The Centro Caboto Centre

What The Centro Caboto Centre does

The Centro Caboto Centre is a community cultural centre and event venue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, owned and operated by the Italian Canadian League of Manitoba (ICLM). Founded in 1998-1999 and located at 1055 Wilkes Avenue, the centre operates a 27,000 square foot facility comprising six event spaces — the Mauro Conference Centre (up to 350 guests), La Galleria (up to 60), the Piazza (up to 100), Café 13 (up to 120 indoors, ~140 on the seasonal patio), the Caboto Library (up to 35), and the Boardroom (up to 12) — supported by 200+ free parking spaces and full-service catering through partner Sorrento's at the Caboto.

The centre monetizes through venue rental for weddings, corporate events, and community gatherings, walk-in and bookable food and beverage at the licensed Café 13, banquet and catering packages priced via PDF quotes, ticket sales for the annual Folklorama Italian Pavilion (at $7.50 per ticket), and ancillary recreational programs including indoor bocce (Manitoba's only indoor courts) and outdoor calcetto soccer leagues. Complementary cultural and community programming — Italian language classes with Società Dante Alighieri, the Il Foro lecture series, the 55+ seniors program, the MITCAC archival project (101 oral histories), and the Honorary Italian Vice-Consulate for Manitoba — diversify the mission without generating material direct revenue.

The go-to-market is event-driven and community-rooted: bookings are initiated through a structured website inquiry form, the centre promotes via its website, social channels (Instagram, TikTok) tied to Folklorama, and word-of-mouth within the Italian-Canadian community. The organization is governed by the ICLM board (President Tony Pesce, with executive directors across vice-president, secretary, and treasurer roles) and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees augmented by volunteers and partner organizations.

Name

The Centro Caboto Centre

Legal name

Centro Caboto Centre

Website

https://cabotocentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centro Caboto Centre is a Winnipeg-based community cultural centre and event venue owned by the Italian Canadian League of Manitoba, operating six event spaces, Café 13, and cultural programs that serve Manitoba's Italian-Canadian community and broader event-hosting market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Centre and Event Venue

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Multipurpose Event Center Operations (Civic Centers, Community Event Complexes) (MPAGALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA), Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC), Independent Neighborhood Cafes (THAFADAC)

Keywords

• Event venue rental
• Banquet catering services
• Cultural community programs
• Italian heritage events
• Indoor bocce leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Venue Rental: The centre generates revenue by renting out its multiple event spaces including the Mauro Conference Centre (up to 350 guests), La Galleria (up to 60 guests), Piazza (up to 100 guests), Caboto Library (up to 35 guests), and Boardroom (up to 12 guests). Fully catered by Sorrento's at the Caboto.
2. Café 13 Food and Beverage: The licensed café-bar serves coffee, drinks, and food to visitors, with indoor capacity for up to 120 guests and seasonal outdoor seating for about 140 guests in the Piazza.
3. Folklorama Ticket Sales: Annual Italian Pavilion at Folklorama festival generates revenue through ticket sales at $7.50 per ticket plus applicable service fee, attracting close to 7,000 visitors each year.
4. Banquet and Catering Services: Full-service banquets provided by Original Sorrento's owners and banquet staff, with plated lunch and dinner menus, buffet selections, hors d'oeuvres, bar service, and audio-visual services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Centro Caboto Centre operates a multi-use community cultural venue in Winnipeg that hosts banquets, weddings, corporate and private events in its Centro 1055 banquet hall, serves Italian-style café fare at Café 13, runs an indoor bocce league and recreational sports programming, and stages the Italian Pavilion for Folklorama. Offerings are delivered on-site at 1055 Wilkes Avenue and are oriented toward individuals, families, community groups, and organizations seeking an Italian-themed event and cultural experience.

Product overview

The Centro Caboto Centre is a community center and event venue offering a unified portfolio of event spaces and cultural programs. The core offering consists of six distinct event spaces (Mauro Conference Centre up to 350 guests, La Galleria up to 60 guests, Piazza up to 100 guests, Café 13 up to 120 guests, Caboto Library up to 35 guests, and Boardroom up to 12 guests) that share catering by Sorrento's at the Caboto. Supporting these are recreational programs including indoor bocce courts and calcetto outdoor soccer leagues; cultural programs including the Folklorama Italian Pavilion, Italian language classes with Società Dante Alighieri Winnipeg, Il Foro lecture series, and a 55+ seniors program; archival services through MITCAC; commemorative services via the Commemorative Wall; and consular services through the Italian Vice-Consulate office. The venue has operated for over 25 years in a 27,000 square foot facility with free parking for 200+ vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Café 13: Licensed café-bar at the centre offering coffee, bar service, and casual dining with indoor capacity for up to 120 guests and seasonal outdoor seating for about 140 guests.
• Il Foro
• Centro Bocce
• Calcetto

Products and services

• Centro 1055 Banquet Hall Rentals Full-service banquet and event hall available for rent at 1055 Wilkes Avenue, Winnipeg, hosting weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, meetings, and private celebrations with on-site catering coordination. Targeted at individuals, families, businesses, and community organizations.
• Café 13 Italian-style café located inside the centre serving coffee, pastries, and light meals to walk-in customers, event guests, and community visitors.
• Indoor Bocce League Seasonal indoor bocce league running October through April at the centre's bocce courts, available to community members and teams who register to play structured matches.
• Italian Pavilion at Folklorama Ticketed cultural pavilion operated by the centre during Winnipeg's Folklorama multicultural festival, featuring Italian food, music, and cultural programming for festival attendees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attracts close to 7,000 visitors annually through Folklorama Italian Pavilion
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sorrento's at the Caboto (Original Sorrento's Owners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSorrento's provides full-service catering and banquet operations for all events at Centro Caboto Centre. The partnership offers plated lunches and dinners, buffet selections, hors d'oeuvres, late-night reception stations, bar service, wine list, and audio-visual services through their banquet team.
• Società Dante Alighieri WinnipegcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian language classes are offered in partnership with Società Dante Alighieri Winnipeg, bringing learners into a setting shaped by Italian community life at Centro Caboto Centre.
• Honorary Italian Vice-ConsulatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Honorary Italian Vice-Consulate for Manitoba is located at Centro Caboto Centre, providing consular services by appointment including Italian pension life certificate signing. Stanislao Carbone serves as Honorary Vice-Consul.
• Italian Canadian League of Manitoba (ICLM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLM owns and operates Centro Caboto Centre and serves as the umbrella organization of the Italian-Canadian community in Manitoba. The Board of Directors includes President Tony Pesce, First Vice-President Paulina Cuda, Second Vice-President Remo Aiello, Third Vice-President Lisa Montebruno, Secretary Caitlin Chilelli, and Treasurer Andrew Cordileone.
• Italian Canadian Foundation of Manitoba (ICFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICFM is a registered charity and member organization of the Italian Canadian League of Manitoba, based at Centro Caboto Centre. The foundation supports scholarships, the Commemorative Wall, the Viva l'Italia Choir, and cultural events across Manitoba.
• Manitoba Italian Canadian Archival Committee (MITCAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMITCAC gathers oral histories and archival material to preserve Italian-Canadian history in Manitoba. The committee recorded 101 interviews with Italian-Canadian seniors, organized archival materials, and produced a documentary about immigration, family, work and community life. Results shared at Centro Caboto Centre after five years of volunteer work.
• Folklorama FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentro Caboto Centre hosts the Italian Pavilion during Folklorama, Winnipeg's annual multicultural festival. The 2026 pavilion is part of Folklorama's 55th festival featuring 45 pavilions citywide. The Italian Pavilion welcomes close to 7,000 visitors annually for world-class entertainment, Sorrento's cuisine, cultural displays and patio-style hospitality.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Gates on Roblin: A Winnipeg banquet and event venue specializing in weddings and corporate gatherings. Directly competes for the same wedding and corporate event hosting segment in the same city, differentiated by scale and dedicated ballroom rather than a multi-purpose community centre format.
• RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg: Winnipeg's main purpose-built convention and exhibition venue. Directly competes with Centro Caboto for conferences, banquets, and large-scale events in the same city, though it operates at a much larger capacity and more commercial scale.
• Columbus Centre (Toronto): Toronto's Italian-Canadian cultural hub, operated by Villa Charities, hosting events, banquet facilities, cultural programs, and recreational leagues—closely comparable to Centro Caboto's mixed event/cultural/community model, though in a much larger market.
• Italian Cultural Centre of Vancouver: A non-profit Italian-Canadian community centre in Vancouver offering banquet halls, event spaces, cultural programs, and a café/bar—structurally analogous to Centro Caboto's combination of venue, F&B, and cultural programming, just at a larger scale and in a different city.

Regional players

• Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Winnipeg landmark that rents out its event spaces for corporate functions, weddings, and galas. Competes in the same Winnipeg premium-events market as Centro Caboto but does not run cultural programming or F&B as a core offering.

Broad incumbents

• Fort Garry Hotel: Historic Winnipeg hotel offering ballroom, conference, and banquet event services in a heritage setting. Comparable to Centro Caboto's "celebrations with character" positioning for weddings and corporate functions, but operates within a national hospitality chain model.
• Delta Hotels by Marriott Winnipeg: A Winnipeg hotel with substantial conference, banquet, and ballroom capacity serving corporate events and weddings. Competes in the same event-hosting space as Centro Caboto but as part of a national hotel chain with broader F&B and lodging infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/italian.folklorama.pavilion
• TikToktiktok.com/@italian.folkloram
• Xx.com/Cabotocentre
• Facebookfacebook.com/CabotoCentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-caboto-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Centro Caboto Centre