Update to A Tale of Cities, Part 2
A few weeks back, I contrasted Halifax’s convention facilities with Winnipeg’s. Yesterday brought exciting news that Halifax may be getting new digs after all.
PolicyFrog is right that all cities are chasing the convention-centre-as-tourism-development strategy. This irrational exuberance may be causing some municipalities to overbuild. However, every major urban centre should have adequate facilities to fulfill convention needs. While Winnipeg’s are ample enough, a new multipurpose facility for Halifax is long overdue. Halifax is the logical focal point for any Eastern Canadian trade show. The city can also draw visitors from Moncton, PEI, Cape Breton and other centres that are a relatively short drive away.
Nova Scotia also manages to squeeze out 36.25% more tourist revenue than Manitoba even though the province only has 8.98% more people coming to visit. This proven talent at successfully executing a tourism strategy can only be further enhanced by better convention facilities. The weather is also much more moderate which means that there is a greater likelihood of year-round appeal.
While shows like this may still not come around, there is no reason that a scaled-down version would be out of the realm of possibility. Count me in for four tickets!
posted by Unapologetic Ex-Winnipegger @ 9:32 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Good to hear about the new facility. I hope that doesn't get in the way of a new stadium for the schooners though. :-)
World of Wheels is in Wpg this weekend: http://www.autorama.com/casi/winnipeg.htm
Cheers ..
For me, spring was always on its way in Winnipeg when the auto and home shows were in full gear (pardon the pun). Oh to have a convention centre wide open spaces and no columns! But that should come soon enough.
We were at the home show here in Halifax over the weekend and it glaringly demonstrated how badly a new facility is needed here. Overflow parking was akin to Shrek's swamp, turning one of my rare "dates" out with the wife into a nature hike during monsoon season. Admission is cash only, putting us closer to 1958 than 2008. The concession stand is right out of something you would see in an arena for a town of 2,000 - even the exhibitors were bringing in Timmy's - think of the loss of concession revenues for the WTCC by not having a Tim Horton's in the building. And Prospect Road (where Exhibition Park is located) is a single lane thoroughfare, leading to snarled traffic more befitting the 401 at rush hour.
If this weekend's attendance is any indication, good shows will easily carry a new building here. And most of the plates I saw in the crowded lots were all from Nova Scotia - this suggests that the New Brunswick and PEI crowds haven't even started to come yet.
Hope you had fun at WOW - who were the visiting celebrities this year?
I didn't make it down to WOW actually. Had a couple other things going on... There was a guy from West Coast Choppers, the chick from LA Ink, some dude from a soap, and some kid from Hanna Montana. Someone for everybody I guess.
Your mention of Timmys made me think about concessions. That's an area where our Convention center could use an upgrade. We have that little cafeteria there, but it would be nice to have more variety.
I went to WOW this year for the first time with a client I look after. His favorite part was the motorcycle lingerie fashion show. http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeasilverlining/2372958884/
I am forever a Winnipegger and I am doing my part in offering my services to Small - Medium companies for an affordable price.
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