Ottawa – Canada’s Meeting Place
Meet Here!
Thinking about where to hold your next conference or event? Come to Ottawa, Canada’s Capital.
Ottawa is Canada’s cosmopolitan capital city and home to Canada’s historic Parliament Buildings, hundreds of landmarks and monuments, and seven national museums. The Rideau Canal—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—winds through the heart of the city, and 600 kilometers of multi-use recreation pathways criss-cross the region. A vibrant urban centre in a beautiful natural setting, Ottawa offers excellent restaurants, exciting nightlife and world-class shopping.
With several state-of-the-art, accessible meeting venues and hotels located within a walkable downtown core and just a short drive from the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, you can be sure that an event in Ottawa in any season will be one to remember. From the eclectic ByWard Market neighbourhood to a year-long roster of festivals and events, easy access to beautiful pathways and other outdoor recreational opportunities (including, in winter, the world’s largest ice skating rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway), your guests will be entertained throughout their stay.
Why Ottawa?
National Stage
As Canada’s Capital, Ottawa puts conventions on a national stage close to decision-makers and media.
Smart City
Ottawa is Canada’s smartest city, with more PhDs per capita than any other. The city is filled with scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs active in health and life sciences, cleantech, defense and security, telecommunications, gaming and ecommerce. Conventions that meet here often call on these innovators and subject matter experts as speakers and panelists.
Accessible
Ottawa is easy to get to and get around. It’s within a 2-hour flight of over 200 million North Americans, and its airport is just 20 minutes from its highly walkable downtown. Ottawa International Airport offers over 125 non-stop flights daily to more than 30 destinations in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Superb Hotels
Ottawa’s hotel community includes big international brands and locally-owned boutique hotels.
Exceptional Off-Site Venues
Ottawa is home to the country’s most grand public spaces including national museums and galleries that serve as unique off-site venues.
Delegate-Friendly
Ottawa offers a wealth of iconic sites, cultural treasures, scenic beauty and urban delights.
Service
Ottawa Tourism’s Convention team is focused on your success, with services, resources and people that respond to your needs.
World Class Convention Centre
Shaw Centre is a beautiful state-of-the-art convention facility that has hosted thousands of important conferences and events since 2011. It is located in the heart of Ottawa’s compact downtown, next to the Rideau Canal and just steps from major cultural attractions, shopping, dining and nightlife. Six thousand hotel rooms are within easy walking distance of the Centre, with over a thousand more just minutes away via Ottawa’s new light rail rapid transit system scheduled to launch in 2018. The Centre’s sweeping glass façade provides panoramic views of the Rideau Canal and downtown. Shaw Centre was recently ranked among the top three convention centres in the world for customer service. It is directly connected to the Westin Ottawa and the CF Rideau Centre shopping complex.
For more information contact:
Theresa Gatto, CMP
Meeting Sales Manager
Ottawa Tourism
Tel: 905-864-0693
Amanda Munroe
Account Manager, National Convention Sales
Shaw Centre
Tel: 613-688-8215
