Pitch party: Ottawa businesses angle for invitation to 2017 celebration

Members ofOttawa's high-tech, tourism, hospitality, artsand non-profit sectors broughttheir brightest ideas for Canada's 150thbirthday celebration to Ottawa Festivals' Pitchfest + ExpoatLansdowne Park today. About 300 people gathered in the Aberdeen Pavilion to show off what they have to bring to the party.

2017 is being anticipated as ayear-long celebration of festivals, music events and awards show, attracting an estimated additional 1.75 million visitors to the capital, (the average is 7 to 8 million annually).

'Massiveeconomic opportunity'

"2017 is going to be like a big new company coming to Ottawa,"saidGuy Laflamme, executive director of Ottawa2017, the umbrella group overseeing the celebrations. "[It's] a massive economic opportunity for local businesses, $326 million in direct consumer spending will be injected into our economy."

Laflamme describesPitchfest + Expo as "a matchmaking eventbetween the festival industry and people showing what kind of technology, what kind of equipment, what kind of logistical support is available for festival organizers."

Guy Laflamme Ottawa 2017

9 years ago

Duration 0:41

The Executive Director of Ottawa 2017 describesThe awards that will be held in Ottawa that year.

High-tech hub

Presenting Ottawa as a high-tech hub is one of the mandates of Ottawa 2017.

SimWave Consulting was one of the local companies making a pitch to join the party, setting upa virtual reality booth to showcase the kind of "four-dimensional,interactive experience" it can offer.

Pitchfest + Expo for Ottawa 2017

9 years ago

Duration 0:24

SimWave Consulting's virtual reality booth at Pitchfest + Expo.