Convention centre business case is sound: TCL
Posted Feb 2, 2011 05:47:08 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A coalition of groups opposed to a multi-million dollar convention centre for downtown Halifax is attacking the business case.
The Coalition to Save the View says numbers showing an increase in the convention industry are flawed.
The group has cited different sources that suggest the opposite.
The coalition argues the numbers that reflect growth from 2007 to 2008 in an internal staff report by Trade Centre Limited are flawed, and that the industry is actually in decline.
The TCL report states the industry grew by 800 events, that average attendance grew by 15 percent and that Canada’s share is growing by five per cent a year.
But the coalition, citing different sources from 2009, says events have actually decreased by 103, that attendance increased by only 3.2 percent and that Canada’s share is at the very least static, and possibly declining.
The group has asked that the information be updated for the public record and that the entire project be reconsidered.
But President and CEO of Trade Centre Limited, Scott Ferguson says their statistics are just fine.
“Our projections are very realistic,” he said. “In year one of operation we’re projecting seven international conferences and we have seven international conferences booked for next year. We have very reasonable projections, we know our business and I’m very happy with our projections.”
He adds that’s the consensus of people in the business and says the coalition wouldn’t have any way to know if the industry is in decline in Canada.
The coalition argues its numbers show there is no business case for the convention centre and that the $47 million the province has asked the federal government to contribute should be used for roads and other “beneficial projects”
