REIMAGINED SPACES Calgary’s cultural identity is experiencing a shift, expanding and modernizing some of its most celebrated artistic spaces. Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest performing arts centre, is undergoing a $660 million transformation—the largest arts-focused infrastructure project currently underway in Canada. Renamed the Werklund Centre, the new three-storey building, inspired by Alberta’s spectacular landscape, will feature a 1,000-seat performance hall, a 200-seat studio theatre and light-filled spaces. Along with the complete redesign of the adjacent Olympic Plaza into a multi-purpose gathering space, this complex will be an exceptional location for exclusive corporate programming experiences, just steps from the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC). The Glenbow, directly connected to the CTCC, is also undergoing a transformation. Opening in 2026 as the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture, the revitalized museum will be fully accessible, removing all physical barriers and granting free general admission, and will feature stunning spaces and opportunities for unique events, including a 160-seat theatre, a large community event space and a 13,000-sq.-ft. rooftop terrace with an all-season pavilion. Calgary has a wealth of reasons to celebrate—with the unveiling of new and renovated state-of-the- art convention spaces, recognition for its sustainability initiatives and many notable venues and attractions to round out the visitor experience, the city’s blue sky thinking has ushered in a new era for its convention landscape. THE BIG REVEAL The newly expanded BMO Centre at Stampede Park is open and exceeding expectations. Its world-class, sustainable design and spectacular gathering spaces, including a three-storey copper and steel fireplace, which serves as the anchor on the venue’s second floor, capture the essence of Calgary’s renowned hospitality. Now the largest convention centre in Western Canada at one million sq. ft., new event spaces include the 50,000-sq.-ft. Champions Ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Rocky Mountain views and an 11,000-sq.-ft. covered balcony overlooking Stampede Park. Purposefully designed to reduce its environmental impact, the BMO Centre incorporates sustainable features such as energy-efficient lighting, water-saving measures, drought-tolerant landscaping and the diversion of 94% of demolition waste, while also being conveniently linked to the city’s C-Train, which operates exclusively on wind-generated power. BMO Centre at Stampede Park Arts Commons CALGARY REIMAGINED: REDEFINING CONVENTION SPACES AND VISITOR EXPERIENCES Conceptual Rendering
