YEG – You’re Edmonton’s Guest!
Thursday, July 27, 2017
by: By Milena Santoro, MS Productions
Yes, there are many cities to host world-class events, but only some have everything in place to easily plan a spectacular and memorable event. The spotlight keeps shining on Edmonton, our vibrant young metropolis that is Canada’s fastest growing city in Canada’s fastest growing province. They say we are open, courageous, inventive and cooperative. I would add young, multi-cultural, innovative and ready for anything and everything. And…the big plus is that we have the ILEA Edmonton Chapter ready to support any of your event needs.
Location, Location, Location
Edmonton is situated on the banks of the mountain-fed Saskatchewan River, whose ribbon course through our city is bordered by a continuous unwinding of beautifully green river valley parklands. Situated high above the river with spectacular views is the majestic Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. This historic hotel was built as part of a group of hotels built in the Chateau style by the Grand Trunk Railway which was then taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
In contrast to the stately formality of the Macdonald Hotel, is the 21st century newly opened Hyatt Place, Edmonton, Downtown. This is an ultra-modern architectural standout of glass and steel that visually appears to reach out towards the river. The hotel offers round the clock food service, a fitness centre and large hot tub, and 11,000 square feet of flexible space that can accommodate meetings and events.
When leaving both the ‘hotel modern’ or the ‘hotel majestic’, it is only a short stroll to the Shaw Conference Centre which has over 100,000 square feet of exhibition, conference and meeting spaces that be configured any way you want. This glass fronted building architecturally descends down towards our river and offers breathtaking views and access to river walkways. Do you need to feed five or 5,000? Its award winning international menus can cater to the needs of its guests, and its over 30 master chefs take immense pride in the artistic presentation of all their items.
Places of the past, present and now to the future! In 2018 JW Marriott International is opening a four star hotel in the heart of Edmonton. The foundations are now in place and the steel is rising in a 50 stories building which will offer 365 opulent hotel rooms and suites. The plans are thrilling. The hotel will offer 25,000 square feet of meeting space, a 9,500 foot ballroom and a huge splash of luxury in a rooftop pool and outdoor terrace.
At Our Heart
We’re a winter city, but we like to give our visitors the warmest of welcomes. At the heart of Edmonton’s entertainment area is the ICE district. This is 25 acres of retail, office, living space and entertainment, and boasts of being Canada’s largest mixed-use entertainment and sports district. Its hub is the brand new Rogers Place Arena, which is home to the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. Like the veins and arteries that connect to your heart, around Edmonton’s core we have an interconnecting series of pedways which are enclosed heated walkways or people corridors that go from building to building.
Floating above traffic, and connecting to Rogers Place is a massive pedway, Ford Hall, which is designed as an open meeting place. At its heart, is a stunningly beautiful tiled floor mural nearly 50 feet in diameter. Alex Janvier, one of Canada’s most celebrated Indigenous artists, was chosen to design this centerpiece. His flowing designs honor the waters and skies in Edmonton’s physical landscape and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our Edmonton’s peoples.
For Your Entertainment
Nearby is our arts and culture hub. The Art Gallery of Alberta, a building designed by Randall Scott, is a shimmering ribbon of steel, enclosing a glass box. Like a present, this glass box holds some 6000 historical and current works of art, available for public viewing. Also of note, several doors down, is the Francis Winspear Centre for Music that is renown for its state-of-the-art acoustics. It is home to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the outstanding Davis Concert Organ.
Edmonton is a city with eclectic tastes and is very popular with world-class performers of all genres because of our enthusiastic audiences. If you’re planning an event, the chances are very good that there will be unbelievable opportunities to see top performers in one of our many stadium, arena or concert venues, or a professional sporting event.
Triathlon, curling, figure skating, swimming, soccer, football and of course hockey – why you name it, we most probably have hosted it. Organizing world class sporting events comes very naturally to Edmonton. We’ve hosted many national and world championships and have top rated facilities that meet international standards. We’ve also got recreational facilities throughout the city, and private gyms as well as our many university and college facilities provide drop-in opportunities.
One of the great advantages of hosting an event in Edmonton is that the local ILEA Edmonton Chapter members can help you with an up-to-date, tried and tested list of suppliers, rental companies or technicians. We are only too pleased to share these and the extras that will make your event memorable – insider information on the hottest indie bakeries, the favorite craft beer tap rooms and the locally top rated bistros, not forgetting the ‘must-see’ local attractions. If you want your clients to have beaver, bison or bear watching opportunities, we’ll help you plan visits to Elk Island or Jasper National Parks. And we’re saving the best for the last – Edmonton is known for its hospitality and volunteer community builders. We are open, courageous, inventive and cooperative. With all that Edmonton has to offer, your event can’t go wrong. Say “YES” to YEG!
You’ll be Edmonton’s Guests!
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