Breaking Records at RVC 2017

Rendez-vous Canada 2017 in Calgary wrapped up on May 12, posting record-breaking attendance numbers for the four-day conference and travel trade marketplace.

The 1,840 delegates who attended RVC 2017 at the BMO Centre in Calgary was the most in the event’s 41-year history, reports PressToday’s Ted Davis.

This number took in 565 buyers – the highest number ever – who registered from 28 countries, demonstrating a strong global interest in Canada as a destination of choice.

China led the pack with 101 buyers, followed by Canada with 90. The United States followed with 75 buyers registered, then the UK with 50, Japan with 49, South Korea (34), Germany (31), India (24), Brazil (20), Mexico (19), Australia (16), Netherlands (14), Switzerland (eight), Chile and Belgium (each with four), and France with two.

As part of the marketplace, the buyers scheduled over 29,000 pre-scheduled face-to-face business meetings with Canadian suppliers of travel and tourism products.

These numbered over 1,050 delegates from 567 organizations selling Canadian products and services from coast to coast to coast.

They occupied some 453 booth locations, representing a sell-out of the trade floor space at the marketplace.

The final day of the event featured the traditional announcement of next year’s location for Rendez-vous Canada. That will be Halifax, from May 12 to 16 in 2018.

Pictured, the contingent of buyers from China attending Rendez-vous 2017 in Calgary had the highest numbers of any national group at the event, at 101. Many of them gathered for a group photo near the Destination Canada location on the last day of RVC 2017.