Business Development Update: September 2023

The Business Development team of Tourism Richmond welcomed seven Canadian meeting planners to our destination from September 11-14^th. The event showcased the value of Richmond as a meetings and events destination while also exploring the many cultural, culinary, and historic gems of Richmond.

Hailing from destinations such as Victoria, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, meeting planners had either never visited Richmond, only passed through on the way to other BC destinations or had not visited in over five years. They had opportunities to stay in several Richmond hotels, see meeting spaces both inside hotels and in offsite venues such as the Richmond Olympic Oval, UBC Boathouse, The Gulf of Georgia Cannery NHS and the Britannia Shipyards NHS, and Lulu Island Winery.

Highlights of the trip, which saw perfect weather in all the right places, were a long table dinner in Lulu Island’s wine tunnel, inspirational presentations, lessons from Richmond’s own Olympian Evan Dunfee, a gastronomical experience on the Authentic Eats Foodie Tour, and an immersive evening at the Richmond Night Market.

The event has been met with positive feedback from planners who let us know they gained new and valuable insights into what Richmond has to offer as a meeting destination and conversation are underway regarding specific events that would be a fit for the destination and we hope to host in the near future.

A special thanks to all stakeholders for their support and passion to showcase Richmond to these key industry partners – it is the backbone of the success for these FAM trips.

If you are interested in getting involved in the 2024 FAM, tentatively set for September 8-12^th, you can contact dstanley@tourismrichmond.com or jreimer@tourismrichmond.com. We are always looking for local, authentic Richmond experiences to share with our attendees.