Destinations

Ottawa

Ottawa emerges as an impressive and intimate national capital and a smart place to meet

Ottawa makes a great date in any convention calendar. A global tech hub. One of the world’s smartest cities. When groups meet in this G7 capital, ideas are exchanged on an international stage. Global meeting organizers are drawn in by the city’s easy access, walkability, and the monumental museums and galleries that punctuate their networking events with thought-provoking exhibitions. Add in 180 annual festivals to tag on the front or back end of a main event, and you’ve got the perfect combination to drive attendance, and transform business events into a cross-cultural exchange.

Ottawa by the Numbers

TOTAL GUEST ROOMS

10,000

TOTAL MEETING SPACE

125,425 sq m | 1,350,062 sq ft

SHAW CENTRE

17,837 sq m | 192,000 sq ft |
3,840 Gala

BIGGEST HOTEL BALLROOM

1,541 sq m | 16,587 sq ft |
1,280 Gala

Experts to help you plan
Ottawa Tourism

Entering Canada
Destination Canada

Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone

Current Time

This place is perfect for meetings that:

Incorporate industry’s biggest thinkers in their agenda: Clean Energy, ICT, Aerospace and Defence pros are all here
Invite political discussion and debate — world leaders meet here daily
Imbue their business events with rich cultural and indigenous experiences
Want to shatter attendance records

You can count on:

Open hearts. Open minds. Ottawa is open for business.
Rooms with a view – from Shaw Centre or downtown hotels, many meeting spaces feature landmark views of capital sights
Conversations being sparked by powerful exhibits at museum and gallery events
Easy in, easy out, easy to get about. Ottawa is compact, everything is close by
A variety of high-tech and environmentally sustainable meetings spaces
Making plans to come back for Winterlude or to skate on the Rideau Canal Skateway

UNIQUE VENUES

EXPLORE MORE VENUES THROUGH OTTAWA TOURISM

Amazing Group Experiences

MOVING YOUR PEOPLE

Ottawa's main international airport is the Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW). Transfer time to your registration desk: 15-minute drive

For private jets, the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport (YND). Transfer time to your registration desk: 20-minute drive

Once you’re here: Aqua taxi, cycling, trolley, ice-skates, classic or open-roof double- decker bus, Uber, car-sharing services, and in 2018 Light Rail Transit

BEFORE — AFTER — IN-BETWEEN MEETINGS

PLANNING ESSENTIALS

Get a good night’s rest

Accor, Delta, Fairmont, Marriott and Westin are just a few of the world-renowned hotels waiting to welcome your delegates. Along with big international brands, boutique hotels and nearby spa resorts add their own flavour of chic.

Stretch your budget in Canada

It’s a fact. Event dollars go further in Canada. With the Canadian dollar hovering between 25 and 30% below the U.S. dollar, planners are encouraged to enhance their meeting experience here. Dollars saved on the program requirements can translate into more bells and whistles or your bottom line, you pick.

Groups coming from outside Canada may be eligible for tax incentives — inquire at time of booking.

Foreign Exchange

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