More Than a Cup of Coffee: Creating Connection at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park

A convention centre is often known for the events it hosts, but it's the experience between those events that people remember.

It's the conversations over coffee between sessions. The opportunity to reconnect with a colleague. The welcoming place where attendees can take a break, answer a few emails or pull up a chair and stay awhile.

At the BMO Centre at Stampede Park, these moments are no accident.

As Western Canada's largest convention centre, the BMO Centre has placed a growing emphasis on elevating the guest experience through its food and beverage program, creating thoughtful relationships with suppliers, memorable culinary offerings and inviting spaces that help people connect.

"When we started building the expanded BMO Centre, it was always about elevation," says Sharon Garnett, Director, Food & Beverage at the Calgary Stampede. "We didn't want to just serve a cup of coffee that was average. We wanted to stand behind a good local product that we could all be proud of."

That vision led the team to search for a new coffee supplier ahead of the expanded BMO Centre's opening in 2024. More than sourcing a new product, the team was looking for a supplier whose approach aligned with the values guiding the broader food and beverage program.

"We wanted something local," shares Garnett. "We wanted to build a relationship with a coffee supplier in Calgary that was community-minded and would be able to bring us a higher-end product."

After evaluating flavour profiles, sustainability practices, customer service and community impact, the team selected Calgary-based Chronicle Coffee.

"Our business is built on relationships," says Karl Ward, Owner of Chronicle Coffee. "Working directly with coffee farmers allows us to invest back into the communities where our coffee is grown, while partnerships like the one we have with the Calgary Stampede help us create meaningful connections closer to home. Those relationships enable Chronicle Coffee to produce our exceptional, high quality, coffee."

Working closely with the Stampede team, Chronicle then developed a custom coffee profile for the BMO Centre.

"We wanted to land on a really good quality coffee, but one that was well-rounded and balanced, something that would appeal to large demographics," explains John Mitchell, Director of Specialty Coffee at Chronicle Coffee. "We worked through a lot of different medium roast profiles to come up with the exact coffee that would be served at events within the BMO Centre and across Stampede Park."

Today, freshly roasted Chronicle Coffee is served throughout the BMO Centre, including at the Stampede Perk café, and across Stampede Park.

The impact has shown up in unexpected ways. During a recent international convention, attendees had access to six coffee carts throughout the BMO Centre, including two operated by Stampede Perk.

"One morning, we had lineups," recalls Garnett. "I was trying to direct people to a less busy coffee cart, and they told me, 'Oh, the coffee over here is better.' They were standing at our carts."

She laughs at the memory, but the moment reinforced the value of investing in quality.

Coffee, however, is just one part of a larger story.

The same philosophy that guided the Chronicle relationship can be found throughout the BMO Centre's food and beverage program, from menu development and service standards to the spaces where guests gather.

"A good food and beverage program is being able to capture and showcase our local food and beverage partners, and the creativity and experience of our culinary and service teams," says Garnett.

That approach is perhaps most visible at Stampede Perk. Reimagined in 2026, the café was redesigned as a gathering place where event attendees, guests and community members can meet, work, relax or recharge.

"The goal was to create a cozy gathering place for our guests," says Garnett. "A place where people can come and decompress, have a quick meeting, or pull up a chair and enjoy a coffee."

Today, the space is regularly filled with informal meetings, networking conversations and visitors from across Stampede Park and beyond.

"We're seeing those pods of conversation and networking going on," she says. "That's really what this is about."

Behind those experiences is a team committed to continual improvement and innovation.

"My pride comes in the team's success around making our guests feel like, 'Yes, that was an amazing meal. That was an amazing beverage experience,'" Garnett reflects.

Whether it's a thoughtfully crafted menu, a locally roasted cup of coffee or a welcoming place to gather, every detail is designed with the same goal in mind: creating exceptional experiences that make people feel welcome, connected and eager to return.