Fall 2016
Upcoming
Holidays
October 10th—
Columbus Day
Thanksgiving Day
October 12th—
Yom Kippur
October 31st —
Halloween
November 11th—
Remembrance Day
November 24th—
Thanksgiving Day
December 25th—
Christmas Day
First Day of Hanukkah
December 26th—
Boxing Day
December 31st—
New Years Eve
Autumn Reflection
September brings routines back in order with summer vacations over and kids
back in school. The weather turns a little cooler and the morning dew is
becoming evident. The sunny warm lazy days seem long forgotten as the bustle
of fall increases the traffic flow, and in turn our stress levels.
However, it’s important to remember and take the time to enjoy the beauty of
Autumn, it’s ever-changing colours of leaves and brisk weather. There is a
refreshing element to the Fall that brings warm foods to the table and people
together.
With Fall, comes the opportunity to start new adventures. As per our press
release sent earlier this year, Shannon Byck and David Drover launched Intuitive
Conferences + Events, adding a new element to our existing services that our
team already provides. See our profile on the next page...
This is also a time to reflect on our blessings and what we are most thankful for.
Everyone at Meeting Encore is extremely grateful for all of our partnerships with
clients and suppliers who contribute to the success of our team. In order to
express our gratitude for our blessings, a donation has been made through the
Red Cross to help support those affected by Hurricane Matthew.
May you all enjoy a wonderful Fall Season!
This issue features …
 Intuitive Conference &
Events Profile
 Meeting Encore visits
 Montreal
 Halifax
Congratulations ...
Congratulations to Mara Juneau with Orthotics Prosthetics Canada who has won a
gift certificate for a weeknight stay at the new Alt Hotel Ottawa. The correct
answers from our last issue contest were:
 Incentive Works recap
Where and what year did the first ALT Hotel open?
 William Gray Hotel
Ou et en quelle année est-ce que le premier Hôtel Alt a ouvert?
 Canada’s 150th
The Alt Quartier Dix30 opened in 2007 in Montreal.
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Get to know Intuitive Conferences + Events
With the launch of Intuitive Conferences + Events (IntuitiveCE) this summer we have received
nothing but a positive response…many have said “what took you so long”! Clients and suppliers
have agreed that starting IntuitiveCE made sense and was a natural progression that complements
the services that Meeting Encore already provides to its clients. We know that clients and planners
have lots of choices when selecting a full service meeting, conference and incentive travel
planning company, but we hope that our focus on flexibility and ability to customize our services
will make us stand out. Our goal when we started the company was to leverage our skills and
bring flexibility, innovation and creativity to your event management needs. We saw a trend in
planners having to do more with less and knew that IntuitiveCE could be that additional support
and step in where needed and to be an extension of our client’s team.
When it comes to experience, the executive team has lots! The executive team consists of
Shannon Byck, David Drover and Jenn Glynn.
Shannon has been in the business events industry for more than 15 years establishing extensive
meeting management experience. To further her commitment to the industry, she studied to
obtain her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation. She is a member of MPI and
CanSPEP and volunteered at the committee level with MPI Toronto Chapter.
David has spent 30 years in the hospitality industry from growing-up working in his parent’s
restaurants to managing international conferences. Dave has spent the last 4 years as Director of
Operations at Meeting Encore Ltd. His hands on operational experience allows him to better
understand customer’s needs.
Jenn’s 25 years in the industry in various sales roles has helped her gain the trust of her clients.
She is Managing Partner with Meeting Encore. Jenn believes in being an active volunteer and
mentor within the industry. She currently sits on the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE)
International Board of Directors.
Our team is ready to provide Inspiring, Caring and Engaging service.
Bookmark our website at www.IntuitiveCE.com and follow us on twitter at @IntuitiveCE
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Recap of Incentive Works 2016
Every August we all look forward to IncentiveWorks, Canada’s largest meetings and events
show. Most of the Meeting Encore team
were in attendance for the tradeshow,
education and networking receptions to
discuss the latest in industry trends and hear
about the newest renovations and upgrades
to key hotels venues and destinations in
Canada and around the world. SITE Canada
Golf Tournament traditionally starts the week
off, followed by the welcome reception;
Canada Rocks, MPI Foundation Canada’s
annual fundraiser. This year, Canada Rocks
took over the entire Real Sports Bar & Grill
and truly lived up to its billing! The education sessions and tradeshow during the day were excellent. Sore feet aside, the 2016 IncentiveWorks show was a great success! THANK YOU to the
Courtyard Marriott Toronto and the Omni King Edward and Omni Hotels & Resorts team for
hosting us during the show.
One of the many highlights of the week was the Meetings+Incentive Travel (M+IT) announcement
of their 2016 Hall of Fame winners.
Congratulations to all the 2016 Inductees:
INDUSTRY VETERAN: Leslie Wright, President,
Fletcher Wright Associates
INDUSTRY PLANNER: Heather Douglas, Senior
Buyer, Meridican Incentive Consultants
INDUSTRY BUILDER: Shawna McKinley, Director of
Sustainability, MeetGreen
INDUSTRY INNOVATOR: Grant Snider, DMCP,
President and CEO, Meeting Escrow Inc.
INDUSTRY VOLUNTEER: Hayley Bishop, CMP,
Account Director, Wynford
INDUSTRY MENTOR: Constance Wrigley-Thomas,
CAE, Owner and CEO, Essentient Association
Management & Events
RISING STAR: Christy Wright, CIS, Operations
Coordinator, SM+I/Strategic Meetings + Incentives
THE BIG IDEA: Tim Whalen, CMP, Executive
Meeting Manager, Fallsview Casino Resort
Joe Nishi / Managing Partner
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Meeting Encore takes you with them to
Montreal
In July, some of the Meeting Encore team made their way to Montréal for the first ever Educational
Rendez-Vous à La Montréal that focused on boutique hotels and bespoke experiences. Tourism Montréal
and their hosts planned a trip that was a mixture of hotels and offsite venue sites, activities and culinary
experiences that city is known for. We experienced a one-of-kind tour that took place during Montréal
Completement Cirque and Just For Laughs, two major summer celebrations on the city’s calendar of
year-round festivals. We enjoyed an inside peek at how Montréal’s combination of meetings and
entertainment can create unforgettable experiences for delegates.
Why to bring your next meeting or event there…
Montréal is a perfect destination for those who have a lust for life. It has everything a city needs to
welcome your attendees and make them come back for more. Montréal lives in both French and English,
but its multicultural population is really what shapes the gastronomy, culture and conversation here.
Your attendees will enjoy exploring Montréal’s history, neighbourhoods, architecture, shopping, and they
take pride in being a little offbeat.
How to get there…
Montréal is easy to get to, with direct
flights from most major international
destinations. Getting around this safe
and compact island city is easy,
whatever means you choose.
Whether it be on foot, BIXI bike bus
or subway; are all great options. You
can get from the Pierre Elliott
Trudeau International Airport to
downtown in about 20 minutes!
Flight times ~ from Ottawa in 40 minutes
~ from Toronto in 1 hour and 15
minutes
~ from Quebec City in 50 minutes
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Where to stay…
We focussed on boutique Hotels in
Montréal and Old Montréal that have
meeting space. Many of the hotels
featured stunning terrace views of the
city. The Team had the opportunity to
site the following:
Hotel St-Paul
Le Place D’Armes
Le Saint-Sulpice Hotel
Loews Hotel Vogue
Renaissance Montréal
W Montréal
BEVO Restaurant
Ateliers & Saveurs
The Meeting Encore team can help you bring your meeting to Montréal to make your conventions,
meetings, or incentive programs a resounding success!
Thanks so much to Tourism Montreal and all their partners for an unforgettable trip.
Shannon Byck, CMP / Regional Director
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Quartier français!
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UN NOUVEL HÔTEL DANS LE VIEUX-MONTRÉAL:
L’HÔTEL WILLIAM GRAY
William Gray est un nouvel hôtel luxueux
au style intemporel, qui a ouvert ses
portes à l’été 2016. Cette plus récente
addition a la famille Groupe Antonopoulos
(Hôtel Place d’Armes, Hôtel Nelligan, Le
Petit Hôtel, Auberge du Vieux Port) est
situé au cœur du Vieux-Montréal,
surplombant la Place Jacques-Cartier.
L’hôtel offre une expérience dynamique et
singulière, se distinguant par son service
de renommée internationale, par ses vues
imprenables et son style intemporel.
CARACTÉRISTIQUES DE L’HÔTEL:
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127 chambres et Suites (64 Alcove,56
Deluxe, 6 suites, 1 Résidence)
10,000 pi2 d’espaces évènementiels, multifonctionnels (fenêtrés et terrasses extérieurs)
Un restaurant Grill haut de gamme
(Maggie Oaks – 170 places avec terrasse
extérieur)
Une terrasse sur le toit
Un spa luxueux avec sa piscine extérieure
(Automne 2016)
Un Living Room multifonctionnel
Un jardin intérieur
Un centre de conditionnement physique
William Gray is a new luxury hotel which
just opened in summer of 2016 and is the
latest addition to the Antonopoulos Hotel
Group (Hôtel Place d’Armes, Hôtel Nelligan,
le Petit Hôtel, Auberge du Vieux Port).
Located in the heart of Old Montreal,
overlooking the Place Jacques-Cartier, the
hotel introduces a dynamic and singular
experience with its world class hospitality,
spectacular views and timeless style.
PROPERTY FEATURES INCLUDE:
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127 rooms and suites (64 Alcove,56
Deluxe, 6 suites, 1 Résidence)
10,000 sq. ft. of multifunctional event
space (windows and outdoor terrace
space in some)
An upmarket grill restaurant (Maggie Oaks
– 170 seat restaurant with outdoor patio
seating)
A rooftop terrace/outdoor bar/restaurant
A luxury spa with outdoor pool (Fall 2016)
A multi-functional living room
A green courtyard
A state-of the art fitness centre
A lifestyle boutique
A café (Café Olimpico)
William Gray Hotel—http://hotelwilliamgray.com/index-en.html
Elizabeth Raoult , Solange Martin, Patrick Guidote / Regional Directors
Canada will soon be 150 years young!
2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation, Canada’s sesquicentennial birthday! Our
capital city, Ottawa has been getting ready for quite some time for this undeniable milestone.
To get ready Ottawa has been undergoing a makeover with updates at Parliament Hill, National
Arts Centre, Bank of Canada Museum, Art Gallery of Canada, national memorials, installing a
new LRT line and many more upgrades to their infrastructure.
Ottawa alone is expected to attract 1.75 million additional visitors in 2017 which is a very
positive outlook for their tourism sector. In recent years, the area surrounding the Ottawa
International Airport has become a centre for hotel growth, with the addition of several new
properties including a Hampton Inn, a Hilton Garden Inn, and a Holiday Inn Express. In
addition, several new hotel developments have opened in downtown Ottawa including
Germain Groupe’s ALT Hotel, a 148-room hotel located on Slater Street; and the 200room Andaz Ottawa Byward Market, the first of this Hyatt hotel brand in Canada.
Travellers around the world are gearing up for Canada’s 150th birthday in Ottawa but as a result,
many downtown hotels are already reporting being at near full capacity already. The special
occasion and planned events have warranted increased room rates and many have added
minimum stay requirements. Ottawa Tourism is reminding travellers who necessarily do not
want to pay the increased rates, to think about the option of commuting into the downtown
core from other parts of the city which offer great alternatives. In addition, hotels are not able
to hold space tentatively for group business for a long period of time as done in the past due to
the increased demand on date inquiries. Contracted space is booking on a much quicker pace
than previous years. All will lead to increased demand for hotel space but will be well worth the
visit for this once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of such a momentous birthday celebration.
Festivals and events will also take place across the country to help celebrate this major national
milestone. As per the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage; the
Government of Canada’s vision for the 150th anniversary ‘is to engage and inspire Canadians in
their communities to come together to celebrate shared values, our achievements, our majestic
environment and our place in the world’.
Use of social media will bring these events to the attention of core markets which will bring
more Canadians and foreigners travelling within our borders, spending more money, and
fueling the prosperity of short getaways and excursions within our country. Follow
@canada150th to stay updated on the various activities planned.
We look forward to hearing about how you participated and celebrated Canada’s 150th
birthday!
Grace McCullough / Client Ambassador
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Halifax Destination Showcase
It had been a few years since I was in Halifax, NS.
Coming back is like seeing an old friend. Some things
don’t change like the enthusiastic welcoming
committee that greeted us at Halifax Airport. For
anyone that has been to Nova Scotia, that warm,
maritime hospitality is as much a trademark of the
destination as the piper in full regalia for us as we
collected our bags and snapped a few photos. The
short 90-minute flight from Montreal had me
wondering why I didn’t come east more often.
First on the agenda was a visit to the construction
site that will be the Halifax Convention Center.
Halifax is undergoing a massive renaissance as the
new 120,000 square feet convention center, including two convention levels and a mix of multipurpose, meeting and ballroom space, takes shape for the opening in early 2017. The building
will be state-of-the-art and the first smart (LEED gold standard, energy efficient building) in
Atlantic Canada.
Not to be outdone, the hotel product is also being expanded and renovated as many of the
convention hotels have undergone or will undergo major renovations. Site visits were organized
in a dine around (or was it a pub crawl?) fashion. A significant investment has been made in the
hotel product including new builds that help increase room inventory in the downtown core.
With 4500 available sleeping rooms, the new HCC can host up to 3000 delegates and 200 10x10
booths. Time to get Halifax into your meeting rotation.
There was no shortage of event venues, restaurant options and touring attractions to visit. The
Halifax Citadel, Maritime Museum, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Seaport
Farmers Market are not to be missed. My fave? Walking the ocean floor at low tide at Burntcoat
Head Park.
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Not to be missed is a stay at Fox Harb’r Resort,
Ron Joyce’s (of Tim Horton’s fame) home retreat
and one of Canada’s finest oceanfront resorts. If
you think the hour and a half drive from Halifax
International Airport is too long, you can always
land your private jet at the resort’s own air strip!
The resort has 85 suites (located in manor style
guest houses or executive town houses) and 3300
sq. ft. of meeting space with fantastic views and
outdoor venue options. Tip of the day: the views
of the Northumberland Strait from the back nine
of the Graham Cooke designed Championship
Course.
Many thanks to Destination Halifax and their
partners, the Halifax Convention Center, Air
Canada, Atlantic Tours, and Fox Harb’r Resort for
putting together a very enjoyable and educational
trip.
Patrick Guidote / Regional Director
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The Meeting Encore Moment is a quarterly publication. For more information on any of the articles featured in this
issue, please email your request to [email protected]. To learn more about Meeting Encore, visit
our website at www.meetingencore.com and follow us on Twitter at @Meeting_Encore.