Gamesymphonic with Eímear Noone Among Select Calgary Phil Concerts Being Promoted Throughout Alberta with an Assist from the CHA
The Calgary Hotel Association (CHA) plays a vital role in positioning our city as the place to be in the eyes of potential visitors, including travelers from within the province of Alberta. This concert season, the Calgary Philharmonic has been thrilled to partner with CHA in helping to promote select concerts to music lovers from Medicine Hat to Edmonton who might be interested in a special night out with the Orchestra. Among these performances is 28 March’s Gamesymphonic with Eímear Noone, which sees the award-winning conductor and composer leading the Orchestra and Chorus through the music of the world’s greatest video games.
We spoke to Gabriela Amezcua, Manager, Member and Stakeholder Relations at CHA to tell us more about who makes up the association, what they do, and why partnering with the performing arts makes sense as part of their tourism strategy.
When/why did the Calgary Hotel Association form? What is its mission?
The Calgary Hotel Association was formed in 2008 as a way for Calgary’s hotel community to work together with a unified voice. Our industry is incredibly interconnected with the broader tourism ecosystem, so the association was created to support collaboration between hotels, partners, and the many organizations that help shape Calgary as a destination.
Today, the CHA represents about 60 hotels across the city, and our mission is to create an optimal environment for Calgary’s hospitality and tourism industry through collaboration, advocacy, and strategic investment.
At its core, our work is about supporting our members while also strengthening Calgary as a place people want to visit, meet, celebrate, and experience.
Why is tourism so important to Calgary?
Tourism plays a huge role in Calgary’s economy and in how we share our city with the world. Visitors support thousands of jobs and businesses across hospitality, restaurants, retail, transportation, and cultural organizations.
But beyond the economic impact, tourism also helps tell Calgary’s story. When people come here for an event, a conference, a festival, or simply to explore the region, they experience the culture, creativity, and hospitality that define our city.
For hotels, welcoming those visitors is just the starting point — the real value comes from connecting them with everything Calgary has to offer.
How do the performing arts fit into your strategy?
The performing arts are a vital part of Calgary’s visitor experience. Cultural programming gives people meaningful reasons to travel, extend their stay, and come back again.
When someone attends a concert, a theatre production, or a cultural event, it becomes part of their memory of the city. From a tourism perspective, those experiences are incredibly powerful because they help define Calgary as a vibrant, creative place to visit.
That’s why partnerships with arts organizations are so important to us.
Could you tell us about your partnership with the Calgary Phil?
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra is a wonderful example of the kind of cultural institution that elevates Calgary’s tourism and cultural landscape. Their programming brings world-class performances to the city and creates experiences that both residents and visitors can enjoy.
For the Calgary Hotel Association, partnerships like this are about connecting our guests with the cultural life of the city. When visitors stay in our hotels and attend a Calgary Phil performance, they’re not just coming for a night in a hotel — they’re experiencing Calgary’s arts community and the energy that makes this city special.
We’re proud to support organizations like the Calgary Phil that contribute so much to Calgary’s identity and vibrancy.
Latest Posts:
- Getting in the game with the Calgary Hotel Association
- On Vision and Verdi
- Jesse Morrison on Transitions
- Vividly Vivek
- The Confluence of Tradition and Technology
- A Sland Dunk
