Fifty Years of Venue West: How a Women-owned PCO Elevated Vancouver into One of the World’s Top Meetings Destinations

On November 18, 1970, four women – Betty Fata, Mae Yee, Olga Nazarchuk and Lou Cox – used their travel money to incorporate a business that organized meetings for Vancouver-based associations. In 1975, they expanded their focus to international congresses. Today, Venue West has managed more than 1,000 conferences and events in over 30 countries, and attracted some of the world’s most prestigious conferences to Vancouver.

Throughout its 51 years – the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 – Venue West has achieved a reputation as a pioneer in the meetings industry. Shortly after it was founded, the PCO joined The International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO), staking its claim as the first PCO in North America to do so. In 1975, it gained international attention by joining the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), a community hub for the global meetings industry. In the ‘80s, Venue West’s founders sat on a committee championing for an expansion of downtown Vancouver’s convention centre (the West building, which increased its meeting footprint to 466,500 square feet) and designating Vancouver’s airport as an international airport (today, YVR is one of the busiest airports in Canada and has been named the best airport in North America for 12 consecutive years). And in 1993, Betty Fata secured the first IAPCO conference ever held in North America, which was hosted in her hometown of Vancouver.

Venue West was also instrumental in bringing to life Be a Host, now MIND Partnership. Twenty-five years ago, the PCO collaborated with Tourism Vancouver (now Destination Vancouver) to establish a network of local professionals and industry leaders united in their desire to bring their association conferences to Vancouver. These “local hosts” play a critical role in bidding for, and winning, international conferences. Champions of Vancouver, they rally their colleagues to bid and host their industry’s international meeting in their city, showcasing local talent and research while raising their own profile.

Venue West and Destination Vancouver saw an opportunity to bring these local hosts together so they could amplify each other’s efforts, share their experiences, and support each other in garnering international attention for their organizations and Vancouver. Betty leveraged her connections with medical professions at the University of British Columbia, and Destination Vancouver tapped its network of meetings professionals across the city. Together, they built the foundation of an elite group that has included industry superstars like Dr. Andy Eisen, who helped to bring the World Congress of Neurology to Vancouver in 1993; Dr. Connie Eaves and Dr. Allen Eaves, who supported Vancouver’s bid to host the International Society for Stem Cell Research in 2014; Dr. Julio Montaner, who helped to secure the 2015 International Aids Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention; and Dr. Bob Elner, whose connections with the International Ornithological Union helped to secure the 2018 International Ornithological Congress.

Venue West and Destination Vancouver have maintained a close relationship since their initial partnership in creating Be a Host. In 2005, a year after Betty passed away, Destination Vancouver founded the Betty Fata Award for Conference Leadership, which recognized individuals who played a key role in bringing major conferences to Vancouver. That same year, Venue West was sold to Sue and Nils Daugulis, who now serve as President and CEO, respectively. Under their leadership, the PCO has continued supporting MIND Partnership by presenting to various academic and association leaders on the benefits of hosting international conferences.

In 2018, Venue West, Destination Vancouver and Venue West collaborated with local PCOs MCI and ICS to bid on IAPCO’s 51st General Assembly and Annual Meeting. They were successful, and so was the meeting, which took place in February 2020 – it was IAPCO’s best-attended annual general meeting outside of Europe, and the highest rated.

The pandemic also forced Venue West to postpone its 50th anniversary celebrations. Instead, the company hopes to host an event in November 2021 – contingent on health orders and restrictions – where the team will announce new and exciting projects paving the way to a brighter future for meetings in Vancouver. In the meantime, Venue West’s storied history is laid out in a series of Instagram posts that commemorate its local and international milestones. No doubt, the story will continue as the company helps to steer conferences toward a new era of post-pandemic hosting.

To learn more about Venue West, visit venuewest.com. For more information about MIND Partnership, visit www.mindpartnership.ca.