With record-breaking activity and a full calendar of high-impact year-round events, 2025 proved to be a banner year for the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre while celebrating 60 years of hosting. The Convention Centre wrapped the year with over 150 events on the books, which brought over 170,000 people through its doors.
“For 60 years, the Convention Centre has generated millions of dollars in economic impact, transformed delegates into annual vacationers and permanent residents, and stimulated hundreds of jobs in the South Okanagan,” says Dean Clarke, General Manager of the South Okanagan Events Centre Complex and Regional Vice President of Oak View Group Canada. “As the caretakers of the Convention Centre, we are incredibly proud of the facility and what we’ve accomplished together and excited for what’s still to come. This milestone year was nothing short of remarkable. We had 266 days with events, including move-ins and move-outs. We were buzzing.”
In 2025, the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre hosted:
- 15 conventions in total (14 associations and 1 corporate)
- Four (4) new conventions
- Two (2) national associations
- 11 Consumer Shows
- 70+ Meetings
- 19 Banquets
- 1 Trade Show
- 35 Special Events
With the majority of conventions in 2025 taking place in the Spring, Fall, and Winter months, the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, working with partners and the Meet In Penticton Convention Bureau, was successful in driving Penticton hotel stays in traditional tourism need periods. The estimated Penticton hotel room revenue in April 2025 increased 43.7% compared to April 2024 (Destination BC, 2025 Tourism Industry Dashboard). In April 2025, the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre hosted two large conventions, three consumer shows, and several other events, and provided ancillary space for a major convention at the Penticton Lakeside Resort and Conference Centre.
While these results mark an exceptionally strong period for Penticton, they also illustrate the cyclical nature of the convention industry. “Association convention business follows a rotational pattern, meaning not every year looks the same,” says Clarke. “Associations typically rotate their events across the province or country, so some years are busier convention years than others.” Even with that rotation, 2026 is already shaping up to be another strong year. Clarke adds that, “through strong relationships and targeted outreach, we continue to attract a healthy mix of new and returning events that keep the Convention Centre busy year-round.” The momentum created by these events extends well beyond the Convention Centre’s walls, boosting hotels, restaurants, attractions, and businesses across the community.
This commitment to economic impact has guided the Convention Centre from the very beginning, starting with the opening of the 28,580 sq. ft. Peach Bowl on August 4, 1965. At the opening, the Federal Agriculture Minister Harry Hays, noted that the Convention Centre “… will attract a lot of new visitors to this beautiful part of Canada and I hope that when people come here they will spend a lot of money and make new contributions to the prosperity of this area.” That original vision continues to guide the Convention Centre today and into the future.