Opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 2nd, 1984, Canada’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) was built in Toronto’s Railway Lands. Also known as Metro Convention Centre and as Palais des congres du Toronto Metropolitain, the venue’s location along Front Street West is in the heart of downtown. It is connected to the city’s underground PATH system, and to Union Station by SkyWalk, which also leads to CN Tower and Rogers Centre.
MTCC has over 700,000 square feet of event space, with an exhibit floor of 442,000. There are 77 meeting rooms, two ballrooms of 78,000 square feet total, and the 1,232 seat John W. H. Bassett Theatre. The convention center’s size, its connection to transportation corridors, proximity to shopping and entertainment all come together to make it a major exhibition hub not only for Toronto, but for Ontario, Canada, and North America as well.
Past events include the G7 Summit of 1988, and the G20 Summit of 2010. The XVI International AIDS Conference was held there in 2006, and in 2016 the venue hosted the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. Annually MTCC sees the NHL Awards, Fan Expo & Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo (EGLX), and the Canadian International Auto Show which had a record 371,559 attendees in 2024.
A commitment to sustainability and community leads MTCC to source many ingredients from local farms, including 100 percent of its wine and craft beer, and the site’s culinary operations get vegetables, herbs, and honey from its own rooftop gardens and beehives. The convention center has donated more than 500,000 meals to Toronto food rescue programs.
With over 22,000 events and nearly 70 million visitors since it’s opening, MTCC is not just one of Toronto’s contributions to Canadian economy but also the nation’s culture and history. The cultural exhibits like Toronto Summit Tapestry—created by Joanna Staniszkis to commemorate the 1988 Toronto Economic Summit—and the mural Mohawk: Meeting, where stainless steel cutouts and neon designs reflect Indigenous themes, Toronto and the MTCC is a historical and future place of meeting.
EAT
A business casual steakhouse, Black + Blue (130 King St. W) offers Prime rib Sundays, (Beef) Wellington Mondays, and the Lunch 45 menu (designed to get you in and out in 45 minutes!). They’re Kobe Beef certified, serve a variety of world famous premium meat cuts, and offer a gorgeous, stylish setting, great for a client dinner or a fancy evening after a long convention day.
If you like Thai cuisine, Pai Northern Thai Kitchen (18 Duncan St) is within walking distance of the convention center. Serving authentic and delicious Northern Thai dishes, noodles, and curries. Near the theatre district, it’s a great place for dinner before a show after convention hours.
SLEEP
Set in the heart of the financial district, the InterContinental Toronto Centre (225 Front Street) is practically adjacent to the convention center. The pet friendly place is mere steps from the CN Tower, Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre, and Ripley’s Aquarium, and has penthouse-like suites, an indoor saltwater pool, gourmet restaurant, state-of-the-art fitness center, and an 8,000 square foot tranquility spa for relaxing after a busy convention week.
The luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Toronto (181 Wellington St W) offers electric vehicle charging station, children’s activities, pool, bicycle rental, free internet, breakfast buffet and is pet friendly, and is also a short walking distance to Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).
PLAY
For entertainment after a long conference day, the options around the MTCC are rich. There is the John W. H. Bassett Theatre (255 Front Street West), located inside the North Building of the MTCC itself. With about 1,232 seats, it hosts various types of shows including theatrical productions and concerts. And Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada (288 Bremner Boulevard) offers educational entertainment with hands-on interactive experiences and animal interaction.
Photo courtesy of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
This story originally appeared in the Q1 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 30. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/exhibit_city_news_-_jan_feb_mar_2026/30.
