Ontario Convention Market Potential | HLT Advisory Inc.
HLT identified industry-wide trends within Ontario and North America, inventoried venues capable of hosting public assembly events and gained an understanding of potential supply increases.
The Investment Development Office of the Ministry of Tourism engaged HLT (together with subcontracted resource, TSW Research) to estimate the size of the North America and Ontario meeting, convention, and trade and consumer show market (the "public assembly" market), including demand, supply and potential capacity. The Ministry's focus was the development of a framework to better understand the public assembly market as a basis for decision-making designed to sustain the competitiveness and growth of Ontario's tourism industry.
In completing this study, HLT identified industry-wide trends within Ontario and North America, inventoried venues capable of hosting public assembly events and gained an understanding of potential supply increases (e.g., venues under construction, planned or proposed). HLT also analyzed current event demand under various growth scenarios and the impact of incentives and distribution channels on venue selection.
The study provided the Ministry with an estimate of the potential size of the meeting, convention, trade show and consumer show market in North America and estimated Ontario's share of this market. Five- and ten-year demand outlooks were also provided.
Ultimately the study was used by the Province of Ontario to underwrite decisions on capital investments in new and expanded buildings, funding incentive structures and enabling marketing activities.