Charlottetown looks to expand convention space

Tourism officials have commissioned a study to look at whether Charlottetown would benefit from building a new convention centre.

Conventions brought almost 25,000 delegates to P.E.I. this year,double the number that came in 2005. And they don't all come alone. At the Canadian Medical Association's annual meetingthis week there were almost as many spouses and children as delegates.

Kim Green, head of the P.E.I. Convention Partnership, said Charlottetown is in big demand as a meeting destination, but it's limited by its facilities.

"What would it mean if Charlottetown moved to the next level in terms of infrastructure, in order to reap that middle-tier convention market?" Green told CBC News Thursday.

"I think everyone would agree that if you have a convention in town in May, June, September and October, it's just a marvellous way to extend your tourism season."

Currently, delegates are shuttled around from the Delta hotel, to the university and the Civic Centre, because no single venue serves all their needs. Green has hired a consultant to look at various ways of growing the meetings and conventions market, including the feasibility of a convention centre.

She believes meeting organizers would be more likely to choose P.E.I. if there was a convention centre.

"Saint John,N.B., is just going to be opening up a new convention centre very shortly," said Green.

"We're not looking at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto type size, but just to bring us to that next level of being able to attract some of those larger conventions."

The study will have to present some strong argumentsto convinceLes Parsons of the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation. He believes the city should be looking at further developing what it already has.

"I couldn't see us considering brand new facilities to replace everything we've got, other than looking at facilities that might augment what's already been built," said Parsons.

Green says the study will be complete by October.