Kimberly Conference Centre Will Enhance The Region

News Release
The owners at Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa, right next to the Conference Centre site, are optimistic that the influx of sports and corporate travel to the Conference Centre will increase the popularity of the resort's optional rental pool.

"The owners who participate in the rental pool are very excited about the progress being made on the centre," Allyson Blake, director of real estate marketing at Mountain Spirit, says. "They did their research before deciding to buy in a four season destination that had plans for a centre of this calibre."

The year-round, $6-million dollar facility is designed with both disabled and able-bodied athletes in mind. It will include meeting rooms, an audio-visual department and a conference space to hold 500 people.

"The convenience of having so many high quality golf courses in such close proximity to the new conference centre should make it a popular choice for corporate travel," says Blake. "While we are a four season destination, golf is the sport of business so it should mean more group bookings at local courses. Especially in the typically slower early and late season."

Funding for the centre is coming from the City of Kimberley, federal and provincial infrastructure grants, a $300,000 grant from the Columbia Basin Trust and $150,000 from the Southern Interior Development Trust. The centre is being built by New Dawn Developments, builders of Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa. It is expected to be completed by October 2010.

The conference and training centre is expected to become a key economic driver for Kimberley. Leisure travellers and tourists have long contributed to the local economy, but business travellers have not. Conference delegates often fill hotel rooms during the shoulder season and mid-week travel when leisure travel is traditionally low. Conferences are also booked in advance, providing a secure source of income regardless of economic fluctuations.

Research compiled by Vann Struth Consulting for the City of Kimberly pegs the daily spending of conference delegates at approximately $125 per day on top of the accommodation costs. The same research expects the conference centre to boost spending in Kimberley by more than $5 million per year--more than double the current level.

"The development of the Paralympic Training and Conference Centre opens up new options to increase our shoulder season business by targeting a growing meetings market that that would not otherwise be attracted to Kimberley," Cathy Robinson, operations manager for Bellstar Hotels and Resorts, the rental manager for Mountain Spirit Resort & Spa. "The combination of Mountain Spirit's ski-in, ski-out location, along with the upcoming 6,000 square foot spa and slope-side restaurant-- all right across the street from the new centre--should ensure we are a top choice for conference delegates."

Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa features a true ski-in, ski-out location in the serene Purcell Mountains at the base of Kimberley Alpine Resort. It will feature a 6,000 sq. ft. spa, fine dining, year round outdoor heated pool and hot tub and fully furnished suites in the up-and-coming vacation destination of Kimberley, B.C. Membership in the exclusive Resort to Resort vacation exchange program is included with every purchase.

Activity is ramping up at Kimberley Alpine Resort in preparation for another outstanding ski season. Last season KAR received the Visitor's Choice Award being voted the Overall Favourite Resort in the Pacific North West from onthesnow.com and the 2009 Best of Business Award for Ski Area in the East Kootenay Region. The mountain is set to open on December 19 with a preview weekend set for December 12.

Mountain Spirit Resort & Spa is a boutique spa resort offering ski-in, ski-out condominiums at the Kimberley Alpine Resort. Located in the Kootenay region of British Columbia, Mountain Spirit will combine a 6,000 square foot spa, great perks and an ideal location to create the ultimate resort experience. Spa-inspired from inception, the resort is located in the heart of Kimberley Alpine Resort and boasts a true ski-in-ski-out location. It will feature a slope-side restaurant and patio, year round outdoor heated pool and is the only resort spa in Kimberley. Mountain Spirit Resort & Spa offers recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation.

For more information or to arrange a hosted media visit to Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa, contact:

Scott Henderson - dHz Media - - 1+403.229.9219
- - - scott.henderson@dhzmedia.ca
Matt Stuart - 1+403.975.4040
- - - matt.stuart@dhzmedia.ca