From the Niagara Falls Review:
Like a carefully choreographed assembly line, the crews worked in unison at a quick pace, each aware that team-work and timing were vital to a positive outcome.
“This is well-planned out,” said Reg Coates as concrete truck after concrete truck drove into the cavernous exhibition hall at the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre Thursday.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
A new partnership between the future Niagara Falls convention centre and the company that owns The Niagara Falls Review will boost the image of the city-owned facility scheduled to open next spring and add to its operating revenue, officials with both companies say.
The Niagara Convention and Civic Centre selected Sun Media, the company that owns the daily newspapers in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland, as its official media sponsor.
“It means a great deal. The NCCC coming into the Niagara region is about as exciting as it gets for the development of the region,” said Judy Bullis, senior group publisher for the Niagara Newspapers Group, a division of Sun Media.
The deal is an exclusive arrangement that will see Sun Media advertising staff sell the ads displayed inside the $100-million facility on Stanley Avenue.
Yesterday one of my Google Alerts had a link to http://www.niagaraconventionciviccentre.com/attractions.php that mentioned Clifton Hill. I was intrigued, so I visited the link. At first glance, it appeared to be legit and I wondered why there weren’t more attractions listed.
Then I noticed that all of the attractions were owned by the same company. I browsed the site, and the other restaurants and hotels were also all owned by Niagara 21st Group (or whatever that company may have split into).
The real convention centre web site is at http://www.fallsconventions.com/
I generally try to avoid commentary on the site, but I have to say that I don’t like this. A major operator in the city has registered a domain that may trick people into thinking it is the real convention centre web site. I think it looks bad on them, and could actually hurt potential users of the convention centre if the site does confuse them.
From a PR Newswire press release seen on Yahoo! Finance:
Centerplate, the leading hospitality provider to North America’s premier convention centers, sports stadiums and entertainment venues, announced today it has been awarded the long-term contract as hospitality partner to the new Niagara Convention & Civic Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The company was selected following a lengthy and competitive review process and will help the facility, currently under construction, to open its doors in 2011.
As part of its winning proposal, Centerplate created an innovative “Green Heart Menu” of healthy organic and locally-sourced dishes for the Centre. “We are thrilled to be a part of the beginning of this new and exciting facility in Niagara,” said Kyle Kandel, Senior Vice President for Convention Centers, Eastern Region for Centerplate. “It provides an opportunity to leverage our vast experience in convention centers and the Centerplate E(3) strategy for Executing Extraordinary Experiences in a spectacular setting.”
From the Niagara Falls Review:
As Michael Chan met with several of Niagara’s tourism officials this week, he said one thing became abundantly clear.
“I think the Niagara region is in a really good position moving forward. I’m very hopeful for the future of tourism in the area,” Ontario’s tourism minister told The Niagara Falls Review during his day-long tour of the peninsula Wednesday.
While mayors, economic development officers and others with a stake in the local industry continue to raise concerns about the economy, currency exchange fluctuations and border-related challenges, bright lights can be seen on the horizon, Chan said.
Construction of the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre in Niagara Falls, a motor speedway proposal in Fort Erie and the formation of a regional tourism organization will put the area in good stead come the future, he said.
From Niagara This Week:
Construction of the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre reached its half way point with a topping off ceremony as the last pieces of the roof were installed last Friday.
Construction began on the centre May 1, 2009 and the doors are scheduled to open April 8, 2011.
Mayor Ted Salci, MPP Kim Craitor, Regional Chairman Peter Partington and vice-president of Bondfield Construction, John Aquino, all spoke, congratulating the workers on their work in keeping the construction on schedule and in budget.
“You guys really do work hard,” said Craitor, “I tip my hat to each and every one of you.”
From Buffalo Business First:
One year to the day that ground was broken on the $100 million Niagara Convention & Civic Centre, the project hit a major milestone.
The 288,000-square-foot Stanley Avenue center, being constructed just a short walk from the Niagara Fallsview Casino in the thriving Niagara Falls, Ont., was officially “topped” off Friday afternoon under the watchful eyes of Niagara regional political and business leaders as well as a crew of construction workers who are building the facility.
The center is scheduled to open in April 2011 and is viewed as major piece of Niagara Falls’ growing portfolio of hospitality and tourism-based ventures.
“This changes our city forever,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Ted Salci.
Read more: N.F., Ont. convention center progressing – Business First of Buffalo:
From the Niagara Falls Review:
When planners for a competition of 2,000 cheerleaders asked Niagara Convention Civic Centre president Kerry Painter if her staff could have 20,000 orders of french fries at the ready, there’s only one answer she could give.
“Absolutely. I sure can,” Painter said, laughing about some of the unforeseen requirements the convention centre is going to have to meet when it opens its doors a little more than a year from now.
“I guess you burn a lot of energy cheerleading,” said Painter, originally from Windsor, but who was managing a convention centre in Slidell, La., when she was hired two years ago to head up the Niagara Falls centre.
The cheerleading convention is booked for May 2011, making it one of the first events to be held at the $105-million facility. Convention centre sales staff have filled April and most of May with events.
Wow! I haven’t been by that area in probably 2 months. They seem to be making great progress on the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre (NCCC). It appears that the structure/shell of the building is almost done.
Business Niagara magazine has a nice article in the October/November 2009 issue about the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre and Kerry Painter, the president and general manager.
I can’t find the article online, so I have created a PDF file of the article if you’d like to download and read it. You can download it here:
Business Niagara – If you build it, they will come