TIABC Policy on Hosting Major Events in BC

British Columbia has a long and successful track record of hosting large sporting events that attract a combination of participants, local residents, sport fans, visitors and family and friends. These have included national and world championships, as well as international multi-sport events such as the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. BC has also been home to prominent festivals and expositions, including Expo 86, which remains one of the most transformative events in the history of the BC tourism industry. The province has generated significant benefits by event hosting including a legacy of world-class facilities that are still well-utilized for multi-purposes. 

TIABC believes the attraction and hosting of large sporting and educational or cultural events, festivals and expositions (together referred to as major events {1} constitutes an important component to the recovery and future prosperity of the BC tourism sector, as well as other benefits to local communities. As a result, TIABC maintains the time is now to establish cohesive policies on major event attraction and hosting in line with a strategic framework currently being developed for the Metro Vancouver region that outlines the steps needed to develop a thriving events sector.