2004 Grey Cup wins Ottawa Tourism "Event of the Year" Award
March 3, 2005 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Ottawa Renegades News Release
OTTAWA â The 2004 Grey Cup, and week long Kickin' It In The Capital festival, won the "Event of the Year" by the Ottawa Tourism group as part of their annual awards Wednesday night.
More than 50 events took place during Grey Cup week as part of the festival, which helped generate over $43 million in the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors. The championship game, staged on Nov. 21, 2004, was the largest sporting event in Canada and televised on CBC.
"We are pleased and honoured that our hard work to put on the 2004 Grey Cup was recognized with an Ottawa Tourism Award," said Brad Watters, president of the Ottawa Renegades Football Club and Grey Cup 2004. "The Grey Cup is more than just a game. It is a celebration of Canadian sport that motivates the spirit of generosity, compassion, sharing and tolerance across the country, and, in particular, its host community."
Included in the "Event of the Year" award criteria was an emphasis on enticing people to visit Ottawa and Canada's Capital Region.
Ottawa hosted the 92nd Grey Cup in November, attracting about 100,000 people to the festivities, including 50,000 from outside the city. The festival also had an estimated $43-million economic impact on the Capital region.
"The gala lets the tourism community come together and take stock of our progress," said Jacques Burelle, president and COO of Ottawa Tourism. "In 2004, we welcomed the Grey Cup, enjoyed outstanding festivals, saw the introduction of the destination marketing fee and the continued commitment of the city, and assembled a revitalized Ottawa Tourism team."
A dozen employees, and more than 1,400 volunteers (representing 3,500 volunteer shifts) helped make the festival a success. The Grey Cup Organizing Committee used creativity in its event programming, including everything from a high school youth workshop, to the Great Big Canadian Evening and extremely popular "Rockin' In The Capital" parties.
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