New Convention Centre Secures 30 Events; $30 Million in Direct Spending Expected

Trade Centre Limited today, June 25, announced that more than 24,500 visitors, generating an estimated $30 million in new money, are expected to come to Nova Scotia when the Halifax Convention Centre opens its doors in 2017.

To date, 30 organizations have committed to bringing national and international conferences to Halifax and the new convention centre.

“The list of national and international clients choosing Nova Scotia’s new Halifax Convention Centre continues to grow,” said Scott Ferguson, president and CEO of Trade Centre Limited, the Crown corporation overseeing the Halifax Convention Centre. “Our team continues to attract new events that contribute to the economic vibrancy of our province as we prepare to welcome the world to our new centre in 2017.”

The state-of-the-art, LEED gold-certified convention centre will begin hosting events in less than two years and interest from event planners continues to build.

“We’re very pleased to be coming back to Halifax in 2017 for our 50th Annual Canadian Employee Benefit Conference,” said Michael Wilson, CEO of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. “The new convention centre’s additional space makes the foundation’s return possible after too long an absence, and we look forward to seeing an even larger gathering as we celebrate our exciting milestone.”

The core frame for the convention centre is nearly complete. When finished, the centre will have 120,000 square feet of event space, including two convention levels and a mix of multi-purpose, meeting and ballroom space.

The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the Nova Centre, a one-million square-foot, mixed-used development including a hotel, financial tower and retail space. It is the largest integrated development project yet in the province’s history. The funding of the convention centre is shared between three levels of government, totalling $164.2 million.

Source: Release