Canada’s largest gathering of its vibrant sport tourism industry, Sport Events Congress (SEC), will take place in Richmond, British Columbia on June 6-7-8, 2023 through a partnership between Sport Tourism Canada and Richmond Sport Hosting.
Richmond was originally scheduled to host SEC in March 2022, however, changes in the hosting rotation for Sport Events Congress due to the pandemic forced a one-year delay. Richmond hosted the event previously in 2012.
SEC brings together more than 400 national and provincial sport event rights holders, tourism professionals, the education sector, event management firms and suppliers from this $7.4 billion sector of Canada’s tourism industry.
Richmond is expected to treat delegates to a premium hospitality experience with events and activities taking place at the Sheraton Conference Centre, the Richmond Olympic Oval and throughout the City of Richmond.
“We are very pleased to bring Sport Events Congress back to Richmond for a second time,” said Grant MacDonald, COO, Sport Tourism Canada. “As our industry demonstrates its recovery from a difficult few years, our delegates will get to see first-hand the various facilities and options for staging events in Richmond. And we will take the opportunity, through our B2B activities, networking with events rights holders and professional development to reimagine the future of hosting sport events.”
“The City of Richmond is a premier destination for sport event hosting in Canada, and around the world,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Since establishing the Richmond Sport Hosting Office in 2009, the City has attracted over 75 sport events annually and we are excited to be able to welcome back Canada’s top Sport Tourism professionals and event rights holders to the 2023 Sport Events Congress.”
“Richmond is a world-class, multi-cultural city with an unparalleled inventory of accessible venues and sport facilities for events of all sizes. Having hosted the Sport Events Congress in 2012, we welcome this opportunity to once again showcase our city and province and to give Congress delegates another truly memorable west coast experience,” he added.
The next edition of Sport Events Congress will take place in November 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta while Winnipeg, Manitoba has been named as host in 2024.