Canada thinks big

Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre welcome annual TED Conference to Canada

Tweet: Thinking big: @ctccct @MyVancouver + @VanConventions welcome annual #TED Conference to #Canada for 2014 http://ow.ly/hf36U

VANCOUVER, Feb. 4, 2013 /CNW/ - The TED Conference—one of the world's most prestigious events—is coming to Canada. In 2014, this massive meeting of global minds will take place in Vancouver, BC. Whistler, BC will host TEDActive concurrently. 

Canada is delighted to welcome TED. Its annual conference attracts some of the world's most influential people in business, the arts, sciences, academia and philanthropy. TED Talks—videos of talks given at the conference—are published at TED.com, where more than 1,400 of them have already been viewed over one billion times.

TED selected Vancouver for its 30^th anniversary conference after surveying a number of possible cities. Chris Anderson, TED's Curator, called Vancouver "one of the world's greatest cities, combining a thriving culture of innovation with glorious nature." TED has committed to host its conference in this West Coast city in March 2014, with possible extensions. The conference attracts upwards of 1,300 delegates annually.

A consortium of tourism partners, led by the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention Centre, supported by the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, will welcome the conference to Vancouver.  The city was an outstanding host for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and recognized globally for its unparalleled beauty, the superb quality of its venues, hotels and infrastructure and its welcoming citizens.

The LEED^® Platinum-certified Vancouver Convention Centre's unconventional design, flexible function space, and waterfront setting, coupled with the proximity of world-class hotels, will offer an intimate and inspirational setting to engage delegates.

In hosting TED 2014 in Vancouver, Canada can highlight the country's innovation and intellectual capital. The arrival of the conference reiterates the extended power of tourism and confirms Canada globally as a great place to visit, to do business and to invest.

TED is built around inspiration from the world's most inventive thinkers, creating a community of people eager for new ideas and experiences to engage with. This aligns closely with Canada's tourism brand: "Canada. Keep Exploring."

Meetings, conventions and incentive travel attract close to two million visitors each year to Canada with total spending of $1.7 billion—almost 24% of all money spent by inbound overnight travellers. Canada is the #1 location for outbound meetings business from the US, bringing in about $1.4 billion.

Web Links 

About TED
About the CTC
About Tourism Vancouver
About the Vancouver Convention Centre 

Image with caption: "The LEED® Platinum-certified Vancouver Convention Centre's unconventional design, flexible function space, and waterfront setting, coupled with the proximity of world-class hotels, will offer an inspirational setting to host the TED Conference delegates in 2014. (CNW Group/Canadian Tourism Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130204_C2690_PHOTO_EN_23251.jpg

Image with caption: "The prestigious TED Conference will come to Vancouver, BC in 2014. Hosting the conference reiterates the extended power of tourism and confirms Canada globally as a great place to visit, do business and invest. (CNW Group/Canadian Tourism Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130204_C2690_PHOTO_EN_23253.jpg

Image with caption: "Canada will play Host Country and Vancouver Host City when the world-renowned TED Conference comes to Canada in 2014. The city is recognized around the world for its unparalleled beauty, the superb quality of its venues, hotels and infrastructure and its welcoming citizens. (CNW Group/Canadian Tourism Commission)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130204_C2690_PHOTO_EN_23255.jpg

SOURCE: Canadian Tourism Commission

Margaret Nevin
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Tourism Commission
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

Amber Sessions
Manager, Travel & Trade Media Relations
Tourism Vancouver
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

Jinny Wu
Communications Manager
Vancouver Convention Centre
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]

Patricia Westerholm
Manager, Corporate Communications
Tourism Whistler
604-938-2748
[email protected]

Margaret Sullivan
TED
Tel: [phone]
[email protected]