Ottawa has reported a strengthened appeal among the engineering and
technology sectors after winning multiple competitive bids and a growing pipeline
of technical congresses.
Next year, the Canadian capital will host the International
District Energy Association Annual Conference and Tradeshow, 2026 having secured
federal International Convention Attraction Fund support and after impressing organisers with its strengths in energy technology and infrastructure.
The win comes following the successful delivery of the 1,500
delegate-strong IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and the
North American Radio Science Meeting in July.
Other technical congresses held in the city in recent years include the IEEE
Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference and International Conference on the
Physics of Semiconductors, both held in 2024, and the IEEE Sections Congress, 2023.
Stephanie Seguin, vice president, Business & Major
Events, Ottawa Tourism, said: “Choosing Ottawa gives technical societies direct
access to Canada’s capital, national regulators and industry leaders, all
within a compact downtown supported by an award-winning convention centre and
trusted partners.
“Our community understands complex technical programmes. We
help organisers connect with the right experts, testbeds and companies, so
delegates leave with new knowledge and real-world collaborations.”
Ottawa is also home to more than 1,800 knowledge-based businesses
including Shopify, Kinaxis, Ross Video, Fullscript and Mitel. Global businesses
such as Nokia, Ford, Ericsson, Ciena
and IBM also operate in the city sealing its attractiveness to organisers of technical congresses.
Sonya Shorey, president and CEO of Invest Ottawa & Area
XO said: “Ottawa’s collaborative community, entrepreneurial energy and
innovation infrastructure create the conditions for world class technical
events to thrive."
