SASKATOON A STAY-LONGER STRATEGY Saskatoon’s bleisure story is widely discussed, but measurement remains tricky. “We talk about it often in terms of what would entice people to stay longer or return. We’re just not sure the best way to track it,” says Shannon Davies, manager, business development, Discover Saskatoon. In the meantime, Saskatoon focuses on baking extension ideas into the planning cycle. “We always include pre and post suggestions in our bids,” Davies says, supported by airline discounts and hotels that may offer extra nights at the conference rate. A Discover Saskatoon pass is part of the current toolkit. Next is a downtown business improvement district app designed to promote walkability, provide discounts and support tracking through digital interactions. CALGARY MAKING PRE- AND POST FEEL BUILT-IN Calgary doesn’t track bleisure visitors, but it treats them as a high-value audience, and builds its strategy through the planner relationship. “We recognize that the media and event planners or organizers are the key conduits to the [bleisure] audience, so we spend most of our time working with them to make sure that they feel confident and comfortable with what we have to offer,” says Shelley Zucht-Shorter, vice-president, destination experience and services, Tourism Calgary. That support shows up as a planner toolkit containing pre-built content, social posts, postcards, video and photography assets, or brief copy for a delegate newsletter. “But one of the most successful ways for us to market to planner audiences is to create a microsite just for their event. They feel really special, it lives on their conference site and it allows us to link to pre and post tours,” Zucht-Shorter explains. Calgary Explore More functions like a mobile-first Show Your Badge program with discounts and incentives for restaurants, tours, attractions and shopping near where attendees are staying. “They’re able to log in even before they get here and it allows us to track activity,” Zucht-Shorter says. WORK & WANDER REPORT BLEISURE Experience It Like a Local: FOODIES • Alberta Food Tours delivers fully guided tastings that connect Calgary’s food scene to neighbourhood stories, culture and local makers. • Ten Foot Henry offers a lively dining experience with a vegetable-forward menu designed for sharing. HISTORY BUFFS • Heritage Park is a 127-acre living history museum with costumed interpreters and hands-on experiences such as butter making. • Lougheed House doubles as a heritage attraction and off-site venue, pairing gardens with activities like Indigenous beadwork workshops and Calgary storytelling. NATURE + WELLNESS • The Rocky Mountains are only 90 minutes away, making it an easy pre- or post- conference day trip. • Inglewood Bird Sanctuary provides an in-city nature break with 270+ bird species and trails along the Bow River. CULTURE SEEKERS • Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, pairs iconic artifacts, such as the Rolling Stones’ mobile recording studio, with bookable event spaces. • Buffalo Stone Woman Tours offers guided experiences tied to the traditional lands of Calgary, including the Sacred Circle at Nose Hill Park and a visit to the Tsuut’ina Museum. COOL ACCOMMODATIONS • The Dorian is a luxury boutique stay with Oscar Wilde-inspired elegance and a 2025 Michelin One Key. • Hotel Arts Kensington is a 19-room boutique property featuring European design, 10-foot ceilings and a curated art collection. CONVENTION CREDS • BMO Centre: over 1 million sq. ft. of space • Calgary TELUS Convention Centre: 122,000 sq. ft. of space • 15,000+ guestrooms in the destination • Hotel news: Marriott Autograph Hotel (2028); W Hotel Calgary (2029); JW Marriott Calgary (2030); Fairmont Hotel & Resorts Calgary (2031) Experience It Like a Local: FOODIES • Hearth Restaurant at the Remai Modern is a go-to Prairie dining experience that connects food with place. • Black Fox Farm and Distillery offers a craft distillery visit where fruit, flowers and grains become whisky, gin and liqueurs. HISTORY BUFFS • Wanuskewin Heritage Park offers immersive Northern Plains Indigenous experiences across galleries, trails and guided interpretation. • The Western Development Museum delivers an indoor, interactive 1910 Saskatchewan town experience. NATURE + WELLNESS • The Meewasin Valley Trail is a 105-km river-linked corridor for walking, running, cycling, birding, kayaking and canoeing. The Dorian PHOTO: TOURISM CALGARY/GABE ROTH, PHOTOFUSION MEDIA PHOTO: TOURISM CALGARY/SADIE ROCQUE PHOTO: DESTINATION CANADA/BEN JOHNSON PHOTO: TOURISM CALGARY/ ROAM CREATIVE PHOTO: DESTINATION CANADA PHOTO: WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK Heritage Park Dakota Dunes Wanuskewin Heritage Park Downtown Calgary Lougheed House
