The complex will be transformed into a mixed-use facility, featuring two new 13-storey hotels and a 17-storey residential building combined with restaurant and retail space. SilverBirch Hotels and Resorts will build the Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn, both Hilton brand hotels.

The Citadel Halifax Hotel makeover will transform this prime location in downtown Halifax and give visitors a fresh experience during their stay. It’s not goodbye, just so long and see you soon! Visit www.citadelhalifax.com for more information on this exciting redevelopment. For a nostalgic look at the Citadel Halifax Hotel, check out this photo from the Nova Scotia Archives of the Hotel under its original name of the Citadel Inn in 1963.

The Meeting & Convention Planner contains valuable and comprehensive information on venues, suppliers, accommodations, and meeting services as well as insight into the host of uniquely Halifax dining, entertainment, and pre- and post-convention tour/activity options that will transport delegates from boardroom to boardwalk in no time. Our easy to read flip book format, complete with hot links, helps you navigate and explore with ease.

The perfect planning complement to the M&C Planner is our Visit Halifax Mobile App, free for all smartphone users. Meeting planners and business travelers alike can use the App to effortlessly plan their Halifax experience before they arrive. Once on the ground, the App’s GPS mapping technology will pinpoint their location and provide them with up-to-date information on over two-thousand things to do in Halifax including events, attractions, restaurants, shopping, hotels and more. Those wanting to plan ahead can create a list of ‘Favourites’ to experience during their stay.

We’d love to hear from you! Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.

A lot of our meeting space and hotels are located in downtown Halifax, an area that is completely walkable from one end to the other in about 20 minutes. But don’t mistakenly think that means we’re lacking in things to do! Within this condensed core we pack in all the history, art, culinary, shopping, and nightlife to rival any thriving metropolis.

Downtown Halifax supporters and gurus Paul MacKinnon of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission, and Pat Lyall, President and CEO of Destination Halifax, make recommendations to their business colleagues visiting Halifax all the time. Attractions on their must-see lists include Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and strolling the waterfront.

Top spots for eats include everything from the elegant Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill and daMaurizio to casual pub-fare at Durty Nelly’s and Stayner’s Wharf Pub & Grill. You’ll also find quirky, independent shops all along Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road, making your souvenir shopping a breeze. Or if you prefer that wind to be in your sails, get out on the Atlantic Ocean on the Captain’s Cocktail Cruise aboard Tall Ship Silva or one of many charter tours by Murphy’s the Cable Wharf. If it’s dinner and a show you’re after, Grafton Street Dinner Theatre and Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre fit the bill. Halifax also boasts Symphony Nova Scotia and Neptune Theatre. Finish off your evening at one of the many watering holes, sampling  Alexander Keith’s ales as well as many local brews and wines.

For more after business hours hotspots, check out Jon Tattrie’s article in The Globe and Mail. There’s even an after work itinerary already created for you busy business travelers!

At the 32^nd annual World Travel Market (WTM) in London, England in November, FutureBrand, a leading international brand and design consultancy, announced that Canada remains in the top spot in its 2011 Country Brand Index (CBI), the most comprehensive global study of how travelers perceive countries around the world. The rankings are based on a global sample of online interviews of savvy leisure and business travelers. FutureBrand's 2010 CBI assessed 110 countries through online interviews with 3,400 travelers from 13 countries, eight of which were markets where the CTC invests. Switzerland moved up three spots from 2010 to land in second place behind Canada, and the United States dropped 2 spots to finish in 6th place.

According to the CBI, the most important factors that truly differentiate a nation's brand are its associations and attributes: the qualities that people think of when they hear a country's name, read or see images of a location, or plan a business or leisure trip. Travelers’ depiction of Nova Scotia must rate high because our province alone chalked up an overall international visitor growth of 14% in 2011. This past year we also hosted prestige international conferences for groups such asThe Bioelectromagnetics Society, International Society for Applied Phycology and the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant.  

Says the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), "Canada's continued rating at the top of FutureBrand's Country Brand Index is a testament to our country's global appeal. We have a wealth of compelling experiences for travellers, and our government is committed to sustaining this momentum by promoting Canada in innovative ways on the international stage. Through our recently launched Federal Tourism Strategy, we are continuing to position Canada's tourism sector as an economic driver of jobs and growth."

After the CTC launched Canada’s revitalized tourism brand “Canada. Keep Exploring” six years ago, the country leapfrogged on FutureBrand’s CBI ranking from 12th place in 2006 to 6th place in 2007, and jumped again to the No.2 spot in 2008 and 2009, and finally clinched the top spot for the first time last year following the 2010 Canada Games. Canada keeps the coveted premier spot this year, being recognized as the most powerful, engaging and vibrant country brand in an intensely competitive international tourism marketplace. Go Canada!

One unique venue on the Halifax waterfront with a fabulous view of the ocean, 43,000 sq. ft. of flexible space, and an environmental conscience is the new Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market. It is located in the Seaport District directly behind the Westin Nova Scotian and near the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and has been labeled "one of the most eco-friendly buildings in the world". The building is a state-of-the-art waterfront facility that has been completely designed with the environment in mind. The modern steel and glass interior is warmed up with the use of beautiful, exposed wood, all salvaged from trees that fell during Hurricane Juan. The building has a rain water catchment tank, geothermal wells, windmills, a living wall inside the market, and a rooftop garden that cools the building. The roof is also a beautiful space for events. The garden, full of flowers attracting butterflies, was designed to make guests feel as though they are floating on the Halifax Harbour. Stories like these and other green Halifax initiatives can be found in Green Halifax, a magazine about sustainable living in Halifax, published annually by The Coast.

Hotels realize the importance of conserving water, energy, and other resources, and most properties in Halifax have put programs in place to do just that - almost all Halifax hotels are Green Key rated. The Westin Nova Scotian rewards guests who stay with them and choose to make a green choice. Even one night can result in significant water and electricity savings. The Four Points by Sheraton Hotel and Atlantica Hotel Halifax are among the first hotels in Halifax to Bullfrog Power their meeting space and offices with 100% renewable electricity. The decision complements their existing sustainability plans and will lead them to further reduce emissions footprints, support the development of new renewable energy in Canada, and help create a cleaner world for today and tomorrow. Bullfrog sources from EcoLogo-certified wind farms and low-impact hydro facilities in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Bullfrog's goal is to advance the development of wind power throughout the Maritimes. You can even bring Bullfrog Power to the entertainment side of your next meeting/event with Halifax’s Limelight Communications Group Inc. - Bullfrog Power will inject green power onto the electricity grid to match the amount of electricity used by your meeting or event. Check out Limelight’s Guide to Sustainable Meetings for more tips on how to go green.

Supporting local and sustainable initiatives is not a new concept, but as we think of ways to reduce waste associated with meetings and events, holding an event in a green space is one way to give back.

It was a busy weekend for the city and for organizers of the Forum. Forum President Peter Van Praagh, Vice President Joesph Hall, Board Members and Canada's Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay played host to 300 delegates including Israeli Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta, U.S. Senators John McCain, Mark Udall & Jeanne Shaheen and Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk.

You would think that being in its third year the event would be formulaic, but not so. Forum staff, volunteers and hotel associates transformed the Westin Nova Scotian hotel into a television studio, a trendy lobby lounge and a showcase for food & beverage delights during the November 18 - 20, 2011 weekend event. Delegates were treated to a lobster dinner at Pier 21 and 15 local restaurants entertained groups of 20 who discussed current world security topics while experiencing the best of Halifax cuisine.

When it comes to wowing an International audience Halifax pulls out the stops - we are already preparing for next year!

This thought-provoking professional development session will help you map your path to success.

Event Summery: Keynote Session
MPI’s most requested speaker, Deborah Gardner, will explore the truth of negotiating in “Naked Negotiating – Who Has the Power Within Today’s Hospitality Profession?”

"As a negotiator, are you deploying proven, new practice strategies and tools that ensure consistently successful outcomes? When engaged in complex negotiations are your skills powerful enough to prevent losses and increase gains for you? Do you have a powerful strategy that enhances your capability to prepare effectively?  

Don’t be caught naked in your next negotiation encounter. You must be continually thinking ahead for new ways to succeed. Be free and let go of old techniques and strategies. Identify new negotiation tactics; conclude significantly better agreements as a result of creativity while formalizing deals that can be described as completely optimal.

This program is designed for those who expect to analyze and participate in challenging business negotiations. Find out more about the basics to advanced tactics and listen to how buyers negotiate with you, the seller…how sellers negotiate with you, the buyer.

Hear Deborah’s compelling real-world examples to help acquire momentum for you to win in any negotiation situation, in any economy and in any market place. The big question is…do you have the power within today’s hospitality profession?”

Following the keynote, planner attendees will have one-on-one time with Deborah to discuss the evolution of the supplier/planner relationship and how it is evolving.

Event Summary: Supplier Breakout
Peter Skakum will be joining in for a breakout session with “From Dreaded Cold-Call to a Close” to shed some light on and offer solutions to overcome the two most uncomfortable components of the selling process for both planners and suppliers.

“This 45-minute presentation takes the audience on a journey which lays bare the two highest stress components of sellin ...the ‘cold-call’ and ‘closing a sale’. Both have traditionally been uncomfortable for the seller and the buyer. ‘From Dreaded Cold-Call to a Close’ exercises all the old demons and sheds light onto a brave new world of prospecting and selling. It brings the seller and buyer together as allies by employing a sell-philosophy and a sell-process that transforms stress into profitable satisfaction for both parties. When sellers enjoy selling they sell more.”

View the Event Agenda and click “Register” to sign up and learn more about MPI Atlantic Canada Chapter.

Christine Shimasaki, Managing Director of empowerMINT.com provides some insight into the value of DMO’s in the meeting planning process:

“On the way to finding the ‘just right’ fit for your meeting, you may find yourself caught in the Goldilocks Dilemma with unfavorable conclusions: too small, too costly, not the right space. It’s easy to end up in unfamiliar territory when you’re out there looking for your next meeting locale. So, what’s a planner to do? Why, connect with a local expert from the destination’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), of course. The CVB and its staff will guide the way to a perfect match, while saving you time, money, and giving you the distinct advantage of leveraging their unique in-market relationships.

A CVB is a not-for-profit organization representing hotels, meeting facilities and venues, and a host of other meeting services companies, within a destination. They are largely funded by the hotel occupancy taxes in their destinations, so their services are free to meeting planners. This is one ‘free’ that truly doesn’t have an asterisk. It’s arguably the ultimate no-brainer.”

Who wouldn’t want to tap into a FREE array of meeting services?

Best of all, DMO’s are experts in local venues, products, activities…everything you need to plan a perfect meeting or event. Destination Halifax knows Halifax, Nova Scotia – we’re your one stop shop, from managing your request for proposal, assisting with site inspections, and providing support once you’ve selected Halifax.

Submit your request for proposal today - we’ll help see you through the process of planning your successful Halifax meeting or event!