New partnership between the Palais des congrès de Montréal and the Olympic Park

MONTRÉAL, May 15, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The RIO Olympic installations board and the Palais des congrès de Montréal are pleased to announce they have entered into a business partnership that will further broaden the city's event offering for promoters and participants.

This partnership, initiated at the invitation of Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx, will enable the two Québec government corporations to optimize their practices, share their knowledge and expertise, as well as boost their profiles on the international stage.

More specifically, moving forward the Palais will now include the unique venues of the Olympic Park as part of its international business development operations. Adding these to the multipurpose event spaces of the Palais will make it possible to meet the needs of a broader range of events looking to be hosted in  Montréal.

A common front to help foster the reopening
This announcement is welcome news as the new collaboration looks to help facilitate the gradual reopening of the economy. In fact, in the wake of the cancellations triggered by the current global situation, many customers wish to reschedule their event as soon as circumstances permit. This renewed joint cooperation between the Palais and the Olympic Park will foster the ability of being able to maximize  the number of events that can be accommodated, as organizers can opt to relocate to one venue or the other if they choose to. This will make it possible to preserve, even maximize, the economic benefits for Montréal and Québec.

This new partnership buoyed by the synergy of the two government corporations definitely puts Montréal on track for a strong recovery over the coming years, and what's more, in a highly competitive market.    

Quotes

"I am very proud of the signing of this agreement, which makes official the remarkable collaboration that already existed between the two government corporations. Both major players in the Montréal event industry, they are now even better equipped to lay the groundwork for the impending reopening, and play an active role in spurring the strong recovery of business tourism in Montréal. I say well done to Robert Mercure, CEO of the Palais des congrès, and Michel Labrecque, CEO of the RIO Olympic installations board."
? Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism

  "This new collaboration between the Palais and the Olympic Park will make it possible to present a unified and complementary Montréal offering, which will translate into additional economic and intellectual benefits for the city."
? Robert Mercure, CEO, Palais des congrès de Montréal

"This agreement will give the Olympic Park and its many event spaces a level of visibility it has never enjoyed before, thanks in large part to the efficiency of the Palais des congrès sales team, which already has a well-established international network. Now, with our Esplanade and vast outdoor spaces, we bring added value to the city's current offering. We are confident this agreement will grow our events calendar in the long term."
? Michel Labrecque, CEO, RIO Olympic installations board

About the Palais des congrès de Montréal 
The Palais des congrès de Montréal convention centre stands in the heart of the top host city in the Americas for international events. It is the recipient of the highest quality standards certification in the industry, awarded by the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), and also a finalist for the prestigious Apex award honouring the "world's best customer satisfaction ratings." In 2018-2019, the Palais generated $215 million in economic benefits along with an invaluable amount of intellectual wealth via the 353 events it hosted. A trailblazer, it operates its own events lab, CITÉ, which houses Montréal startups that are helping redefine how conferences are held. The Palais is a carbon neutral building, and also BOMA BEST certified. Its suite of sustainability initiatives, which it runs under the name Palais Boréal, includes an innovative program that shepherds event organizers and participants through the process of offsetting their GHG emissions locally. Actively immersed in the community, the Palais opens its spaces to visitors and stages art-driven experiences for the public, like the Palais Seasons, showcasing Québec creatives. A leader and visionary, the Palais is at the forefront of the Convention Industry 4.0 transformation. Visit congresmtl.com.

About the Olympic Park
A bold architectural creation by Roger Taillibert, the Olympic Park was built to accommodate both the 1976 Summer Olympics and the Montreal Expos, who played there 27 years. It has hosted more than one hundred million visitors since it was inaugurated. 

The 56,000-seat Olympic Stadium is the only covered amphitheater in Québec capable of hosting large-scale events. In 2018, the Stadium was booked for 208 days (including setup, event, and takedown).

Forty-two years after its construction, the Olympic Park represents an architectural heritage of undeniable value. It a historic, symbolic, architectural and urban landmark.

SOURCE Palais des congrès de Montréal