Smaller Events Attractive: One Man's Opinion

Monday, March 06, 2006 10:00 AM

-by Ben Meisner

We should be looking to our neighbours to the north and east this week because they are doing what this City would like to do.

Grande Prairie will, in the next few weeks, host the Women’s World Championship of Curling. Now that will showcase that community in every country that is being represented at the event.

Unlike Prince George (which seems bent on hitching its wagon to the 2010 in Vancouver) a few years ago , Grande Prairie set out to land other events.

They have hosted several major events and the women’s championship will be the jewel in their events hosting crown.

Here we are trying to promote training from the Olympics, which for all intents and purpose is secondary to staging an event such as the Royal Bank Cup.

That event brings not only direct dollars into the community it comes with far less than the kind of investments we are putting together in trying to attract attention from the Olympics . The Royal Bank Cup will pump money into the economy without any major investment.

It is the kind of event (and there are plenty of them) the city should be looking to host , instead of trying to muster up some training. We should be here in Canada trying to muster up the next Men’s World Curling Championship, or something like it.

I’m Meisner and that is one man's opinion.

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Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 10:00 AM in Views by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: giterdun on March 6 2006 2:15 PM

RIGHT ON TARGET BEN.HOPE COLIN AND GERRY READ THIS. WE ARE GOING TO GET LOST TRYING TO PLAY IN THE BIG GAME WITH VANCOUVER.

Posted by: realitycheck on March 6 2006 4:18 PM

Lemme see…..Royal Bank Cup, Sr. Men's National Fastball, Provincial Wrestling Championships, National Aboriginal Hockey, National Native Fastball, National 3D Archery, Provincial Gymnastics, National Lacrosse Leagues Game(s), National Top Dog, National BMX, National Broomball, National Cross Country Skiing, National Sr. Men's Baseball, Western Canada Short track speed skating, Provincial short course swimming, Provincial Women's hockey, Western Canadian Lacrosse, Skate Canada Sectionals and countless other provincial and regional events just in the past three years. Don’t forget about The Scott Tournament of Hearts, Air Canada Cup, and WHL All-Star Game in recent past.

This does not even touch on non-sporting events such as concerts, events and trade shows. Looks pretty clear to me the City isn't "bent on hitching it's wagon to 2010" and one could actually look at it as the City trying to grow even more business. But "GASP" that would mean the unthinkable…..someone would have to quit beating a long dead horse.

Posted by: camoose on March 6 2006 4:22 PM

Excellent point, Ben. I agree. We can never expect to get much out of the Olympics in Vancouver except the right to help pay for them. Let's concentrate on events we can host and have control over without much cash outlay to the community. We have done so in the past but somehow decided to go for the gold olympic ring this time. Bad move.

Posted by: shawnpetriw on March 6 2006 5:48 PM

.
Grande Prairie seems to be doing pretty well attracting arts events too.

Maybe it's because they have some pretty nice facilities:

http://www.gplt.ab.ca/rentals/

As for us, the 300 seat playhouse has a stage and wings too small for large productions, Vanier Hall offers a crappy backstage and no real fly tower (not to mention awful front of house and an opera recently had to share PGSS with a basketball tournament). Furthermore, Vanier Hall is closed during the summers now -- excellent for summer tourism, don’ you think?

The Civic Centre is a non-starter and CN Centre is too big for a lot of shows they try to make work there.

20 years ago (or so) Prince Charles and Lady Diana opened the BC Festival of the Arts in Prince George. This year we're hosting them again. But in 20 years we have not progressed vis-a-vis performing arts facilities. Kind of embarrassing, no?

Shawn Petriw

Posted by: Palopu on March 7 2006 9:55 PM

I suspect most of the events mentioned were arranged by the respective orginizations and not by the City. It seems that the all inclusive **City** takes credit for a lot of these events, while in fact they are the responsibility of the people who sponsor, or play in them. Pretty soon we will be saying that the City hosts the various Golf Tournaments around this town. Or the Ice Fishing Derbys, or whatever. The Citys main function is to look after the business of the City, Primarily, Infrastructure, Protective Services, Snow Removal, and other services. It is not necessary for them to be travelling around the World to attract venues, or what ever.