We're Ready Annual Report 2021
Wellington Holbrook
Chair, Board of Directors
2021 was a year of continued disruption and mixed emotions, as new variants of COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc across the world. Many parts of the global economy were affected once again, and our industry of events and conventions was no exception. Due to these unprecedented times, the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) experienced another challenging year that directly affected our revenue.
Throughout the year, CTCC had to readjust overall expectations while becoming more flexible and efficient. Although we held only a handful of events in 2021, we had the honour of working with Alberta Health Services and the Calgary Emergency Management Agency to transform our Centre into a mass vaccination site supporting our city in a time of need.
The transformation was a challenge to be sure, but our inventive and resourceful team overcame every obstacle they encountered. Thanks to their efforts, we managed to facilitate over 400,000 immunizations to Calgarians. Now, these citizens know CTCC as a place of safety, and also as a place of pride – a place where they did their part to help overcome this global crisis.
The meetings and conventions that make up CTCC’s core business have broader positive impacts on our local, provincial, and national economy. In the absence of that income, CTCC was called upon to find new ways to help mitigate the greater socioeconomic impact confronting the larger community.
At the end of the year, I can confidently say: we’re ready.
One way we achieved this was choosing to continue our work with city partners and local stakeholders in the revitalization of Calgary’s downtown core. One day soon these renovated and reenergized streets will play host to excited residents and visitors from all over the world, eager to explore Alberta and bolster the rebounding economy.
Through the perseverance of our dedicated employees, and with support from a new City Council, a new Mayor, and our Board who all share the vision of a collaborative city, the CTCC continues to be a champion for both our city and our community.
Our people are fully trained and eager. Our facility is refreshed and better equipped. Our location remains an essential part of the tapestry of our vibrant downtown core and city.
We look forward to welcoming the world back to Calgary once more.
Kurby Court
President and CEO
Throughout 2021, I was constantly reminded of the larger impact the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) has on our community and the city of Calgary. Although we were not able to host the hundreds of events we have in a typical year, we were able to open our doors to our community when our community needed us the most.
In the spring of 2021, CTCC became the home of Alberta Health Services’ mass vaccination site. We mobilized employees that had previously been laid off, and it was their friendly faces that greeted and welcomed thousands of Calgarians to our Centre, some for the very first time.
Facility downtime presented us with the opportunity to complete critical life-cycle improvements to the Centre, as well as delivering aesthetic upgrades to many of our event spaces. In fact, our team delivered improvements across the board, which means we’re ready to offer better experiences to our guests and visitors moving forward.
Our sales team remained hard at work throughout the year. I am very proud to say many events at the Centre were not cancelled, but rather postponed, owing to our team’s diligent and flexible efforts to work with clients to secure future dates for events in the post-pandemic climate.
Indeed, I am humbled by the ongoing efforts of all of our dedicated employees, who go above and beyond every day to ensure the health and safety of our clients, guests, and community.
Across all departments – from hospitality to security – we ended 2021 with a 100 per cent employee vaccination rate. Our staff respected and embraced the COVID-19 policies, including participating in rapid testing which we secured through the federal government.
I remain optimistic that brighter years are ahead, and as I reflect on 2021, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge all the hard work and support of our
team to each other, our clients, and our community. Going forward we will reestablish our connections to the global community, and continue to be Calgary’s meeting place to learn, innovate, celebrate, support and grow.
Refreshed and revitalized, the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is ready to welcome back the world to our spectacular city!
Wellington Holbrook
Chair, Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer, connectFirst Credit Union
Leslie J. Weekes
Vice Chair, Board of Directors Partner at Carscallen LLP
Robert Palmer
Chair, Audit and Finance Committee Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Calgary Airport Authority
Georgine Ulmer
Chair, Governance and Human Resources Committee President, Churchill Strategies Inc.
Jyoti Gondek was sworn in as Calgary’s 37th mayor on October 25th, 2021 – the first woman to hold the position. We’re proud to welcome her to our board of directors, continuing our strong relationship with the City. Together, we’re ready to achieve great things.
Jyoti Gondek Director
Mayor, The City of Calgary
Terry Wong
Director City Councillor, Ward 7, The City of Calgary
Katie Black
Director General Manager, Community Services Department, The City of Calgary
Gillian Basford
Director Principal Consultant, Delcor Management Inc
Barry Hensch
Director Information Technology Professional
Ranju Shergill
Director Partner & Executive Recruiter, Pekarsky & Co.
Greg Yont
Director Logistics Executive
Board Notes
The CCCA maintains active operating agreements for:
Maintenance and repair of retail spaces owned by the City of Calgary in the CTCC North Building
Operations and maintenance of the shared loading dock in the CTCC North Building (with the City of Calgary and Balboa Land Investments)
Maintenance, repair, and cleaning of the Glenbow Museum
The Convention Centre and Business Rights Agreement (naming rights with TELUS)
The exclusive Food and Beverage Agreement with Calgary Downtown Mariott Hotel
In-House Partners
The CCCA is thankful for its trusted relationships with these preferred suppliers, which supplement the products and services offered by the CTCC staff:
Outside Partners
The CCCA also partners with these local, national, and international organizations to leverage our reach, resources, and expertise:
As an active member of the convention and meeting industry, CTCC belongs to the following local, national, and international trade organizations:
Our most substantial accomplishment in 2021 was transitioning the Centre to serve as Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) largest mass vaccination clinic. This was an opportunity to serve the community at a pivotal time during COVID-19. Our staff worked with AHS, the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), and the Calgary Parking Authority (CPA) to best position the CTCC to admit hundreds of thousands of people over a period of several months.
By playing our part, we grew closer to the city and the community we’re proud to belong to – ready to serve them better in the future.
While our operations teams focused on the vaccination clinic, our sales teams continued to deliver results. Even at the depths of uncertainty, they managed to sell well into the future, booking conferences and events as far ahead as 2028.
That’s an estimated $138 million economic impact for Calgary and its associated communities already secured.
Upgrade of Building Management System to enhance HVAC control and increasing efficiency of the system to offer the highest standard of air filtration.
Restructure of Facility Operations division, focused on Client Services to oversee details of events from start to finish to ensure a seamless client experience in a post-pandemic world.
Renovations undertaken to enhance client experience between the north and south buildings.
Other renovations included: modernization of public and event spaces, retiling the main floor of the north and south building, installation of accessibility handrail, upgrading washroom facilities, and aesthetic enhancements to the Exhibition Hall and the Glen Rooms’ pre-function areas.
Re-accredited for the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR program to continue to ensure client health and safely.
Successfully converted into a mass vaccination clinic for four months delivering on community needs, and then converted back to a space to hold events delivering on client needs.
Secured federal funding to be prepared for re-opening and support COVID-19 staff training and adaptation initiatives.
Hosted many effective virtual site tours through the pandemic with local, national, and international clients never losing site of future sales and clients.
Secured third-party marketing firm to re-brand CTCC and reframe marketing strategies for a post-pandemic world.
Worked with AHS, CEMA, CDA, and CPA to create communication and social media plans to inform Calgarians visiting the Centre for vaccination.
Conducted crisis communications planning and training.
Developed various communications plans to support proactive response to identified issues and potential challenges.
Recruited and employed a Director of Communications & Stakeholder Relations.
Pursued 178 programs and executed 124 contracts as far ahead as 2028, representing $96 million and resulting in approximately $138 million in economic impact.
Secured 29 international conferences leads for the Centre through the efforts in international sales initiatives.
Expanded the sales and events teams to meet anticipated post-pandemic demands.
Successfully hosted 31 virtual, hybrid, and in-person events during the pandemic.
Participating member in the 9 Block program (now the Downtown Coordinated Safety and Security Committee) that focuses on improving the vibrancy and safety of one of Calgary’s downtown hubs.
Active stakeholder in The Future of Stephen Avenue.
Member of the Plus 15 Advisory Committee, which provides strategic advice to the City Administration and City Council on their decisions related to the Plus 15 network.
Active member of the Meetings & Conventions Advisory Committee with Tourism Calgary, whose focus is to oversee the development and shaping of the strategy for meeting and convention business for Calgary.
