Vancouver was voted the Best City in the Americas for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009 by Condé Nast Traveler magazine based on the categories of ambience, friendliness, culture and sites, restaurants, lodging and shopping. It is a dynamic, multicultural city set in a spectacular natural environment. No matter what time of the year, there are indoor and outdoor activities to please adults, families, couples and friends. Majestic mountains, sparkling ocean, rainforests and beautiful foliage in all four seasons make Vancouver an ideal place to visit. Visitors can enjoy quick and easy access to the Whistler Resort, the Canadian Rockies, Victoria, Vancouver Island and year-round water and land sports. Vancouver is also home to Stanley Park, a 400 hectare evergreen oasis in the downtown core. Its natural, west coast atmosphere offers a back drop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees with walking trails in the forest or at seaside, beautiful panoramas of the surrounding landscape and of course, the Vancouver Aquarium. 

Vancouver hosted the XXI Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in February and March 2010. Over 6,800 athletes and officials from 80+ countries, 25,000 volunteers and more than 350,000 visitors enjoyed all the Vancouver has to offer. The new, state-of-the-art Vancouver Convention Centre, which served as the Official Broadcast Centre for the 2010 Olympics, is the venue for ICIAM 2011!