Palais des congrès de Montréal wins two prestigious international awards for its creative marketing

MONTREAL, Oct. 10, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - On October 2, the Palais des congrès de Montréal drew the attention of the international tourism industry by winning two awards at the Meeting Industry Marketing Awards presented in London. The Exhibitor⁴ marketing and communications campaign for large-scale exhibitions earned Silver awards in two categories, for Best Direct Marketing Campaign and Best Use of Budget. The Palais was also shortlisted for the 2012 UFI Marketing Award presented in Stockholm last month. Both competitions are designed to recognize the creativity and effectiveness of marketing campaigns aimed at the convention and exhibition markets.

"In order to stand out, the Palais' communications and relationship marketing approach must be dynamic, creative and quality-driven, essentially reflecting the personality of our beautiful city and its convention centre," says Chrystine Loriaux, the Palais des congrès de Montréal Director of Marketing and Communications. "These awards speak to the remarkable response the campaign generated, as we begin tapping into the Palais' immense potential in the exhibition market. We've been hosting trade and consumer shows for nearly 30 years, and now is the ideal time to show North American promoters how we can help take their events to the next level."

Marc Tremblay, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, adds: "The campaign drew the attention of event promoters looking for a prestigious venue located in the heart of a metropolis known for the quality of infrastructures perfectly suited for exhibitions and conventions. It was a marketing coup that generated a tremendous amount of buzz."

Jointly developed by the Palais marketing and communications, business development, research and event management teams, and the Rev3 firm, the campaign was subsequently adapted for the Canadian market to give convention and exhibition associations nationwide the opportunity to discover the multiple facets of the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Luc Hendrickx, member of the Tourisme Montréal advisory committee, accepted the awards on behalf of the Palais at a gala evening held in London.

Exposant⁴ - Exhibitor⁴ campaign

Intended for trade and consumer show promoters in North America and worldwide, the Exposant⁴ - Exhibitor⁴ campaign made its mark thanks to a playful children's building blocks concept and the tangible results it produced. The campaign, which ran for a period of eight weeks in the winter of 2011 and was combined with proactive initiatives by the business development team, helped boost the number of confirmed bookings between January and April by 100% over the same period the previous year, thus tripling the square footage rented to 7 million sq. ft. (650,000 m²). Overall, 22 exhibitions were confirmed during the fourth quarter of 2010-11. Also worth noting is that 3,000 unique visitors consulted the exposant4.congresmtl.com microsite in three months. A result that clearly eclipsed expectations.

About the Palais des congrès de Montréal

The mission of the Palais des congrès de Montréal is to attract and host conventions, exhibitions, conferences, meetings and other events. A public institution with a commercial vocation, the Palais generates major economic spinoffs for Québec and has contributed proudly for over 28 years to sharing knowledge and enhancing Montréal's international reputation as a first-rate destination. To learn more about the Palais des congrès de Montréal, visit our website at www.congresmtl.com.

SOURCE: Palais des congrès de Montréal

Source:  
Chrystine Loriaux, Adm.A., B.A.A.
Director, Marketing and Communications
Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal
Phone: [phone]

For information: 
Amélie Asselin
Advisor, Communications and Public Relations
Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal
[email protected]
Phone: [phone]