- June 6, 2024
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News
On June 5, 2024, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), the Calgary Stampede, and their partners celebrated the grand opening of the BMO Centre at Stampede Park, marking its official status as Western Canada’s largest convention centre.
Calgary’s BMO Centre at Stampede Park is officially now Western Canada’s largest convention centre, with the grand opening of its 565,000sqft expansion. Following decades of planning and four years of construction, the over 1,000,000sqft Tier 1 convention facility opens its doors for the first time, not only creating an architectural landmark for Calgary, but making gatherings even greater with the ability to host a scale of convention the city hasn’t been able to previously accommodate.
Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede, said:
For four years, we have been promising that the expanded BMO Centre will offer Calgarians, southern Albertans and visitors to our city a greater way to gather. Today, it is with immeasurable pride that we open the doors to the BMO Centre at Stampede Park. The BMO Centre expansion was built for Calgary and southern Alberta, with the vision of creating a world-class facility both in terms of design and the ability to provide exceptional guest experiences through our signature western hospitality.
With the interest we’ve seen from the meetings and conventions industry before the doors have even opened, we know that this facility is going to have a positive impact on Calgary’s economy by bolstering the tourism and hospitality sectors. We built this for our future, and we look forward to realising the success of the expansion in the decades to come.
The expansion’s first major event, the Global Energy Show, is already loading into the expansion’s exhibition halls in preparation for their June 11 event, and there are another 500 conventions and events booked into the expansion post-opening to date. This also translates to filling restaurants, shops, rideshares and other attractions that make Calgary unique. The economic impact to Calgary will equate to approximately upwards of $100 million a year and provide thousands of jobs.
George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, said:
We are proud to celebrate the grand opening of this remarkable expansion – brought to life by collaboration, partnership, and true dedication. A milestone for Calgary, the BMO Centre will be a beacon of community pride, offering new spaces for gatherings, exhibitions, and experiences, while making the city a destination for national and international meetings and events. We are excited to see the countless opportunities it will bring to Calgary.
The Honourable Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, said:
In recent years, we’ve been seeing Canada and the world choose Alberta more and more as the place to live, work, invest, and raise a family. The new BMO Centre is going to help keep that trend going by bringing more business and industry events to the heart of Calgary where they’ll experience so many things that make this city great. This project is a testament to what we can accomplish when every level of government comes together. With its first major event just around the corner, I’m excited to see how the BMO Centre shows the world all the reasons Calgary is the prime destination to host their events.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, said:
With an increased ability to compete for world-class conventions and meetings thanks to the expanded BMO Centre, Calgary’s reputation on the global stage cannot be understated. The expanded BMO Centre is unique to Calgary, unique to the Calgary Stampede and unique to the industry. This is an architectural icon as well as a community gathering place, and Calgarians can be proud that we built this second-to-none facility right here in the heart of The Culture + Entertainment District.
The building, designed by leading design team Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture, represents the next generation of convention facilities, one that promises best-in-class guest experience, boasts precedent-setting design architecture, and serves as a gathering place for convention attendees and the local community alike.
Kate Thompson, President and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), Development Manager for the project, said:
When we began design with our partners in 2019, we asked ourselves how we could design a facility that pushes the boundaries of convention centre design and experience, and every decision we made from that point on was with that goal in mind. CMLC is incredibly proud to have delivered this project on time and on budget, and to have delivered on the world-class promise we and our partners setout to achieve. With the completion of this catalyst project, we have set the tone for the coming years of development in The Culture + Entertainment District, and we are looking eagerly ahead to building on this momentum as we continue to transform this district together.
Cowley continued
The Calgary Stampede is grateful to our partners at CMLC for their expert delivery of the project, and to our generous funding partners – the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and The City of Calgary – for their $500m investment in this world-class facility. We are also grateful to BMO for their 10-year extension of the naming rights for this beautiful building as well as their partnership with the Calgary Stampede that dates back more than a century.
After more than 124 years of working together, the Calgary Stampede and BMO have renewed their partnership for another 10 years, through until the end of 2033. As a part of this agreement, BMO has extended the naming rights of the BMO Centre to the BMO Centre expansion, which will welcome guests from our community and around the world.
BMO has been a long-time supporter of the Calgary Stampede. In 1899, BMO became the official bank of the Calgary Exhibition, predecessor to the Stampede, and has been an official sponsor since 1914. From sponsoring prizes like a $5 bank account for best dressed and best window decorations in downtown Calgary during the 1923 Stampede, to hosting square dancing and street entertainment outside of their Stephen Avenue location in the early days, to hosting Stampede historical displays in BMO bank branches across the city in 2018 and 2019, BMO has always been a champion of the Calgary Stampede and community spirit.
Mike Bonner, Head, Distribution, Canadian Personal and Business Banking, BMO, said:
Developing strong partnerships within our communities is at the heart of what BMO does to boldly grow the good in business and life. It’s an honour to be the naming sponsor of BMO Centre and to celebrate our partnership dating back to 1884 as the oldest business relationship in Western Canada. This landmark facility will serve as a gathering place the community and have a strong impact on the economy, further showcasing BMO’s commitment to driving progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future and inclusive society for Calgary and beyond.
Design-specific highlights
- The expansion’s designs are inspired by the region of Calgary and the surrounding prairies, drawing on elements such as the sculpted riverbanks of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, the rolling foothills that transition into the Rocky Mountains, and the pioneering spirit of the Calgary Stampede.
- The three-level building features a sweeping composite metal panel façade and roofline, highlighted by a 170ft curved canopy that seamlessly extends to the outdoor public realm, drawing visitors to the facility’s primary entrance and grand staircase. The underside of the canopy also features thousands of programmable LED lights that can display animated lighting programs.
- The expanded BMO Centre is fundamentally a different kind of convention center, second-to-none in architecture, functionality and guest experience. The expansion represents a new generation of convention facilities, one that celebrates and connects with its surroundings and its community.
- The expansion added 565,000 sq. ft. total including more than 100,000sqft of new exhibition space, 38 new meeting rooms, two new ballrooms totalling 70,000sqft, and a dramatic central gathering space called the Exchange.
Michael Lockwood, Senior Principal, Populous, said:
BMO Centre sets the precedent for future convention centres, synthesising form, functionality and thoughtful design to provide world-class meeting facilities while engaging and enriching the community of Calgary. Creating a venue to develop meaningful and memorable experiences was top of mind for BMO Centre, so we were proud to work alongside all our partners to bring this to vision to fruition.
Adam Paulitsch, Principal, Populous, added:
Working in tandem with Stantec and S2, we were able to bring modern design to Calgary, while also paying homage to the people and heritage of its community. BMO Centre breaks the dated stereotype for convention centres by offering year-round, communal gathering spaces for the public to congregate and enjoy, while serving as a crown jewel of the city for those visiting for business.
Images, courtesy: CMLC
Sports Venue Business has launched a raft of new offerings under the SVB LIVE banner for 2024, including Networking Events and a Webinar Series, the pinnacle of which being the 2024 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition. The next Networking Event is taking place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, on June 25th.
Check out the latest sports and entertainment venue development news in the exclusive, subscription-only, SVB Global Report here.
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