Let's not get too excited about the fact that the Vancouver Island Conference Centre is reporting an expected increase in business.

For whatever reason, the centre counts business by delegate-days of activity, possibly an industry standard, and reports that with 28,000 such delegate-days now booked they are 2,000 bookings short of doubling the best year for the centre.

It doesn't sound like much, but for the struggling facility it's a landmark on the way to calling the project a success. While critics may see profit as the only evidence of success, its real measure is the amount of economic activity it generates.

The centre has not yet lived up to its billing, but neither was it expected to be a profitable venture comparable to a casino.

The VICC remains a vital piece of city infrastructure, and in that regard is already proving itself. Using what is likely another industry standard, it is estimated that each delegate per day injects $310 into the local economy.

While a minority of voices express the majority of negativity toward the project, the more informed view is that the VICC is holding its own against some formidable odds.

The first problem it faced was the controversial loss of the hotel project, around which questions continue to linger unanswered. Then, just months after it opened, the economy crashed, the first act in a still-unfolding drama like a long medieval morality play.

It's no secret that many organizations may like the conference centre and find it ideal for their purposes, but won't go through with booking for a lack of hotel space.

And then there's just the plain fact that for many businesses and organizations, travelling to a destination like Nanaimo for a conference is now an extravagance.

The recent numbers offer yet more evidence for continuing that investment of public dollars. The increase in business has to be seen in the context of one business among many that is getting back on its feet after the crisis that began in 2008.

The centre is not where we would all like it to be, but all signs are that it's now moving in that direction.