Business View Magazine | July 2019

167 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JULY 2019 THE CALGARY TELUS CONVENT ION CENTRE wireless network and the entire system, which is now sufficiently beefy to meet the demands of today’s large conventions with ease. “We can handle up to 10,000 devices concurrently in the Centre,” says Court. “We’ve really put an emphasis on redundancy, making sure that our fiber (optic) lines don’t just come into one building, but have redundancy by coming into both sides. That gives us the ability to keep things flexible so we can transfer the load from one building to another if need be.” The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is also a proponent and practitioner of green practices, even pressing its suppliers and partners to adopt such practices if they haven’t done so, already. An ecologically sound waste diversion plan, that includes composting, is part of that plan; so is utilizing environmentally-friendly air filtration filters. In fact, the facility received an award in 2019 from the North American Air Filtration System for its clean air. “We’re constantly looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Court, “whether that be in building automation or lighting systems. Even after reducing our energy consumption by 33 percent, two years ago, we’re still finding ways to reduce through programming and light centers and the type of lights that are used, and all sorts of things.” 2019 will also see the Convention Centre get into the bee business – or rather the urban honey bee business. “We’re going to have a couple of bee hives here that will look after Stephen Avenue and all its plants and trees,” Court explains. “We’re told that urban bees are the hardest working bees in the world, so let’s see what they do. But it’s also a great opportunity for us to provide educational programs for children about bees. Of course, they’ll be producing some honey and, hopefully, some of our guests will have a chance to enjoy some of that as a thank-you gift.” Over the next four years, $15 million in improvements and upgrades will be made that will enhance the Convention Centre’s sustainability,