Looking for a new venue to host your next event? Here are the most anticipated Toronto restaurants, corporate event venues, hotels, conference centers, and private and party rooms to open next year. These new and renovated Toronto venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more. Toronto offers so much for meeting delegates – from great convention facilities right in the downtown, plenty of flight options and all the culture that can easily be explored outside of the convention hours. The impact of meetings is far-reaching as many international delegates extend their stay, bring family with them to the convention and often are inspired to return again for a pleasure trip to explore the region. Conventions, meetings and events are a mainstay of the tourism economy in Toronto.
1. Union Station, Canada’s busiest passenger transportation hub, is undergoing a renovation that will largely finish by this summer to accommodate crowds for the Pan Am Games. It will include expanded transit concourses as well as a restoration and preservation of the station’s heritage elements including three event spaces: the Great Hall (14,000 square feet), the West Wing (4,000 square feet), and the East and West Carriageways.
2. The Mattamy National Cycling Centre, a velodome that is the official home to Canadian Cycling, is set to open in mid-January. The space will include a 250-meter cycling track, a 300-meter walking track, and several fitness and meeting studios. It will coordinate private cycling sessions for teambuilding events.
3. Opening in late 2015, Hotel X Toronto has a prime location on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition and is connected by skybridge to the Allstream Centre. The 406-room hotel will cater to the sports and entertainment markets with a 71,000-square-foot sports club and spa and the 11,500-square-foot Cinematech, which will include a box office, a 294-seat theater, two screening rooms, and a film editing suite. Other spaces for events will include two ballrooms, 11 meeting rooms, two presidential suites, and multiple restaurants, a bar, and a rooftop lounge.
4. Bellwoods Brewery is planning to open a new space this summer in a 20,000-square-foot warehouse at Dupont Street and Dovercourt Road. The popular craft brewery’s new space will also include retail space, a hop garden and green roof, a tasting room, and an event space.
5. The storied Matador Club at College and Dovercourt announced it will reopen its doors in the fall. After a failed attempt to relaunch in 2012, new ownership has plans to turn the former country music club into an upscale event space. The new Matador will host live music and its hall will be available for private social or corporate events.
6. With an opening date set for early 2015, Lansdowne Brewery will occupy a space in the Bloordale and Brockton Triangle neighborhood as a self-running brewpub. The brewery will house 10 barrels and plans to produce 1,000 barrels in its first year of production. Inside, there will be a full-service restaurant, and future plans include dedicated event space.
7. Slated to open at the end of January, Bar Raval comes from chef Grant van Gameren of Bar Isabel fame along with partners Mike Webster and Robin Goodfellow. The space will have a Spanish taverna vibe with coffees, snack foods, and cocktails. It will seat about 40.
8. Inspired by Taiwan’s street food, Kanpai Snack Bar is slated to open in mid-January in Cabbagetown. From co-owners Trevor Lui and chef Ike Huang, the bar and restaurant will have a beverage menu of classic and playful cocktails and an open kitchen. The space will have seat 50 and will be available for private events.
9. The historic Maple Leaf Tavern across from Gerrard Square is undergoing a renovation and will reopen in the fall as a gastropub with Toronto chef Eric Wood in the kitchen.
10. Dark Horse Espresso Bar, the indie coffee chain with four locations throughout the city, will open a new spot in the 80,000-square-foot Artisan Factory building in Dovercourt Village. With an anticipated spring launch, the new space also will serve fresh pastries and breads.