Avenir Centre in Moncton. Image: Tara Clow

The upcoming 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship means big opportunities for local businesses.

Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton CEO John Wishart says an upcoming meeting will help them find out how they can be a part of it.

A special business information meeting will be held on November 16th, from 4 pm to 6 pm at the Delta Beausejour Hotel.

“We’re going to talk about local sponsorship opportunities and volunteer opportunities.  We’ll be releasing the schedule of what’s called the fan experience, which is everything outside the hockey games. We will also be displaying something called World Juniors and a box, which is special marketing and the signage package which will be available for local businesses,” Wishart stated.

Representatives from Hockey Canada, the World Juniors’ local organizing committee, the Chamber and DMCI will be there to share how businesses and their employees can become involved in the 2023 World Juniors.

“We are already hearing from hotel operators that normally between Christmas and early January they’re down to about 15% room occupancy. But based on bookings to date, because of the World Juniors, they expect that to be over 50%. So that’s great news for hotels. Also, this is a big, big opportunity for restaurants and bars and cafes, and retail shops. We will have people from around the world visiting from the five countries.   So it’s a great opportunity to put some extra cash in the till just at year-end,” Wishart adds.

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship is being co-hosted by Moncton and Halifax from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

“We’ve done it before with international track and field and women’s soccer. And I think this is just the latest example of how we can shine and it has the opportunity the potential the position, or region for other major events like this,” Wishart says.