Showcasing Our Expertise at Home & Abroad

The Halifax Convention Centre was proud to host 49 national and international events this year, showcasing Nova Scotia’s expertise in oceans, life sciences, defense, and natural resources to visitors at home and abroad.

In 2024-25, we welcomed guests from all corners of Canada and around the world with 49 national conferences, meetings, and events. As a research and development and post-secondary hub, we were proud to showcase Nova Scotia’s expertise in the medical, life sciences, and natural resource sectors.

In April, we welcomed Public Health 2024 where more than 800 public health researchers gathered to share recent research and best practices that impact the health and wellness of all Canadians. In May, 350 members of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists attended CAOT’s annual conference to drive forward occupational health practice, followed by 900 retailers and suppliers for the PharmaChoice Trade Show, which represented over 1,000 member-owned co-ops across Canada. We also welcomed 1,200 female physicians and medical professionals for Canadian Women in Medicine, which connects the female physician community across Canada and supports them through shared experiences including burnout, professional development, and wellness.

"Creating opportunities for experts and researchers in Nova Scotia to connect with colleagues across Canada and around the world strengthens our sectors and supports continued investments and growth of our industries across the province."

- Carrie Cussons, President & CEO, Halifax Convention Centre.

In June, the Canadian College of Health Leaders hosted its national conference for 800 delegates and recognized regional health leaders, including UPEI's Paul Young, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant impacts on the Canadian health system. We also welcomed the Canadian Orthopaedic Association's 500 guests and the PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society, which brought 150 international specialists celebrating diversity within the field of PNIR from leading medical institutions including King's College London, the University of Glasgow, UCLA, and McGill University. 

In September, the Canadian Health Engineering Society hosted CHES 2024 for 700 healthcare engineers. The theme, "Enriching Patient Experiences by Optimizing the Environment," set the stage for a series of enlightening sessions and networking opportunities aimed at advancing the standards of healthcare engineering. We then hosted 400 paramedics for the Paramedicine Across Canada Expo, which featured education and training to strengthen first-response and emergency care services.


In October, 250 specialists gathered for the Canadian Association of Wilderness Medicine (CAWM) Conference, with panels also offered virtually on heat illness, wilderness toxicology, search and rescue, and more. In November, 585 health professionals from 11 countries visited Halifax for the International Conference on Physician Health, which saw more than 550 abstract submissions for the conference, and featured a keynote by Canadian Olympian Dr. Haley Wickenheiser. 

“The interest in this event reflects a changing culture of medicine,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, the president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). “There’s a growing recognition that physician health is critical if we’re going to help anyone else.” The bi-annual event, jointly hosted by the CMA, the British Medical Association, and the American Medical Association, was a unique opportunity for physicians and academics to share challenges and solutions with peers from around the world. We also welcomed 330 cold-climate medical researchers for the 18th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, the world's premier circumpolar health event that facilitates knowledge between medical practitioners and communities that face unique challenges in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

In November, Diabetes Canada held its annual professional conference jointly with the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSEM) during the national awareness campaign, Diabetes Month. A signature event for our Centre, Diabetes Canada brought together over 1,500 participants to discuss diabetes research, emergent trends, treatment, and care for this complex condition. As of 2024, more than 4M people in Canada have been diagnosed with diabetes - accounting for 10% of the population - and 6M more are at risk for developing it. Diabetes costs the Canadian healthcare system $50M per day. Through the course of the conference, delegates attended presentations to learn about significant advances in diabetes, including endocrinology research and treatment. Events like Diabetes Canada bring important medical conversations to the forefront, while showcasing Nova Scotia's expertise in the medical and life sciences research and development sectors. 

"It was a wonderful week of engaging with colleagues and partners from across Canada and beyond. Our team could not be prouder of how much patient-oriented research has become a part of this meeting and the diabetes research and care community overall."

- Diabetes Action Canada.

The Halifax Convention Centre was proud to host events that featured Nova Scotia’s growing expertise and innovation in industrial sectors like mining, data security, energy, and minerals. In April, we hosted the 2024 Atlantic Technology Summit for 400 tech pros from across the region to focus on human-centric tech solutions to cyber security. In May, we showcased Nova Scotia's leading edge during the International Association for Social Science Information Service & Technology (IASSIST) 49th Annual Conference, which was presented by Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Cape Breton University. With the theme, "Navigating the Future of Data," IASSIST featured panels on machine learning, AI, and data management from leading information researchers at Duke, Harvard, Stanford, and more. 

"The entire team working at the Halifax Convention Centre is clearly experienced and holds themselves to a high standard, working efficiently and effectively together to make for a really positive experience."

- Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (CHES) Annual Conference. 

As Nova Scotia strengthens its mining and metal sectors, we showcased the potential of our province. In August, the 63rd Annual Conference of Metallurgists and Materials hosted over 700 material scientists from the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum. Thirty-three countries were represented for the symposium on metal manufacturing, transportation metals, mineral extraction, and more, which connected researchers, producers, manufacturers, and corporations in the advancement of the industry. In September, the International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage welcomed 400 consultants, developers, researchers, and NGO representatives for 140 presentations and 30 leading exhibiting companies to share management strategies for the prediction and prevention of metal leaching. We also welcomed the Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems (CHES) National Conference, which brought 500 guests from the International Association of Cryptologic Research. CHES shares design and analysis of emergent cryptographic hardware, which enhances data security and processing performance in a world that is increasingly vulnerable to data exposures. Events like these not only showcase Nova Scotia’s growing industrial strengths on an international level, but also our strengths as an event destination, making a lasting impression on guests to ensure they return to our city again and again.

With over 13,000 kilometres of coastline, Nova Scotia naturally leads the globe in ocean research and ocean tech, and events we host at the Halifax Convention Centre showcase the influential businesses, developers, scientists, and government leaders in the sector.

In May, we were proud to host the 23rd International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, co-hosted by Nova Scotia's Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture and Dalhousie University, which featured 35 concurrent sessions and 161 presentations. The climate and vector changes from invasive species in aquatic systems can have significant impact on Nova Scotia's fisheries sector - one of our province's largest exports - and the conference also shared Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge about the delicate ecosystem of our oceans. Three Dalhousie University researchers shared their research and findings with over 330 international delegates, which reinforced Nova Scotia's role in understanding and preserving ocean health for future generations. In June, we welcomed back the H2O: Home to Overseas Conference, a platform for international delegates to connect with Nova Scotia’s Ocean tech industry and showcase our advancements in aquaculture and marine energy. With the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) and Invest Nova Scotia, 400 delegates took part in experiential B2B exhibits to continue developing Nova Scotia-based Ocean businesses. The same month, we hosted Green Tech 2024, the 17th annual national conference presented by Green Marine, which brought 350 tech developers focused on sustainable maritime transportation and green technologies.

"OCEANS 2024 was among our largest international events this year and an especially important event for the oceans sector in Nova Scotia. With events like OCEANS 2024, Nova Scotia can leverage its advantages in natural resources. The expertise based here attracts world-class events and interested markets to create new opportunities for growth."

- Suzanne Fougere, Executive Vice-President, Halifax Convention Centre. 
 

From September 23 to September 26, OCEANS 2024 was the premier event for ocean tech professionals, researchers, and innovators during a four-day international conference that championed ocean innovation and conservation. With 1,650 guests from more than 35 countries, OCEANS 2024 buzzed with keynote speeches, technical sessions, dynamic panels, and an exhibition hall featuring 100+ ocean tech vendors. To celebrate our ocean economy, the Halifax Convention Centre hosted a Local OCEANS Pop-Up Market with sea-themed vendors for guests.

Our strong coastal culture and leading-edge researchers drive global innovation in ocean technology and research. Halifax is Canada's largest centre for ocean research with 600 scientists, engineers, and technicians, and Nova Scotia is home to more than 500 ocean sector companies, including the most ocean tech start-ups in one city in Canada. Each year, ocean-related industries generate approximately $6B (or 13.5 per cent) of Nova Scotia's GDP and the ocean-tech industry accounts for 33 per cent of total research and development among Nova Scotia businesses. Along with eight post-secondary institutions supporting ocean and sciences research across the province, and significant annual provincial investments, Halifax is an oceans leader: “It’s so incredibly important that the world sees what Halifax has to offer in the Oceans sector," shared Kes Morton, President & CEO, PMPMI.

As geopolitics shift worldwide, Canada’s defence industry becomes more relevant than ever. We were proud to host important defence events in 2024-25 that strengthen national security. In April, the Halifax Convention Centre once again hosted the Atlantic Securities Defence Conference, known as ATLSECCON – a non-profit, volunteer-led cyber and information event with 1,660 security specialists form the region. From October 1 to October 3, we welcomed back the now-international exhibition DEFSEC Atlantic. The leading event in the Canadian aerospace, defence, and security industries welcomed 1,550 delegates from over 15 countries. Originating as the Shearwater International Air Show in the 1970s, DEFSEC Atlantic has grown from domestic ground displays to the second largest defence show in Canada.

The growth of DEFSEC has happened along with ours. The Halifax Convention Centre has proudly hosted DEFSEC Atlantic since 2021 – a move that created the opportunity for DEFSEC to increase capacity. “To have grown from a regional show in a more rustic setting to then come to a world-class facility, now you can call yourself a world-class show, which is how you get 15 countries to participate and people in the heart of one of the most wonderful cities,” said DEFSEC Atlantic’s Executive Director Colin Stephenson. Since 2021, DEFSEC’s footprint and impact at the Halifax Convention Centre has inched larger, driving exports, jobs, and security for Canada.

"In 2024, we brought people to the city and it had economic impact. They eat in restaurants, they stay in the hotels, and they certainly spend time in the bars, and that's important. But what happens inside the building has been tremendous for business, for partnership, for networking and growth."   

- Colin Stephenson, Executive Director, DEFSEC Atlantic.  

We are enthusiastic about hosting national and international events. We know that national and international events generate higher direct expenditures, drive more private investment and growth, and continue to position Halifax as the best event destination in Canada and the world.

To support the Halifax Convention Centre’s sales and business strategies, with our partners at NATIONAL PR and Time & Space Media, we launched our “Sorry!” campaign in January to embrace Canada’s friendly nature with a playful twist. By reframing the stereotype of our tendency to over-apologize, the “Sorry!” campaign turns this trait into a strength, apologizing for our competitive edge at the Halifax Convention Centre. Aligning with the Halifax Convention Centre’s ‘Bold. Simple. Fun.’ brand, this was our first integrated marketing campaign targeting international markets, and we are already seeing meaningful engagement by connecting Halifax with event planners worldwide.

With a growing pride of place movement in Canada, the "Sorry!" campaign’s insights and tone are more relevant than ever. Following the campaign launch, we continue to see success in national and international markets with bookings to 2030 to continue showcasing Nova Scotia’s strengths to the world.