October 5, 2011 – Vancouver, BC – Canada Place won the International Festivals & Events Association’s (IFEA) Grand Pinnacle Award for Canada Day at Canada Place 2011 presented by Coast Capital Savings.

The International Festivals & Events Association hosts the annual Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards recognizing excellence in producing all components of a festival or event. Individual awards are handed out for excellence in creative, multi-media, advertising campaigns and sponsorship in addition to the overall grand prize, the Grand Pinnacle Award for international event of the year.  Canada Place was recognized as an international stand out and was awarded the Grand Pinnacle Award for Canada Day at Canada Place 2011. Canada Place was also awarded the Gold Pinnacle Award in the category digital media for the Canada Day mobile app and social media outreach. The Canada Day at Canada Place website was awarded a Silver Pinnacle Award. Awards were presented this week at a gala in Fort Worth, Texas during the 56^th Annual IFEA Convention & Expo.

“We are honoured to receive international recognition for Canada Day at Canada Place,” stated Mike Shardlow, President & CEO of Canada Place. “Canada Place is charged with creating Inspirationally Canadian Experiences all year long and July 1^st is certainly our biggest event of the year, when hundreds of thousands of people don their red and white to celebrate their appreciation for Canada.

Canada Day at Canada Place 2011 presented by Coast Capital Savings, was the largest Canada Day celebration held outside of Ottawa. Over 200,000 people attended the daytime festivities while another 120,000 lined the streets to participate in the 3^rd Annual Burrard Inlet Fireworks Society Canada Day Parade. The celebrations were capped off by the 5^th Annual Canada Day Fireworks Show also produced by the Burrard Inlet Fireworks Society and viewed by over 450,000 people in Vancouver and the surrounding communities. This year’s Canada Day event, Your Nation, Your Celebration offered more than thirteen hours of free family fun, showcasing great Canadian talent from across the country including H’Sao, The Irish Descendants and Grapes of Wrath. Over thirty-five bands performed on five stages.  In a celebration of arts and culture, William Meire’s Face of Canada art exhibit launched on Canada Day. The awe inspiring collection featured over 100 original oil portraits of notable Canadians who have helped shape the fabric of our nation. Other highlights included a celebration of Canada’s armed forces and our annual citizenship ceremony hosted by Global BC’s Chris Gailus where 70 new Canadian citizens were sworn in.

 

Canada Day at Canada Place is only possible through the generous participation of our partners including Coast Capital Savings, the Department of Canadian Heritage and Government of Canada.

 

-30-

 

ABOUT CANADA DAY 

Canada Day at Canada Place 2011, presented by Coast Capital Savings, is made possible by the generous support of our partners and sponsors including: The Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada, Department of National Defence, Vancouver Convention Centre, City of Vancouver, Downtown Vancouver

Business Improvement Association, Port Metro Vancouver, BC Ferries Vacations, VINCI Park, Granville Island Brewing, Aboriginal Tourism BC, Citizenship & Immigration Canada, Mission Hill Family Estate and our media partners: Global BC, The Vancouver Sun,  Shore104.3FM, 99.3 The FOX, Classic Rock 101, CKNW AM980, AM730, 103.5 QM/FM, OMNI Television, AM1320 CHMB, Miss 604 and Vancouver is Awesome. 

ABOUT CANADA PLACE

Located in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown harbour front, Canada Place generates over $1 billion per year in economic activity and is the inspiring national landmark welcoming local residents, visitors and ships to the West Coast. Canada Place Corporation is the owner of Canada Place, and is the coordinating landlord for the organizations at Canada Place including the Pan Pacific Hotel, Port Metro Vancouver corporate offices and Cruise Ship Terminal, World Trade Centre and Vancouver Convention Centre East. Canada Place Corporation hosts a number of marquee annual community events including Canada Day and Christmas at Canada Place.

www.canadaplace.ca