Destination Canada’s multimillion-dollar International Convention Attraction Fund (ICAF), launched in March 2024, has confirmed funding commitments for five successful bids by Tourisme Montréal and Palais des congrès de Montréal to host high-value citywide international business events.

Created and administered by Destination Canada, and funded by the Government of Canada, the ICAF is part of Destination Canada’s strategy to establish Canada as a leading destination for hosting business events. The three-year program offers financial commitments of up to $1 million per event bid by eligible Canadian destinations, and is part of an overall investment of $50 million from budget 2023 for the attraction of major international conferences to Canada.

Since its launch earlier this year, the ICAF has received applications for events across the country, and now stands at 21 confirmed conference wins. These won events are expected to attract over 51,000 overnight delegates to Canada, leading to an anticipated direct economic impact of more than $122 million. There are currently 30 additional event bids awaiting decisions by event owners.

ICAF-supported bid wins in Montréal are:

• 2026 American Comparative Literature Association Annual Conference with anticipated direct economic impact of $4.9 million and 2,500 of overnight delegates;
• 2026 Human-Computer Interaction International Conference with anticipated direct economic impact of $4.8 million and 1,700 of overnight delegates;
• 2027 A premier Life Sciences conference – details on the event are expected to be announced later;
• 2027 International Liver Transplant Society Congress with anticipated direct economic impact of $2.9 million and 1,200 of overnight delegates;
• 2028 World Conference on Earthquake Engineering with anticipated direct economic impact of $6.6 million and 3,000 of overnight delegates.

ICAF supports bids for events that fall within Canada’s key economic sectors, including advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, life sciences, natural resources, digital industries, and finance and insurance. In addition to ICAF, Destination Canada’s comprehensive business events strategy encompasses robust marketing campaigns and a significant Canadian presence at major industry events, where the Canadian Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) ecosystem can generate valuable leads.

“Global business events are critical drivers of economic impact, knowledge transfers and other catalytic effects. While competition is fierce to host high-value events, ICAF is helping Canadian destinations put their best foot forward with critical financial support to make bids more competitive and compelling,” said Virginie De Visscher, executive director, Business Events, Destination Canada. “In just seven months, ICAF has helped to secure five major international business events for Montréal, which we anticipate will generate a direct economic impact of over $22.9 million. We are excited to see ICAF’s influence over the next few months and years in Montréal and other cities, as we continue to secure international business and elevate Canada on the global stage as a leading business events destination.”