DESTINATION TORONTO RE-BOOKS 60% OF MAJOR MEETINGS THAT WERE CANCELLED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC

As you know, all meetings in 2020 from April to November 2020 were either cancelled, postponed or went virtual due to the pandemic. Despite the ongoing challenges facing the industry, the Business Events team has been hard at work rebooking postponed or cancelled meetings. Of all of the major meetings cancelled or postponed in 2020 (those meetings with more than 1,000 delegates), Business Events has rebooked 31 meetings, representing 60% of the cancelled meetings. These re-booked events represent 140,000 delegates and $260 million in estimated future economic impact. The team continues to work diligently at rebooking meetings as we work towards the full recovery of the meetings and event industry.

CITY OF TORONTO IMPLEMENTS ADDITIONAL COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES

This week, the City of Toronto and Toronto Public Health implemented additional measures to combat rising cases of COVID-19. The measures take effect tonight at midnight and include the following that impact the tourism and hospitality community:

• Indoor dining will remain closed (extending current measures)
• Meeting and event spaces will remain closed (previously capping at 10 people per venue)
• Indoor movie theatres remain closed
• In malls, patrons should not be permitted to consume food or drink while walking through malls

The additional measures comes at the same time Toronto enters the red zone of Ontario’s COVID-19 framework. The red zone is the last step before a full shutdown. Toronto will remain in the red zone for 28 days, meaning the earliest restrictions could be lifted is December 12.

You can read the full City of Toronto announcement here. The City has also created a backgrounder that outlines how the additional measures differ from the Province of Ontario’s red zone, found below.

We know these continue to be tremendously challenging times for the industry. As always, we’ll keep you informed about any changes or further measures.

TOGOTORONTO.COM NOW SHOWCASING HEATED PATIOS

In an effort to continue to encourage consumers to take advantage of outdoor patios while staying safe, ToGoToronto will now include a new search amenity - heated patios. Restaurants can select the amenity via Destination Toronto’s partner portal.

As a reminder, participating restaurants can edit their profile on an ongoing basis, including any changes to their business, description, logo or image, and adding a signature dish or must-try item. Registration also remains open for new restaurants via the “Add My Restaurant” link.

To date, ToGoToronto has now referred more than 7,300 leads to nearly 700 participating restaurants.

LET US KNOW ABOUT NEWS OR CHANGES WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS

As a reminder, Destination Toronto is planning PR and marketing initiatives for the coming months and over winter. Please keep us informed about news or changes within your business. If your business is closed, do you currently have a re-opening date? Do you have new or modified experiences for winter that you would like media and the public to know about? Fill out the form below so we can help spread the word as recovery efforts continue.  

#LIGHTS-ON VENUE RE-OPENING GUIDE

Numerous organizations have come together to produce an online venue reopening guide for the Toronto live entertainment industry when it’s safe to do so.

The guide is part of #Lights-On: Recovery and Reboot in Live Entertainment, a project organized by Ryerson’s School of Creative Industries, Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation, with support from the City of Toronto, TO Live, SOCAN and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts.

UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS:

TIAC TOURISM CONGRESS - COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATION

Traditionally, registration to attend Tourism Congress starts at $725 however, through the partnership and support of the Government of Canada and the Canadian Experience Fund, TIAC is able to offer complimentary access to the industries must-attend event. 

Join TIAC for two days of thought-provoking content, insights and ideas to help rebuild the visitor economy and navigate the new tourism landscape. The Congress will have a bustling virtual marketplace and plenty of networking opportunities.

Dates: November 17 & 18, 2020.

INDUSTRY NEWS

The Drake Hotel expands: The famed Drake Hotel will be adding an additional 32 rooms in 2021 – growing one of the city’s most-loved hotels.

Toronto gets Canada’s first multi-level drive-thru holiday experience: Polar lets audiences experience the holidays from their cars located near Pearson airport. The new experience is running from November 27 to January 3.

New magic exhibition from the group behind Immersive Van Gogh: A new large-scale magic show called Illusionarium takes over a gallery space inside the Toronto Star building. The new experience starts December 14, running until February 15.  

Cabana Waterfront Patio launches The Marquee: The new outdoor heated patio features food from O&B, located at Cabana along Cherry St.

Toronto's Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. opening next week: A brand new multi-room and immersive exhibit is making its Canadian premiere at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Toronto's Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. runs from November 20, 2020, to January 31, 2021.