corporate meetings and training,” says Andrew Hodd, vice-president of sales for the St. Andrew’s Club & Conference Centre. “We do have a number of rooms designed for more high-end events. Some of our clients are hosting events with attendees from different organizations and these clients consider the venue to be a big part of their product so they come to us for the stunning views and architecture.”
The rooms at St. Andrew’s don’t only vary in size, but in architecture as well. Its signature space, St. Andrew’s Hall, is very traditional with large mahogany doors and vaulted ceilings. However, its newest space, The Conservatory, has a very contemporary feel with state-of-the-art audio-visual built in.
“Our downtown location is key, but it is the views and window space that truly makes us unique,” says Hodd. “Furthermore, meetings are our core business and therefore that’s what the rooms are designed for. Our lounges and dining rooms allow us to provide breakfasts, lunches, receptions and dinners, making us a one-stop shop.”
And once the meetings are over, delegates can enjoy all that Toronto’s theatre district has to offer. Roy Thompson Hall and The Princess of Wales Theatre are just a stone’s throw away from the centre so delegates can catch a concert by the likes Jesse Cook or Holly Cole at Roy Thompson or head to the Princess of Wales Theatre for live shows such as ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Dirty Dancing’ or ‘Phantom of the Opera’.
Ontario Place is another great meeting facility. Located on three man-made islands along the shores of Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto, Ontario Place is easily accessible by car, GO train and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).
Ontario Place has multiple venues perfect for any corporate event. It can accommodate group sizes of 75 up to 5,000. Open year-round, its 730-seat Cinesphere is a great place for a presentation or meeting, allowing delegates to present any form of digital media, including DVD, PowerPoint and high-definition TV on the massive six-storey screen.
Its Performance Theatre, located in the pavilion complex, is also a unique meeting space for up to 450 people. It’s complete with a large stage and audio-visual capabilities to host corporate gatherings and events year-round. It is also conveniently located next to the newly renovated Atlantis Pavillion for easy access to post-meeting receptions and banquets.
But it’s not all theatres and boardrooms. Ontario Place also has multiple indoor and outdoor meeting and event venues available for use between May and October, including Olympic-sized beach volleyball courts, basketball courts and corporate tents where delegates can enjoy a barbecue-style buffet while enjoying the scenic view. Ontario Place also boasts a lakeside patio restaurant where delegates can enjoy a business lunch while taking in the spectacular view of Lake Ontario.
If you’d rather keep your meeting out of the downtown core, the International Centre is one of the leading multi-purpose facilities in Canada. Located at 6900 Airport Road in Mississauga, just three minutes from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the International Centre currently houses 36,813 square feet of meeting space. In spring 2008, the International Centre will be adding 42,000 square feet to their facilities, complete with a 17,000-sq. ft ballroom.
The International Centre offers wireless Internet service using Wi-Fi Alliance certified equipment to broadcast secure high-speed Internet throughout the entire facility.
“With speed packages of up to 1.1 Mb/s, visitors can log on for the duration of an event or for just 30 minutes of access,” says David Merklinger, marketing co-ordinator of the International Centre.
The centre also works with official service providers to ensure a successful meeting. Such providers include AVW-TELAV Audio Visual Solutions for technological needs, Frontline Trauma Services for First-Aid care, Tone-Gar Security Services Inc. for security and GES CANADA Exposition Services to act as Show Services Decorator.
Hungry delegates can snack on on-site concessions including Tim Hortons, Pizza Pizza or at the International Market Café. For a sit-down meal, Traders Bar & Restaurant is a full-service licensed establishment offering great food and drinks in a relaxing and elegant atmosphere.
“The International Centre boasts more than 35 years of industry experience and is known for superior customer service and sincere dedication to clients’ success,” says Merklinger. “It’s perfectly positioned outside of the downtown core, is surrounded by more than 10,000 nearby hotel beds and always offers free on-site parking for more than 5,000 vehicles.”
After all the work is done, delegates should explore Toronto and some of its must-see attractions. The Art Gallery of Ontario is the 10th largest art museum in North America boasting more than 40,000 works in its collection, spanning from 100 AD to present day. It contains the world’s largest public collection of works by internationally renowned British sculptor Henry Moore as well as masterpieces of European art including works by renowned artists such as Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and René Magritte.
And even if delegates aren’t into art, the building itself is an architectural masterpiece. “Its dramatic redesign by renowned Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry is a key spot to check out,” says Simpson.
Hockey fans will score a big experience at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Delegates can catch a glimpse of the world’s one and only Stanley Cup, take shots at real-time goalies, stop the shots of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, view hockey flicks in one of its two theatres and explore the largest collection of hockey memorabilia in the world. And even if a person gets dragged there by a Toronto Maple Leafs-loving delegate and isn’t really into hockey, the Hall of Fame still has plenty to offer.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame has something for everyone: state-of-the-art games, interactive exhibits, larger-than-life statues, replica dressing room and rink zone and theatres,” says Simpson.
Casa Loma is another great attraction. No where else than in Toronto can you step back to a period of European elegance smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest urban hubs in the world. The former home of Canadian financier Sir Henry Pellatt, Canada's foremost castle is complete with decorated suites, secret passages, an 800-foot tunnel, towers, stables and beautiful five-acre estate gardens.
The 98-room castle captures the beauty of a Mediterranean courtyard with marble and granite floors, a fountain and ferneries filled with lush green plants. Delegates on their own can explore the castle with a self-guided digital audio tour available in eight languages (English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Korean).
Filed under: Places
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