10/11/2020
Sparking the future of the events industry at MTL Reunion
Author of the article:
Erik Leijon • Postmedia Content Works
Palais des congrès de Montréal is used to holding world-class events by other organizations, but with MTL Reunion, the convention and exhibition space industry leader is doing something incredibly unique in their history: they’ll be hosting their own event.
On October 28, the Palais will broadcast MTL Reunion, a hybrid in-person and online event they created, bringing together important players and leaders in the events industry from around the world. Like so many businesses, the pandemic has changed the way we look at how conferences are held, and as an industry leader, the Palais wanted to take the reins and show how to move forward in this pivotal moment.
“We’ve invited the industry’s leading thinkers, influencers and organisers to talk about our new reality and the future of events. It will be an inspiring experience that will give everyone the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the huge potential of hybrid solutions,” said Palais des congrès CEO Robert Mercure.
Scheduled speakers at MTL Reunion include Sherrif Karamat, CEO, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), with guests James Rees, president, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), David Peckinpaugh, president, Maritz Global Events, and Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group.
MTL Reunion has also confirmed the presence of Frantz Saintellemy, president and COO, LeddarTech and Cofounder of Groupe 3737, who reinvented themselves to make important contributions in the field of autonomous driving vehicles.
To showcase local creativity, Just for Laughs cofounder Andy Nulman will look at the future of conferences, followed by a major panel on the aviation revolutions with Air Canada and Airport Council International, about how we will connect globally around the world in order to reunite again.
A traditional major advantage of holding an event in Montreal has always been the close collaboration of all stakeholders of the region. This might prove difficult in a digital meetings world where travel is limited, but the Palais has worked hard to keep the important dynamic energy that comes from gathering together and collaborating.
MTL Reunion is designed to promote Montréal expertise, but also to show that the Palais is still open and working on innovative solutions and new technologies to get through this crisis.
“One of the strengths of Montréal is the synergy that exists between the tourism industry, the business community and the academic milieu. We’ve stayed in touch with our partners from the outset of the pandemic and have worked together on developing health and safety plans, as well as strategies for restarting business,” said Mercure.
Hybrid events, like MTL Reunion, combine a live in-person event with a virtual online component. Amid COVID, associations have found themselves undergoing drastic changes, especially when it comes to organizing their events. Hybrid and virtual meetings are – for now – taking over the industry.
In the middle of this change, what remains the same is the commitment of conference organisers to satisfy the client, an important point of focus for the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
In fact, to help spark the restart of the industry,“We’ve put together the Palais + program – a set of packages for hosting events worry-free and confidently. This unique offensive will enable organisations of all types to hold their events in spacious rooms reconfigured to accommodate distancing rules,” added Mercure.
With the help of its experts, the Palais is able to offer successful hybrid events, positioning itself as a centre of solutions thanks to its new offerings.
“Palais Média Propulsion is a service designed to make it easy for clients to create compelling audiovisual content,” explained Mercure.“Organisers looking to broaden the reach of their event and tap into digital opportunities can avail themselves of the various options the service offers. Based on their objectives, we will be able to recommend different solutions and rent them our brand-new state-of-the-art studios. We’ve created inspiring spaces, such as a studio modelled after major television production sets to provide events with unparalleled on-camera presence, and also a mini studio for interviews.”
Mercure also reiterated that hybrid events are here to stay.“We are taking this crisis as an opportunity to develop our technology and offer a service that is ahead of the parade with turnkey solutions,” he said.
MTL Reunion will be held this October 28. Sign up for free at https://congresmtl.com/en/mtl-reunion-registration/
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Palais des congrès de Montréal.
