[ON LOCATION] LISA SIMUNDSON
Set at the point where two rivers join—known locally as the Confluence—Calgary is an ancestral meeting spot that has transitioned into a modern meetings mecca in the western Canada province of Alberta.
Although the Canadian Rockies are less than two hours away, flat farmlands surround this big town on the prairie, a vibrant city of creativity, economic development and cowboy charm. You know you’re in the West when the second thing that happens upon arrival is receiving the city’s traditional white cowboy hat and taking the pledge to spread Calgary hospitality to “all folks and critters who cross my trail hereafter.”
What’s the first thing? A city “ambassador” clad in full cowboy gear greets you at the airport, offering assisting and orienting you to city locations. It’s something planners can arrange for their groups, either at the airport or during a session, and as for the cost, it’s free—Calgary’s ambassadors are all volunteers.
Such devotion to spreading the word about their town is a trait of all the Calgarians (yes, that’s the right term) we met during a recent meetings-themed tour of the city. While serving a typical Canadian feast—including Yukon Arctic char and rangeland bison striploin—at the River Cafe that first night, our server filled us in on local lore.
Where to meet may be the first thing to consider in Calgary—how to meet is the second. We toured Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, and discovered not only Canada’s musical legends—among them Gordon Lightfoot, K.D. Lang and Celine Dion—but also scores of meeting and event spaces, from intimate private rooms to music galleries and a grand performance hall.
“We often become an opening or closing night reception space. We have catering partners and can help with live music,” says Jaime Miller, Interim Manager of Event and Client Success. “Right now, we’re booking into 2032.”
We then explored Canada’s native and cowboy cultures at the new Sam Centre, a journey that started with lunch at the onsite Maisie Eatery—offering grab-and-go entrees and sweets prepared fresh daily—before we walked into a hundred years of the annual Calgary Stampede, where displays celebrate the people, the animals, the land, the traditions and the values that make up the city’s unique spirit.
“We’re called ‘Cow-chella’ because music festivals are such a big part of the Stampede,” says Jennifer Holm, Manager of Sales and Guest Experience of the annual festival featuring free pancakes everywhere as well as people decked out in cowboy attire, also everywhere.
Planned as the hub of Calgary’s coming Culture + Entertainment District, the Sam Centre is steps away from the BMO Centre, which after an investment of more than $500 million, has doubled its hosting capacity to more than a million sf of meeting and exhibit space.
“We’re the second largest convention center in Canada and we offer 35 saleable weeks a year, or 70 weeks when you have two conventions going at once,” notes Dave Sclanders, Business Development, Sales and Event Manager. “Where Toronto’s center is linear, we’re stacked, which means less walking. Meeting planners like the flow.”
Boasting Canada’s largest fireplace and filled with works from Alberta artists, the BMO Centre is set in legendary Stampede Park near the equally legendary Saddledome—scheduled for demolition in 2027—where Canadian figure skater Liz Manley won her Olympic Silver Medal in 1988.
A quick drive from the BMO Centre and set at the meeting point of the Bow and Elbow rivers, the Confluence Historic Site & Parkland—formerly Fort Calgary—offers more than 6,000 sf of indoor space and 40 acres of outdoor space for group events.
With extensive period exhibits, the Confluence also takes an unflinching look at the growth of the city and its impact on First Nations. Groups who wish to familiarize themselves with Indigenous culture can opt for a private session with native craftspeople; our group chose a beadwork class. The Confluence also is the end point for the annual Walk for Reconciliation, celebrating its 15th year in 2024 and attended by over 400 this past June.
The theme of reconciliation was struck again before our tour of the TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) in downtown Calgary, when Blackfoot Elder and educator Sheldon First Rider performed a small ceremony welcoming our group.
“As part of our journey to reconciliation, we gather on Blackfoot territory,” Elder First Rider told us. “These lands are more than just spaces; they’re gathering places. First Nations form part of the tourism industry.”
With that bright start to the day, we walked through the center, learning about its connectivity—not just in the technical sense but also as the word relates to people. For one thing, the center is located directly on Stephen Avenue, a pedestrian mall of restaurants, shops and museums, with the Calgary Design District and must-see venues like Alberta Boot a few blocks away.
The center also is connected to three hotels—our host property, the Calgary Marriott Downtown, the Hyatt Regency Calgary and the Fairmont Palliser Calgary—via the Plus 15 Network, Calgary’s downtown skywalk of 86 bridges and nearly 10 miles of elevated, weather-protected and climate-controlled walkways.
The center itself practices DEIA, says Kurby Court, CTCC President and CEO. “The ‘A’ stands for accessibility. We don’t just have four walls here. We’re trying to cause a ripple, even if we never see that ripple hit the shore.”
To that end, the CTCC has pioneered Pedesting, a cutting-edge navigation app that provides accessible routes for both indoor and outdoor environments, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can navigate spaces easily.
“The person who designed it, lives it,” Court says, referring to Nabeel Ramji, co-founder and CEO of Pedesting, who lives with cerebral palsy and also has the distinction of being a Minecraft character. In addition to those with physical challenges, the CTCC offers sensory-blocking chairs for people who are neurodivergent, as well as a Colab boardroom space specifically designed to minimize the “fight or flight” response, helping to mitigate the anxiety that can strike the neurodiverse.
“Everything in the room is intentional and designed with psychologists and behaviorists,” Court says. “We needed a room that was psychologically safe.”
visitcalgary.com; calgary-convention.com; venues.calgarystampede.com/event-spaces/bmo-centre; marriott.com/en-us/hotels/yycdt-calgary-marriott-downtown-hotel; hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/calrc-hyatt-regency-calgary; fairmont.com/palliser-calgary