Mission & Vision

A United Voice for Business Events

Meetings Mean Business Canada is the advocacy voice of the Canadian meetings and business events sector. Our focus and mission is to communicate the important economic, social and legacy impacts of hosting conferences, conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, business meetings and incentive travel programs to Parliamentarians and to all Canadians.

BUSINESS EVENTS IMPACT

40% of all tourism spending in Canada

$47B direct economic impact

$27.4B direct GDP impact

242,000 direct jobs

$901 average spend per participant, per event

Source: Destination Canada; Events Industry Council, Oxford Economics,
Global Economic Significance of Business Events, 2023; All figures in Canadian dollars

ADVOCACY PRIORITIES & TACTICS

Demonstrate the business events sector's essential contributions to Canada's economy

Communicate key messaging in support of business events sector objectives and advocate for the removal of barriers to sector growth.
Continue outreach with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regarding effective policy change and support, in particular, around expedited access and entry procedures.
Increase awareness among regional development agencies (RDA) as to the important economic impact of business events.
Support data collection initiatives that prove the significant impact of the Canadian business events sector.

Improve the travel experience

Work with the IRCC Special Events Program team to support improved processing times for visa (visitor and work) applications.
Work with the IRCC to ensure that visitor visas required for travellers to Canada do not impede business visits or harm Canada’s reputation and competitive position as a host for international business events.
Support travel industry initiatives designed to improve the travel experience within and to Canada, including increasing the frequency of transportation access to secondary markets throughout Canada.

Re-establish Canada among the top international business events destinations

Ensure the federal International Conference Attraction Fund (ICAF) demonstrates return on investment.
Ensure Destination Canada budgets reflect the business events sector’s proportionate value within the tourism industry and that international marketing efforts align with the objectives of the Canadian business events sector.
Emphasize Destination Canada’s role in redressing hindrances to sector growth, including reversing international negative sentiment and reputational damage around Canadian travel experiences and entry requirements.