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Jinny Wu
Trumpeting dollar amounts with loads of commas and zeros can help lawmakers understand what a convention center represents to its community, but those figures might not mean so much to average citizens. Instead of asking them to add up numbers, it might be more meaningful to invite them to be a part of the event experience.
The Vancouver Convention Centre
The Vancouver Convention Centre opens its West building to the public on Canada Day — every July 1. “After we [first] opened the building, we wanted a way to help the public understand what happens here,” said Jinny Wu, the center’s communications manager. “So we decided to open our doors on Canada Day to give people in the community a chance to learn about what we do on a daily basis and why events are important.”
The convention center has been hosting its open house each year since 2010. Typically it brings about 25,000 people to the building, although this year the event reached super-size status in honor of Canada’s 150th anniversary. The center invited 14 clients to participate and discuss their own conferences and meetings. More than 75,000 citizens came out for the celebration.