For over 100 years, Calgary has been home to the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” – the Calgary Stampede (in one form of other, in its previous iterations).

Despite the controversies that may surround the Stampede, the economic and tourism importance of the 10 day long event is not something that can be ignored by Albertans. As the highest grossing festival in Canada, Stampede draws in over 1 million attendees each year and accounts for at least $540 million in economic impact* (2019 figure).

The Calgary Stampede is more than the rodeo, derby, exhibition, and midway though. All throughout the 10 days, politicians from across Alberta and the country flock to Calgary for events and meet & greets, all in the name of doing business. It’s a political “schmooze-fest”, if you will, but it definitely is the best place to get face time with the government individuals you need to speak with.

Diplomat has always prided itself on doing government relations differently. We have been very lucky over the years, to be selective of the clients we work with and the projects we conduct. With a long history of political affiliation – and a special nod to hosting Politics on Tap for years – our relationships with individuals span all political backgrounds.

This year, we headed down to the Calgary Stampede with 2 clients in tow. With health and science at the top of mind, we had an incredibly successful 4 day trip that included many long nights followed by early mornings – a combination that is ripe for sleepless nights and daytime over-caffeination.

Big thanks to everyone we saw – whether new friends or old – for making it such a great weekend. We’ve had a week to recovery from the weekend of decadence and it’s back to the grindstone for us.