Food Recovery La Tablée des Chefs was in growth mode during 2024, establishing new partnerships with destina- tions and venues alike. Its food recovery program mobilizes meeting and event venues, hotels, restaurants and institutions to donate their edi- ble surplus food to local community organizations. Ottawa Tourism became the very first DMO to partner with La Tablée des Chefs and help connect it with destination hospitality partners, including the Shaw Centre, hotels, caterers and sports venues. La Tablée des Chefs began helping The Bridge Church, which recovers meals from the Niagara Falls Convention Centre, to grow its operation in order to make a bigger impact. And, during the National Bank Open tennis tournaments this past August, La Tablée des Chefs helped redistribute surplus food from Sobeys Stadium in Toronto to Second Harvest, and from IGA Stadium in Montreal to Le Patro Villeray, the Maison de Quartier Villeray, PACT de rue and several other neighbourhood associations around the stadium. Soothing Spaces More than ever, planners are asking venues to provide quiet rooms, whether for prayer, meditation, nursing an infant, or simply to grab 30 minutes of downtime. These rooms typically offer comfortable seating, soft music (or no music at all) and adjustable lighting. During the Collision 2024 conference in Toronto, the Enercare Centre worked with organizers to create a prayer and senso- ry-friendly space for attendees. And RBC Place London has worked with the orga- nizers of the annual TennoCon consumer show—where over 3,000 attendees play the Warframe action game—to create a special Zen room outfitted with soothing music, soft lighting and comfy lounge chairs. The Toronto Blue Jays has partnered with KultureCity to create a permanent Sensory Room at the Rogers Centre that caters to sensory processing needs, such as autism, Down syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. The room features bean bag chairs, a texture wall, sensory and activity panels, weighted lap pads and headphones. Sustainable Actions The Quebec City Convention Centre is the first convention centre in North America to obtain Biosphere sustainable certification. An initiative of the Responsible Tourism Institute, based in Spain and operating in over 77 countries, the Biosphere certification is earned through continuous work towards sustainability and the fight against climate change as outlined by the 17 Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDG) of the United Nations and the Guidelines of the Paris Climate Summit (COP21). The convention centre has completed 54 actions and 156 activities, including better energy efficiency, promoting local gastronomy and providing electric vehicle charging stations. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays Photo: RBC Place London La Tablée des Chefs Fall 2024 | Ignitemag.ca | 91
