TCC
Founded in 1995, we were built on a single vision: to become the most innovative, comprehensive customer-focused trade and convention facility worldwide.
Everything we do leads to the same goal – to create nothing less than an exceptional experience for each one of our customers.
The Toronto Congress Centre
In 1995, The Toronto Congress Centre (TCC) was founded by Mr. Alain K Sutton with a single visionary goal: “to become the most innovative, customer-focused convention facility in North America.”
With over 1 million square feet of space for shows, conventions, galas and meetings. TCC is the largest facility of its kind in Canada and in size ranks among the top ten in North America.
Congress Centres Inc. owns and operates The Toronto Congress Centre as well as numerous other companies in related businesses. Toronto Congress Centre, a division of Congress Centres Inc., is host to many of the largest and most prestigious meetings and expositions in the country. In 2005, it became the first and only trade facility in the Americas to receive HACCP Accreditation, meeting the highest level of food safety practices worldwide and has maintained gold standard since. In 2025 TCC was selected as World’s Greatest Convention Centre.
The Toronto Congress Centre is in the people business. All companies talk about exemplary customer service as a corporate mantra. At Toronto Congress Centre we take this a critical step further with our own special attitude to customer experience — “Great Experience Makers” or GEM™.
GEM™ is more than a trademarked symbol or even a brand; it’s a way of life.
TCC firmly believes that in business, “It’s not enough to do well, one must continually strive to reach above and beyond.” It is this ideology that has continued to propel us forward as the world’s leading trade and convention facility and position us in the forefront of our industry.
Founder Story
Founder
Alain K. Sutton
The Toronto Congress Centre was founded in 1995 by Mr. Alain K. Sutton. Mr. Sutton’s accomplishments over his 20+ years as Chairman & CEO stretched far beyond what this industry had ever seen. He continuously pushed the boundaries and expectations, setting the bar for our peers higher and higher.
A true visionary, Mr. Sutton in 12 short years grew Toronto Congress Centre from half a million to 1 million square feet, becoming the largest privately owned and operated trade and convention centre in the country.
His vision and passion to create great experiences carried through not only in the bricks and mortar but through the culture at TCC. He redefined the term customer experience in the trade show industry from its inception, providing industry events, associations and corporations with an elevated option.
By sheer determination and precise vision, he brought TCC to the forefront of the industry. With an MBA and Engineering degree from McGill and his background in real estate development, hospitality and information technology, he understood what business needed in order to succeed. Mr. Sutton brought the perfect marriage of those fields together with his attention to detail to every facet of the business.
His legacy lives on throughout the Toronto Congress Centre, not only in the details and unique taste seen throughout the facility, but through the culture he founded and the positive impact he made on so many.
IT’S NOT A TAGLINE
IT’S THE HEART AND SOUL OF OUR COMPANY
Every day, in a thousand ways, it moves us.
It’s creating truly memorable experiences.
And delivering on our promises.
Every time. It’s developing relationships built on trust.
And integrity.
And love for what you do.
It’s knowing who our customers are and what they need.
Sometimes before they do.
It’s a vow to do more. To do better. To go beyond.
We’re The Toronto Congress Centre.
We are, each and every one of us, uniquely passionate about our customers.
And they can feel it.
That’s what makes us Great Experience Makers™.
We will never be like any other event facility.
And they will never be like us.
What a wonderful, beautiful thing.