U.S. convention planners looking to bring events north, leave political uncertainty behind

Winnipeg Free Press

19-05-2025

Uncertainty about the current political climate south of the border has some organizers of conferences typically held in the United States feeling uneasy and considering Winnipeg's convention centre as an alternative.
The RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg has, so far, received two requests for proposals from organizations looking to relocate their events from the U.S. to Canada this year.
'You have American conventions that are concerned if they continue… in the States, they might not attract the same number of delegates that they normally would from both Canada and internationally,' said David Chizda, the downtown facility's director of sales and business development.
The RBC Convention Centre (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)
Alternately, Canadian institutions worry they may lack full participation from Canadian members if they hold an event in the U.S., he said.
He wouldn't identify the conference organizers who had reached out. The RFPs also went to other Canadian cities, he said.
Meantime, Economic Development Winnipeg has tracked a slight jump in U.S. organizations' queries about hosting events.
EDW received four U.S.-based requests for proposals over a single week in April. It's 'abnormal' for the agency, said Natalie Thiesen, EDW's vice-president for tourism.
'Our phone is ringing,' she said, adding the inquiries were not for conference relocations this year, because it's challenging to change course and get out of contracts.
Organizations are planning for 2026 through 2030, as conventions are typically booked years in advance.
The groups considering Winnipeg would draw 500 to 1,200 people at their events. A few requests for proposals have been related to agri-business, one of Manitoba's key sectors, Thiesen said.
She highlighted 'security and safety' as a reason convention hosts may seek Canadian locations. The United States government has rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion programming and has toughened its stance on immigrants.
'We have a long history of welcoming people to our province,' she said.
Uncertainty doesn't bode well for long-term planning of large events, she added: 'Decision-makers, they want to make sure that… they can count on the destinations (that) they're bringing their events to.'
New conferences in the province are an opportunity to spotlight local business and academic ecosystems, Thiesen said.
Roughly 40 events are scheduled at the RBC Convention Centre this year. The same pace is expected next year, Chizda said.
Nationally, there were approximately 2,500 business events in 2024. Destination Canada approximates a $47-billion direct economic impact from such events.
Conferences imported from U.S. organizations consume 70 per cent of the overall international convention volume in Canada, said Virginie De Visscher, Destination Canada's executive director of business events.
The U.S. market has stayed 'strong and reliable,' she said. 'We're monitoring it really closely.'
Destination Canada markets the country as having 'open hearts, open minds and open spaces.' Those attributes are likely making Canada a desirable event spot, given the geopolitical climate, De Visscher said.
Conference bookings — and U.S conference relocations — are tracked at the city level, she added; Destination Canada didn't have data on how many American events have pivoted with plans to head north.
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Business events in Canada drew 1.2 million visiting delegates, per Destination Canada research. The sector supports more than 240,000 jobs.
Events 'of all shapes and sizes' directly impact downtown businesses and the local economy, Olivia Billson, the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ's communications manager, wrote in a statement.
'We always welcome the opportunity to bring more people downtown to experience everything our vibrant neighbourhood has to offer,' she wrote.
In 2023, Manitoba welcomed 10.4 million visitors who spent a collective $1.82 billion, per Travel Manitoba data.
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Gabrielle PichéReporter
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
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