Overlooking the beautiful waters and mountains of Vancouver the Pan Pacific Hotel has been the poster child of Vancouver’s Tourism Industry. Attached to the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre East (known as the 5 sails), the Pan Pacific is an award winning facility hosting conferences for up to 700 people. The convention centre east has been an icon of Vancouver since Expo 86 where Vancouver welcomed the world. This area is filled with history and beauty. Hundreds of Thousands of tourists frequent this area every year as it is the disembarkation and embarkation point for cruise ships in the city.

Leave your guests mesmerized by the beautiful BC backdrop that is just outside. The Pan Pacific offers 17 Function rooms from large boardrooms to small meeting spaces. If you are hosting breakout sessions or micro workshops, this is a great place to consider when planning. There is a great foyer that can be host to group photographs as well as mingling and cocktail and canapés space.

Service is always impeccable at the Pan Pacific, in the 19+ years we have been in business, we have always had great experiences with their staff at all levels and we have had great feedback from our clients whom we have referred to the facility. If you found this article before you have booked the facility, please be sure to let them know you discovered it through us! Although we don’t have any incentive to promote them, we do like to create some value to you as you evaluate the possibility of renting the space. We hope that rather than just reading what is on their website, having a person who talks freely about the facility can help you make an informed decision. If you are curious about possibly needing photography, videography or photo booths at your event, we would also love to connect with you. But that’s enough of our shameless plug.

Of course when you are planning for a conference, there is always the question on where should your guests stay?! The Pan Pacific has 503 Guest Rooms and Suites to accommodate your attendees. If you have more than that needed to attend, you’ll be pleased to know that there are other hotels close by that can also be booked such as the Fairmont Waterfront located right across the street.

Perhaps you are a company that is participating in a larger conference or expo at the Trade and Convention centre. The Pan Pacific Hotel is a great location to create your own micro conference where you can be at arms length to the Convention Halls but have special breakouts or events. You can increase the number of attendees or RSVP rate by having an event so close to the convention centre.

Travelling around town is also quite easy as there are taxis right outside as well as parking and car rentals within walking distance. For those who may need a satellite visit to Vancouver Island and Victoria, you are just a few minutes walk to Harbour Air and other seaplane companies that can whisk you there in 30-40 minutes. Walking to the core of downtown is about a 20 minute walk, but it is beautiful and there is lots to see and explore so it’s not a boring walk by any means. For those who enjoy hikes and walks there is transportation to our North Shore where mountains await you to climb and explore. Shuttle busses can be found right outside the hotel.

Entertainment can be found in every corner of downtown Vancouver. From bars, to the famous Fly Over Canada 4D experiences, to one of many culinary establishments in the area, Coal Harbour is already quite a bit to take in for those on a short stay. For those on a longer stay, I recommend exploring parts of Gastown, Granville Street, Yaletown and Robson. The skytrain can be found about a 3 minute walk from the front door of the hotel and can whisk you away to many parts of the city. Don’t panic too much, many areas of Vancouver has free wifi and you can always use Google Maps by syncing them offline so you can get around. There is honestly a lot to see if you have the time.

Photography is great for the Pan Pacific. As an event photographer we get to see many locations, we love the Pan Pacific for it’s access to beautiful backdrops and variety of rooms. From event photography and videography coverage to group photos, the Pan Pacific is one of Three Sixty Media’s favourite places. We feel for those coming from international destinations, this opportunity is great because you can gather large groups in close proximity and get a real feeling of beautiful British Columbia. In our experience as one of Vancouver’s award winning photography teams for events, the Pan Pacific is definitely one of our highlight venues.

For those looking to explore the city in between events, the Pan Pacific is located in the coveted area of Coal Harbour. Just outside you can walk from the conference centre to the world famous Stanley Park. The seawall is a must walk for those who are nature and running enthusiasts. It is a 400-hectare natural West Coast rainforest that is truly beautiful to experience. Whether it is a walk, jog or bike ride you will definitely not regret going. If you are an adventurous planner with a taste for something unique, you could build an activity for your attendees that includes a walk through this amazing space. Bring your phone and take lots of pictures.

Food connoisseurs will be pleasantly greeted with amazing food both within the hotel and within steps of the establishment. Some of our favourites include Oceans 999, Tap and Barrel, Arc, Don Francesco, Mink Chocolates, Guu Gastown and Oru. Now I won’t get into them here, but as we continue writing about places we will add tags to their pages. In the meantime, you’ll have to rely on google.

For your guests staying at the hotel the Pan Pacific offers a Fitness Facility, swimming pool, and a spa. The Fitness facility offers both machine equipment and dumbbells. After your workout enjoy the change room and steam showers available to you. The swimming pool is an outdoor space complete with whirlpool and a sauna located inside. What makes the swimming pool unique is that it is not only a heated pool but the water is salt water. During the months of June, July and August the weather is generally warm enough to sunbathe outside. My personal recommendation is that you bring a robe or something to cover yourself as it is right by the water and even on a warm day a moderate breeze can give you goosebumps. Make sure you pack a pair of flip flops to get back and forth to your room. SpaUtopia, located within the facility has a roman like feel with it’s decor. The usual offerings of massage, hair, skin and nail treatments are available with appointments.

I hope that this article has helped you in some way identify if it would be a good venue for you to select for your conference. If you found it useful, please let me know in the comments below and if there is anything more you would like to see us add, please let us know! Thank you for reading and we hope to meet you at your event!