Interviews and article by Lyne Branchaud
What are the latest meeting and conference trends in the Laurentians? To find out, we talked to three representatives who work in the area: Marie-Chantal Thibault, Sales Manager, Groups & Conferences for the Tremblant Resort Association; François Desrochers, Convention and Services Manager at Le Grand Lodge Mont-Tremblant; and Line Latour, Sales Manager at the Estérel Resort.
The last article in this three-part series looks at the most in-demand themes, activities, and entertainment among meeting planners visiting the Laurentians.
Are themed events still in?
Rustic chic is still a popular theme, but it’s often paired with steel or modern, and classic black & white never goes out of style. “The theme is often chosen based on the environment… We’re seeing less décor, it’s simpler and more natural, and there are a lot fewer traditional Western or casino nights,” say Thibault and Latour.
Latour notes that two types of events are common. The first is more traditional, usually organized by groups with an older client base that hire a band and use a theme. The second type is run by companies with a young, trendy client base that use lighting effects and hire DJs.
Shorter, more engaging activities!
As I mentioned in my previous article on trends in the Laurentians, a notable change is taking place in terms of group activities and entertainment. Activities that used to fill an entire afternoon have been replaced by shorter activities lasting a maximum of two hours.
Teambuilding activities are popular, but groups often want a new experience, something that hasn’t already been done. “In the past, I had an opportunity to organize a ‘Pay It Forward’ event. For three hours, 200 employees helped build a park in a city near Tremblant. They planted trees, installed turf, assembled play equipment, and so on. Not only was it a teambuilding activity where people worked in teams, but they also helped the city and left their mark on it forever”, says Thibault.
Other popular activities suggested by our three representatives include DIY or hands-on activities, gourmet food workshops, health clinics, and sporting activities such as yoga, running, dragon boat racing, kayaking, or paddleboard.
Traditional events such as golf tournaments and wine and cheese tastings are increasingly giving way to sporting activities and more entertaining, dynamic, and original fundraisers.
Don’t miss my next blog article on the Laurentians as I interview activity managers, attraction managers, and service managers about the challenges they’ve had to overcome to satisfy their clients.
By Lyne Branchaud
Lyne has been the president of Guide Événement for six years and is involved in planning several corporate events and conferences (Descair, Aubainerie, RISQ, etc.). Lyne is also a lecturer and professor of event planning at Zoom Académie and LaSalle College. With over 20 years of experience with advertising agencies and corporate events departments, including Provigo and Uniprix, Lyne is the author of the best-selling book L’organisation d’un événement : Guide pratique and the blog Guide Événement, which is dedicated to anything and everything related to events.
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