
STC’s PRESTIGE Awards celebrate the people, places and events that make the Canadian sport tourism industry so dynamic. These awards are presented annually in six categories to honour individuals, companies and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the success of the sport tourism industry.
THE 2023 PRESTIGE AWARDS
Because so many sport events have been postponed or cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next edition of the PRESTIGE Awards will be in spring 2023. The nomination is now open. The 2023 edition of the PRESTIGE Awards is special as STC will be recognizing the outstanding people, corporations and events hosted between 2020 and 2022.
The presentation of the awards and a luncheon will take place during Sport Events Congress in Richmond, BC, scheduled for June 6-8, 2023 at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel & Vancouver Airport Marriott.
We look forward to celebrating outstanding accomplishments in sport tourism with you in 2023 and in the meantime, we welcome you sharing the success stories of sport hosting during the recovery to help show the vibrancy and resiliency of our sector!
WHAT ARE PRESTIGE AWARDS?
2023 Award Categories

STC CANADIAN SPORT EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award recognizes the overall success of an outstanding single-sport, multi-sport or collegiate event held in Canada between 2020-2022.
- The event rights holder is a Canadian governing body/entity.
- A Canadian community bid against other Canadian communities and/or was awarded the right to host the event.
NOMINATION
Group A: Event budget greater than $1 million
Group B: Event budget less than $1 million
2020 RECIPIENTS
Group A: event budget greater than $1 million: 2019 Canada Winter Games, (Red Deer, Alta.)
Group B: event budget less than $1 million: Durham Region 2019 Ontario Parasport Games, (Durham Region, Ont.)

STC INTERNATIONAL SPORT EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC International Sport Event of the Year Award recognizes the overall success of an outstanding international sport event held in Canada between 2020 -2022.
- The event rights holder must be an International governing body/entity and a Canadian community bid against other international communities and won the right to host the event in Canada.
- The event’s international broadcasting/streaming reach will be a significant part of the evaluation criteria.
NOMINATION
Group A: Event budget greater than $2 million
Group B: Event budget greater than $2 million
2020 RECIPIENTS
- Group A: event budget greater than $2 million: 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, (Vancouver & Victoria, B.C.)
- Group B: event budget less than $2 million: 2019 World Junior Curling Championships, (Liverpool, N.S.)

STC CANADIAN SPORT EVENT SPONSORSHIP INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC Canadian Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year Award recognizes the best use of a partnership between a company, organization, agency or individual that contributed to the overall success of a national or international sport event held in Canada between 2020 – 2022.
NOMINATION
2023 STC Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year
2020 RECIPIENTS
Tamarack Developments Corporation (Ottawa Race Weekend)

STC SPORT EVENT VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of an individual’s volunteer efforts during the hosting of one or more sport events in Canada between 2020-2022.
Sport Tourism Volunteer of the Year Guidelines
NOMINATION
2023 STC Sport Event Volunteer of the Year
2020 RECIPIENTS
Lyn Radford (2019 Canada Winter Games), (Red Deer, Alta.)

STC SPORT EVENT LEGACY OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC Sport Event Legacy of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding achievements or contributions by individuals, companies or organizations that have helped advance sustainable and environmental stewardship within a Canadian Sport Event between 2020-2022 and have left a demonstrable legacy to the community.
Sport Event Legacy of the Year Guidelines
NOMINATION
2023 STC Sport Event Legacy of the Year
2020 RECIPIENTS
2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, (Monte-Sainte-Anne, Qué.)

STC SPORT TOURISM RISING STAR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Presented by:
AWARD CRITERIA
The STC Sport Tourism Rising Star Award recognizes the ‘next-gen’ of sport tourism professionals in Canada. It acknowledges emerging leader(s) who have already demonstrated commitment, creativity, and dynamic energy in the sport tourism industry.
NOMINATION
2023 Rising Star of the Year
2020 RECIPIENTS
Cindy Medynski, Event Attraction Manager, Edmonton Events, (Edmonton, Alta.)
THE 2020 PRESTIGE AWARDS
Olympian, World Cup medallist and CBC Broadcaster Kelly VanderBeek hosted the 2020 Sport Tourism Canada PRESTIGE Awards, presented by Saskatoon Sports Tourism. The 24 finalists were honoured and the eight recipients were announced. The awards celebrate the people, places and events that make the Canadian sport tourism industry so dynamic.
Representing a wide cross-section of the country, the 2020 PRESTIGE Award finalists, in eight different categories, were recognized for events, organizations, sponsors and volunteers from Victoria in British Columbia to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.
Congratulations to all the 2020 PRESTIGE Award recipients! Find out who took home the PRESTIGE Awards.