Nov-2017

130 131 RBC CONVENTION CENTREWINNIPEG Convention Centre Winnipeg RBC IMAGINE YOURSELF HERE W hen the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg (former- ly Winnipeg Convention Centre) opened its doors in 1975, it was the first “purpose built” convention centre of its kind in Canada. And what a statement it made! At the time, the venue featured an 80,000-sq.-ft. exhibition hall, 80,000 square feet of meeting space on three levels, and 700 parking stalls in an underground parkade. Fast forward to the 1990s – space in the facility was maxing out and expansion was definitely in order. Klaus Lahr, current Presi- dent & CEO of RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, explains, “In the 20-plus years we’d been in operation, 17 convention centres had come on the market and we needed more space to maintain our position in the marketplace.” The expansion journey began in earnest and continued until March 2016. RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg is now the fourth largest, publicly-owned convention centre in Canada, behind only Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. The complex is 800,000 square feet in size, of which 500,000 square feet are revenue producing; the other 300,000 houses support facilities. While the federal, AT A GLANCE RBC CONVENTION CENTRE WINNIPEG WHAT: A major meeting and convention facility WHERE: Winnipeg, Manitoba WEBSITE: www.wcc.mb.ca