2026 Summer e-News Update

Brandon to Host the 2027 Telus Cup!

In April of 2027, our city will have the opportunity to host Canada’s top U18 AAA hockey talent! The 2027 TELUS Cup, Canada’s National U18 Championship, is coming to Brandon, bringing together elite young athletes, coaches, families and hockey fans from across the country.

Hosting an event of this caliber is a tremendous opportunity to highlight Brandon’s renowned prairie hospitality, incredible facilities and community spirit. Brandon First was very proud to provide development support to the Keystone Centre’s bid for this event and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors for an unforgettable experience both on and off the ice.

Canada’s National Arabian Show: Successful for Another Year!

Another successful year is in the books for Canada’s National Arabian Horse Show! This incredible annual event once again brought approximately 300 horses, plus their competitors, as well as exhibitors, spectators and horse enthusiasts from across the continent to Brandon, contributing to a busy and vibrant atmosphere throughout the entire Keystone Centre from August 6-15. New this year was a full event tour as part of their Community Day. They had more than 100 people sign up and join in on barn tours, pool noodle stick horse making, a stick horse show, coloring stations and informative Arabian Horse learning sessions. Brandon First staff attended the tour and learned a lot about the history of the Arabian Horse, the technicalities of competition and what an event like that takes to pull off. We also got to pet some horses! Take a click through our photo gallery below for some pictures of our experience!

Brandon First Hosts Annual General Meeting

Board Chair Grant Hamilton delivers opening remarks at the 2026 Brandon First AGM

Brandon First held its Annual General Meeting in June at The Backyard on Aberdeen, bringing stakeholders together to reflect on the organization’s work over the past year and look ahead to the year ahead. Executive Director Jenn Watson provided a year-in-review presentation, highlighting key initiatives, accomplishments and activities from the past year, including the development of our new Strategic Plan, while BDO presented Brandon First’s financials.

The AGM also provided an opportunity to confirm the composition of the Board and we were very pleased to welcome two new directors, Connie Lawrence of the Keystone Centre and Kaitlyn Mitchell from the WMCA, to two-year terms. Together with our full Board of Directors, our leadership team brings a diverse range of experience, connections and perspectives to Brandon First. We’re grateful to all of our board members, stakeholders and partners for their continued leadership and support as we work to strengthen Brandon’s profile as an incredible host city.

Information on our Board of Directors can be found here.

Brandon First Supporting Brandon Tourism’s New Strategic Plan Process

Brandon First is so excited to be supporting Brandon Tourism as it develops a new strategic plan for the city’s tourism sector. As part of the process, we participated in two planning sessions led by consulting firm UpHouse, alongside a great group of local tourism industry representatives, including venues, event planners, municipal government and other community partners.

It was a valuable opportunity to share ideas, perspectives and experiences from across the industry, and we’re excited to see the progress being made on the plan. Brandon First looks forward to continuing to be part of the process and working collaboratively with Brandon Tourism and our local tourism partners to identify opportunities that will strengthen our industry, and enhance the visitor experience as we continue grow Brandon as a destination for visitors and events.

Welcome to our Newest Brandon First Stakeholder Members!

Please join us in welcoming our newest Brandon First stakeholder members: Paradigm Charter Bus Tours and Santa Lucia Pizza Brandon! We’re excited to have both organizations join our growing network of members working together to promote and support Brandon as a host destination.

Paradigm Charter Bus Tours is based in Saskatchewan and currently expanding into Brandon and Western Manitoba. Paradigm provides safe, reliable group transportation with a modern fleet of charter coaches for corporate travel, school trips, sports teams, tours, and special events. Their focus on professional service, passenger comfort, and dependable transportation makes them a valuable addition to our region’s growing tourism industry.

Santa Lucia Pizza Brandon  provides tasty food and great community spirit to Brandon, with delicious pizza that’s perfect for fueling events, teams, meetings, celebrations, and everything in between. Whether you’re feeding a crowd at a community event or grabbing a meal for family and friends, Santa Lucia Pizza is ready to serve up quality food that keeps people going!

We are excited about these two new partnerships and are pleased to share with event planners the services they provide and help find opportunities to collaborate. Welcome to the Brandon First team!

Coming Soon! Your invitation to the 2026 Night of Delight

Jenn and the crew at the WMCA during last year’s Night of Delight

Get out your calendars and keep an eye on your inbox! Your invitation to the 2026 Night of Delight is coming soon!

This signature Brandon First event is an opportunity to bring our stakeholder community together for an evening of celebration, connection and appreciation. We’re looking forward to another memorable night recognizing the people, businesses and organizations that help make Brandon a great place to visit, work, play and do business. Stay tuned for more details, including event information and your invitation!

Thank you to all of our funders and stakeholders. We could not continue to bring the best events to Brandon in the future if not for the generosity of our events and business community today.

If your business is not yet a Brandon First stakeholder and you would like more information you can call our office at 204-729-2156 or click here for details on membership.

Invoices for 2026 memberships were sent out in January and due by March 31, 2026.
If you have any questions about your membership or the benefits you receive please reach out to Jenn directly at jenn@brandonfirst.com or 204-441-5628