The Halifax Convention Centre announced today, Nov. 28, it will host its official opening ceremony on Dec. 15. 

“Opening our doors marks a significant milestone as we get ready to welcome thousands of new visitors and new opportunities to our city and province,” said Carrie Cussons, president and CEO of the Halifax Convention Centre. “We can’t wait to preview our new state-of-the-art facility with our community and partners before we begin hosting our first events.” 

The centre will host its first client event, the Canadian Junior Weightlifting Championships, on Jan. 20, 2018 followed by Brides 2018, the Halifax Business Awards and the National Franchise Show. Many of the national and international events booked for the new facility have been attracted in collaboration with Discover Halifax and other local industry partners. 

There are 90 events booked for the first year of operations in the new facility, bringing an estimated 75,000 delegates and more than $50 million in new money to the province. This includes almost three times the number of national and international events and 18,000 more visitors than previous years at the existing convention centre. A full list of 2018 events can be found at: halifaxconventioncentre.com/2018-events. 

“We are pleased to be bringing our 21st annual Professional Conference and Annual General Meetings to the Halifax Convention Centre in October,” said Jan Hux, chief science officer for Diabetes Canada. “Our event is the largest gathering of diabetes health-care professionals in Canada and we know they will enjoy this new facility and the city’s hospitality.” 

To mark the facility’s opening, the centre has planned a welcome weekend which is a series of community events, including facility tours, for the public Jan. 12-14.

“Shaped by community input and world-class design, I’m very proud of what this facility represents,” said Joe Ramia, president of Argyle Developments, builder of the new centre. “I look forward to showcasing the space to our community and the thousands of new visitors that will come through the doors.”   

The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the Nova Centre, a one-million square-foot, mixed-used development including a hotel, financial towers, public plaza, retail space and parking. It is the largest integrated development project in the province's history. The funding of the convention centre is shared between three levels of government, totaling $169.2 million.

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