Telus Convention Centre

Had my graduation convocation here this weekend. This is a gorgeous space for a big event! All of the servers/​banquet Manager’s were friendly and attentive too. If you’re coming in from out of town and need somewhere to stay make sure you stay at the Hyatt — they have a pedway to walk over to. There was a tween/​young girl dance event talking place at the same time and all the rooms are spaced nicely enough that the groups weren’t tripping around one another.
Overall I really enjoyed this space for a large event.

It is a great facility. I hope they get some common sense. Please understand that when you go for a conference your office work does not stop, you need to attend meetings etc in real world.
I was sitting in a common area attending a meeting and I had to charge my laptop. I was told by 2 security people (politely) that I could not charge my laptop there. Fortunately, they could not see the WIFI airwaves, or they would have stopped me using their WIFI as well :)
This is the first time, I have been asked at a conference center to not charge my laptop, either I or they have some growing up to do.

Great place in Calgary for conventions and business meetings. You can easily fit 1000 people for a large company meeting and the venue is great. The sound and IT systems work without flaw and the staff ensure that the venue is set up appropriately with beverages as well. I definitely thought this place was great and would use it in the future.

I was at an event here recently and I have to say I was less than impressed.
We were in the lower level of the center. I was at an event that used a few different rooms scattered in that level. While everything was clean and well kept, one set of bathrooms was down a maze like corridor and kind of isolated and creepy feeling. In that washroom there were some mops and brooms propped up against a wall. I found that when I’d be walking from room to room, there were a few storage areas that had their doors randomly open so you could see stacks of chairs and other equipment. I could understand if they were taking stuff in an out of those rooms but there was never any workers in site. It just seemed like everyone left every door open. Every room we were in was cold too.
Part of the event was a lunch. Now I don’t have high expectations of banquet food as a rule and I am not a picky eater but even then it missed the mark. The salads were okay but they had a ton of almonds on some, and others at the table hardly had any. For the main course, everyone got chicken. When a vegetarian asked for a vegetarian meal (and we had been asked about restrictions buy the event organizer) the server just kept saying «Chicken. chicken chicken» over and over. Our table guest felt singled out and eventually just accepted the chicken and picked at the vegetables. Which was the other thing… the potatoes were fine but the green beans weren’t cooked at all. I’m not talking el dente. They were rock hard. I noticed most at the table had one and left the rest on their plate. There was a lot of the lunch left on the plate actually, everywhere I looked.
In the evening there was a reception and the food for that is the reason they are getting 3 stars and not two or lower. They had some good sushi, beef on a bun, really tasty samosas and a nice looking dessert table. The bar staff and roaming wait staff at that were light years more professional and friendly than the daytime lunch staff.
The location of this venue IS convenient and I suspect that’s why they do okay. But being one of the most well known downtown conference centres, I’d expect they would be a bit more polished and professional, and serve better food.

The Telus Convention Centre is a great venue in Calgary. I’ve namely been here for the Art Market in November and a seminar, but they also host numerous other big events, conferences and Christmas parties. In fact, if you want to hold a party of 1,000+ people it is one of the few central places in Calgary available.
It’s very accessible, right on the c-​train line and along Macleod Trail. One minor thing that drives me crazy is that if they don’t have a big conference going on, they lock all the doors except the ones from Stephen Avenue so you have to walk half way around the building to get in.
There are a variety of rooms and open spaces so it will accommodate many different types of events. Catering is awesome — at the seminar I went to they had an asian-​themed lunch, which was easy to accommodate dietary restrictions as well.
It’s also right on Stephen Ave (if you didn’t glean that from my comments above) so at lunch you could wander down the street and find a restaurant or coffee shop if you didn’t want what is provided.
Review #24 of Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge 2012