Bruce Constantineau
Sun
Vancouver hotelier Ken Cretney has taken up a new challenge — to fill Vancouver‘s $883.6-million expanded convention centre after it opens next year.
The 53-year-old general manager of the Marriott Pinnacle Hotel will become the new general manager of the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre on Oct. 1, the B.C. Pavilion Corp. announced Thursday.
Cretney replaces former VCEC president Barbara Maple, who left the position five months ago as part of organizational changes aimed at boosting business at the expanded centre.
He has more than 30 years of experience in the hotel industry and was previously general manager at the Delta Whistler Resort in Whistler and the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff.
The expansion project that triples the Vancouver facility’s meeting and convention space is scheduled to finish by March 2009.
Cretney noted the global convention market has become extremely competitive, with major convention centre expansions in markets like Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego and San Francisco.
“Everyone seems to be building a conference centre these days — even secondary markets like Des Moines,” he said in an interview. “But I think Vancouver is extremely well positioned, especially with the exposure the city will have with the Olympics.”
Cretney said U.S. meeting planners who have seen Vancouver‘s expansion project feel it will be “absolutely stunning.”
“This is a very iconic convention centre — probably one of the most beautiful centres being built in the world today,” he said.
Cretney said every global market opportunity will be explored to ensure the new convention centre succeeds in attracting lots of new business.
“We’re already big in the U.S. association market, but I certainly believe there are opportunities in Europe and maybe opportunities in other markets like South America,” he said. “It’s early to say now but we will certainly explore these opportunities extensively.”
Cretney said much of the convention centre’s future success depends on industry partners working closely together — especially the hotel community, VCEC and Tourism Vancouver.
Pan Pacific Hotel manager Stephen Peters feels Cretney is a good choice to head the convention centre, calling him one of the city’s top hoteliers.
“I think he’ll bring a dimension to the convention centre that will be highly oriented towards guest satisfaction,” he said.
PavCo president Warren Buckley, who assumed his position in January, said in an interview this spring that changes were needed at VCEC so the centre could become more aggressive and tactical in attracting overseas business. He said in a news release that Cretney is recognized as a “strategic business leader.”
“Ken also has an excellent understanding of what it takes to develop new markets, something we’re keen to do with the expansion for the convention centre coming online next spring,” Buckley said in the news release.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008