Good news for business tourism in the Outaouais Region!

After facing an uncertain future, the Gatineau Convention Centre will finally be used as originally intended. Having become a financial burden on the City of Gatineau over the years, the Convention Centre is now in the hands of the Government of Quebec, which already owns both the Montreal and Quebec City convention centres. Through the Société immobilière du Québec, the Government of Quebec will appoint an independent agency to manage the convention centre.

Long in need of a facelift, the facility will be given a complete overhaul in the next few years. Multiple renovations will be done to restore and transform the centre, leaving the region’s event planners and organizers with a world-class venue. The City of Gatineau will be investing more than $2M in this project. So far, Quebec has not put up any money, but major investments are anticipated.

When it comes to hosting large conventions, the Outaouais is losing out to neighbouring regions on account of space issues but also for technical reasons. Increasingly, businesses have been demanding the very latest technologies for their meetings, and the Convention Centre no longer has the ideal infrastructure to host these events. Once it invests the money needed to accommodate the largest conventions, the region will see positive financial spin-offs.

“What’s important for us is that the Convention Centre upgrades complement what is already available in the Outaouais Region,” explains Gilles Picard, director of Outaouais Tourism. “It’s important that the centre not compete with private enterprise, but instead enable the region to host a greater number of conventions annually.”

The Outaouais Region is becoming more renowned each year for all it has to offer in the way of culture, fine dining, entertainment and activities. Just steps from Canada’s capital, the Outaouais blends natural beauty and country charm with dynamic urban life, and its many hotels can accommodate every need: whether it’s a management retreat or a national convention, an intimate reception or a large banquet, the possibilities for your event are as limitless as your imagination!

For more information on what the Outaouais Region has to offer, our meetings and conventions staff will be happy to assist you according to your needs, wishes and budget. Plan your next convention in the Outaouais!

Festivex – Today’s trend

By Guy Thibault, President

Interactive Events

People participating in events, such as a convention or a corporate event, love to participate, touch, smell and taste so that their experience becomes an unforgettable and magical moment. That’s what an interactive event can do for you and your team. Gaining in popularity, this type of event allows for limitless possibilities that are sure to amaze everybody!

Each gathering is unique and firms specializing in special events are there to help you create that unforgettable moment. Festivex Special Events Planning, which is based in the Outaouais region, won the award for ''Best Event Produced for a Corporation with an Overall Budget Under $100,000'' at the American Special Event Awards for its ''Iron Chef'' custom prepared theme dinner for client Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

The ''Iron Chef'' event was based on the TV reality show of the same name and had three Starwood Chefs, from three different hotels, compete for the Starwood ''Iron Chef'' title. During cocktail hour, participants were invited to move about the room in order to observe the three chefs hard at work.  Each chef had 60 minutes to prepare three dishes made from a secret ingredient, which was revealed minutes before the start of the friendly competition.  In this case, the secret ingredient was none other than lobster!

Participants were split in three groups, and each one was assigned a chef. The participants had to cheer for their chef during cocktail hour, and many even went as far as ''stealing'' ingredients from the other chefs to bring them back to their own chef! Each and everyone took pleasure in taking in the aromas of the sauces, stirring the stock or tasting the food to make sure the blend of seasonings was perfect. It was a unique experience for everyone to see the chefs in action and to have the opportunity to discuss with them.

The host, a professional actor, recorded people’s comments as he was followed by a cameraman. The footage was then transmitted on large screens that were set up on the floor.  Add music to liven things up, excellent lighting and an enchanting decor and - Voilà! You have the perfect recipe to create the most original interactive experience! 

In order to have a special ''Iron Chef'' award presentation, a Chinese dance company doing the ''Lion dance'' entered the room, the lion holding the prize envelope in its mouth – the lion was in fact the dancers covered by a costume which moved to the beat of the drums as the musicians marched beside them.  The evening host accepted the envelope and the name of the winning chef was announced. The evening ended in good spirit as everyone agreed on one thing; it was one of the nicest evenings they had enjoyed in a long time.

This is one example amongst many others. Each interactive event is not as elaborated as this one. It might be for part of the evening or at a key moment during your convention, in any case think ''interactive '' and see the effect it has on your guests and delegates. At Festivex we offer, for example, attractive solutions with one goal in mind, to create a custom made, exceptional event on every level, all the while respecting deadlines and budget. 

Festivex

1910 Pink rd.
Gatineau (Quebec)
J9J 3N9

Tel. : 819 775-4444

Fax : 819 775-3185