Calgary TELUS Convention Centre

THE CALGARY TELUS CONVENT ION CENTRE shifted, especially in the last two years,” he notes. “I think it will continue to shift as conventions become shorter in timeframe and smaller in attendance. The expectations of planners for conventions, galas, and for meetings are shifting, as well, to be all-inclusive and provide a unique experience. Adapting to the changes has seen the Convention Centre’s management take the unusual step of examining prospective clients in terms of whether they, and the event they’re planning, make for a good fit. “That requires being brave enough to say, ‘this may not be the event for us, but here’s who we would refer you to if it does not fit for us,’ so we can deliver the best possible experience for everybody at hand,” Court remarks. “That’s a big shift from yesterday where we’d just say ‘yes’ to everything and be everything to everyone, and then you’re not efficient, you’re not delivering the best possible experience, your people are stressed because they’re working in spaces they don’t typically work in, and they’re trying to deliver a package they don’t normally deliver. It really has evolved over the last couple years to be focused on customized, personalized, professional events.” Court reports that when he and his executive team colleagues came onboard two years ago, they were tasked with reorganizing the prevailing mindset to reflect what he describes as a “consultative approach” that is unusual for the industry. “Typically”, he continues, “if an association wants to come, it’s how many people, how many meals do you need, how many meeting rooms do you need? From the consultative side of things, we want to understand what their story is, what their objective is, and what their desired outcome is. We really focus on what works for the client instead of what works for us. And it’s important to show that the event and the venue are both appropriate in those discussions. It’s, ‘Is this the venue appropriate for this client and/or is this client the appropriate client for this venue?’” Thus, mutual compatibility is the emphasis in marketing, rather than casting a wide net for any and all business. The Convention Centre’s technology capabilities are robust, with recent major upgrades to the