Our client Meetingmax today had their op-ed featured in the Vancouver Sun. Check out President and CEO Jeff Duncan's thoughts on why the meetings industry should embrace the collaborative economy.  

Harbour Centre is one of the most iconic towers in the Vancouver skyline, and never is it more radiant that at Christmastime when the top is decked with festive red lights. It's a downtown holiday tradition that's spanned more than 30 years.

Yesterday, the Elettra team took Vancouver Sun up to the very top of the tower to see the hanging of the lights. It's a massive job for the Harbour Centre crew. They fearlessly hang 1,100 lights 200 metres above the city streets. Be sure to enjoy their hard work by looking up when you're walking around downtown this holiday season.

Vancouver Sun's Mia Stainsby covers the Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards.

Hawksworth cleans up at 2012 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards

It’s the year of David Hawksworth as far as the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards is concerned.

Judges for the 2012 Awards gave him and his restaurant Hawksworth, five top awards at the annual awards partyMonday: Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Best New Restaurant, Best New Design and Best Upscale Restaurant.

The Best Sommelier award went to Terry Threlfall, who works at — where else? Hawksworth.

“Welcome back, fine dining” said one judge, of Hawksworth. “The former wizard of West roared back to top form in a “triptych of rooms so pretty they’re heartbreaking. And the food’s every bit as good as you’d expect,” enthused another.

In tune with the times, Trafalgars Bistro and the sister bakery Sweet Obsessions took a Green Award for its commitment to reducing waste. The businesses generate about one garbage bag of waste a week.

A Lifetime Achievement Award went to Kimble Chan and Nelson Yeung of Kirin Mandarin Restaurant. “Much as Umberto Menghi, Hidekazu Tojo and Vikram Vij moved their respective cuisines from easy ethnic clichés to sophisticated dining that embraces locality and seasonality, the Kirin Group has long shaped the direction of local Chinese cuisine,” judges said.

There were regular award takers like Tojo’s (Best Upscale Japanese) and Vij’s (Best Indian) and there were some newer kids on the block, Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle (Best Noodle House) and Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Best Pizzeria) — the latter two are new categories.

Re-up BBQ took the Gold for Best Food Cart.

Reflecting Vancouver’s casual nature, the whole notion of “formal” evaporated, says Vancouver Magazine editor Gary Ross.

“Our judges felt Best Upscale Restaurant, based on the price, was a better descriptor than Best Formal with its hint of stuffiness and starched linens.”

Last week a rare bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl cognac was sold at the Aldeasa Duty Free store in the International Terminal of Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The bottle of Remy Martin cognac sold for $34,000 to a couple who were on their return home to Mainland China. Anthony Gismondi writes about the significance of the sale in the Vancouver Sun.