Why Choose Our Destination?

As a G7 capital, Ottawa puts your event on the national and international stage, close to decision-makers, the international diplomatic community, and media. If gaining their attention can help move an organization forward, Ottawa is the best place in Canada to get noticed. Ottawa is Canada’s smartest city, filled with scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs active in health and life sciences, cleantech, defense and security, telecommunications, gaming and ecommerce. Conferences that meet here often call on these innovators and subject matter experts as speakers and panelists. Ottawa is located within a 2-hour flight of over 200 million North Americans, and its award-winning international airport is just 15 minutes from its highly compact and walkable downtown. A new light rail system opening in 2018 will make getting around even easier! Ottawa is home to one of the world’s elite convention centres. The state-of-the-art Shaw Centre, located in the heart of downtown next to the Rideau Canal–was recently ranked #2 in AIPC’s World’s Best Convention Centre rankings. Ottawa’s hotel community includes big international brands and locally-owned boutique hotels, all accomplished and adept at group hosting–and many offering meeting facilities and services. Ottawa is home to the country’s most grand public spaces, national museums that serve as unique off-site venues for convention galas, receptions and special events. Ottawa is one of Canada’s most popular visitor destinations, offering a wealth of iconic sites, cultural treasures, scenic beauty and urban delights. The more attractive a destination, the more delegates conventions attract–and those held here often set attendance records.