TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2017 /CNW/ - The Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Tourism Toronto are pleased to announce that Toronto has been selected by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) to host the foremost international event for medical technology experts, The MedTech Conference, set to take place October 5-7, 2020.

The major convention will bring over 2,600 leaders in medical technology, including CEOs, venture capitalists, and policy makers to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) and contribute an estimated $9.49M in forecasted economic impact direct spending to the city.

This significant bid win marks the first time The MedTech Conference will take place outside of the United States and reflects Toronto's international standing as a world-class hub for medical technology and health sciences expertise.

Recognized as the fastest growing technology market in North America, Toronto is home to half of Canada's medical technology companies and most top 25 global medical technology companies operate in the region. The city's health sciences sector is also ranked among the best in the world, along with its researchers.

This important win, led by Tourism Toronto, the Leaders Circle, TOHealth!, MEDEC, and Ontario's Office of the Chief Health Innovation Strategist, follows a series of major U.S. conventions secured by Toronto. In its last fiscal year, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre secured 11 major U.S. conventions for future years, the highest number in more than a decade.

"I am pleased that Toronto has been chosen to host MedTech 2020, North America's premier medical technology conference. This will be the first time that the conference will be held in Canada. In choosing Ontario, our province will showcase its leadership in the medical technology sector and be recognized as a leading North American hub for health innovation", said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

"Awarding The MedTech Conference to the City of Toronto is further evidence that our work, together with collaborators in the system, is catalyzing and growing a thriving health innovation ecosystem in Ontario. Our office is thrilled to be a key partner welcoming the world's top leaders in health innovation to Toronto in 2020", said William Charnetski, Chief Health Innovation Strategist of Ontario.

"Toronto is thrilled to welcome The MedTech Conference in 2020. The fact that Toronto is the first location outside of the United States to host this important conference is a testament to the strength and the global prominence of the technology sector in Toronto", said Mayor John Tory, City of Toronto.

"It says a lot about Toronto that AdvaMed chose this city to be their first conference outside the U.S. and we're thrilled they have," said Johanne Belanger, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto. "Toronto's life science sector is thriving and the city is fast becoming a tech superpower on the global stage."

"We are honoured to have been chosen as the first Canadian venue to host The MedTech Conference and we look forward to welcoming medical technology experts from around the world in 2020", said Barry Smith, President & CEO at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

About Tourism Toronto
Tourism Toronto is an industry association, with more than 1,000 member businesses, and the official destination marketing organization for Toronto, "Canada's Downtown." With sales and marketing programs in key markets around the world, Tourism Toronto promotes the Toronto region as a remarkable destination for tourists, convention delegates and business travelers. Tourism Toronto operates in partnership with the Greater Toronto Hotel Association and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. For more information please visit SeeTorontoNow.com.

About the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is Canada's number one convention and trade show facility. Over the past 31 years, the Centre has hosted over 19,000 events, entertained more than 59 million guests and has added $5.7 billion in direct spending to the community. For further information, please visit www.mtccc.com.