Vancouver Island Conference Centre boasting another record year

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Funded in part by the City of Nanaimo, to an estimated $1 million per year, profits from events hosted at the Conference Centre in 2024 enabled a return of $309,244 back to City coffers.

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The money though is just a drop in the bucket compared to overall economic impact from the Centre since its opening in 2008, according to Loewen.

“2024 produced almost 29,000 delegate days, over 65,000 participant days and $11.275 million in economic impact from conventions and conferences alone. So all the banquets that you saw all the meetings that you saw all the special events that you saw, none of that is included in our calculation of economic impact.”

Since 2017, the Centre has tracked over $57 million of economic impact from events it hosted.

Total contributions from the City over the same time have amounted just under $7 million.

“I would certainly go out and borrow $6.7 million if I got a $57 million return on that. It’s a very remarkable story on what this building can do for a city, and what a relatively reasonable investment from the City can do as well to get those to get those dollars, and visitors in here.”

Data from the Vancouver Island Conference Centre showing their growth and ability to attract larger events to the downtown facility. (VICC)

Loewen also said the special events, which include everything from sporting competitions to dances, are extremely underrated in their impacts.

Many not only result in Conference Centre visitors, but hotel stays and restaurant visits too.

“Some of these special events are dance competitions, so they don’t fall into our traditional categories, and many of those are multi day, five, six days. In some cases, they also have an overnight component to them as well. We also hold a pool tournament…where we have 600 a day come for seven days to do the Vancouver Island Cue Sports Championships.”

While he was unable to provide details, Loewen said the facility will host a “significant international convention” in late 2026.

In addition, the Centre will also host the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities conference in April, and the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance annual meeting in October.

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