Launch of the radio and interactive Web campaign - MONTRÉAL F1RST: Montréal
businesses and citizens are invited to submit their innovations!

MONTREAL, May 5 /CNW Telbec/ - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and its five pillar sponsors - Astral Media, Bell Canada, Hydro-Québec, Desjardins Group and Rio Tinto Alcan - are proud to announce the launch of the radio campaign and interactive Website for the MONTRÉAL F1RST campaign.

"Through the MONTRÉAL F1RST campaign, the Board of Trade and its pillar sponsors are paying tribute to Montréal's innovation and creativity," Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal President and CEO Michel Leblanc said. "Today marks the beginning of the radio campaign with 30-second spots being broadcast over 13 weeks on NRJ, RockDétente and Boom FM inviting listeners to visit the interactive Website. These messages will support the MONTRÉAL F1RST billposting campaign, which has been in full swing since March 8."

"We are already looking toward the future," Mr. Leblanc said. "In anticipation of the 2011 campaign, we are inviting businesses and all Montrealers who want to showcase an innovation or a world first created in our city to submit it via the new Website. The innovations selected will be added to those already online. By promoting your creative genius, you will help generate pride in home-grown innovations among citizens and businesspeople."

Businesses and Montrealers can fill out the registration form on the site at www.montrealf1rst.com. Once the innovations are accepted and posted on the MONTRÉAL F1RST site, the information can be shared on Facebook and Twitter to encourage Internet users to vote for their favourite innovations.

"The most inspiring innovations could become the stars of the MONTRÉAL F1RST 2011 campaign," Michel Leblanc said. "Creativity is one of our city's distinctive qualities, and it contributes to its dynamic energy and reputation. We hope that businesses and Montrealers will respond in great numbers to our call and become ambassadors of our creative capital."

The Board of Trade would like to thank Bell Web Solutions, which developed the interactive Website for MONTRÉAL F1RST, as well as Astral Media, which made the radio campaign possible.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.

For further information: Sylvie Paquette, Coordinator, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, [phone], ext. 4015, [email protected]