Chronicles
Here is a series of texts prepared by the Quebec Association of Convention Professionals (QACP), the sectorial tourism association that participates in the growth of business tourism in Quebec by promoting alliances between different actors in the sector, developing strategic knowledge and generating business opportunities for the industry.
Be Local - The Trend to Watch in 2020
As we enter 2020, a question arises: how will business tourism evolve over the coming years? Although new technologies are becoming increasingly important in our lives, for the way we work and interact, the desire to be connected to one's environment and to live authentic experiences has never been stronger...
Travellers wanting to combine business and leisure when planning a trip is not new. Bleisure is an already well-known trend, but in 2020 it is becoming more apparent. Yes, business travellers travel for meetings or conventions, but they want to take the time to discover the destination visited and live an authentic and unique experience once there. This is what is known as be local. Read more.
My Profession? Business Tourism Event Designer
Many professions can contribute to promoting tourism in Quebec, which helps a region's economic development. Among these professions, there are different actors in business tourism event planning that ensure the smooth execution of corporate events, meetings and conventions. These include sales representatives, project coordinators and banquet teams. These three distinct departments are found in most establishments that host major events, such as convention centres and large hotels. All three are complementary and essential within the tourism ecosystem because they are the front line in a critical part of the industry - holding corporate events dedicated to business tourism. Read more.
Tourism Offices: A Value Added Proposition for Event Organisers
Business Tourism in a Social Media Era
While a recent publication by the Réseau de Veille en Tourism noted that "80% of Quebec travellers used Facebook during or after their stay"1 and that "social networks are the prefered platform for tourism marketing,"2 it doesn't seem to be as clear for business tourism, which doesn't target the same clientele. Read more.The Importance of Face-to-Face Networking in Business Tourism
In an era when we can solve almost anything from a distance using video conferences or Skype (yes, technology is increasing the distance between physical people), how can we maintain quality client services that rely on proximity?
In this context, offering personalised service is even more important, and personal meetings should be even more relevant. A recent study by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) notes that effective marketing strategies need to meet the needs of every individual in an organisation. This is even truer when the goal is to invite them physically go to a business meeting. Yes, they want to attend. All you have to do is convince them! Read more.
Bleisure - a Trend Gaining in Popularity
If you have to travel for a meeting or business event, why not discover the destination you are visiting at the same time? A growing number of travellers are choosing to do this, either by pushing their return date back or planning more free time during their stay. This is what is popularly called Bleisure, a contraction of the terms business and leisure. Combining business and leisure during travel has become so important a phenomenon over the past several years that actors in the tourism sector have had to adapt and use their creativity to follow the trend. Read more.
The Importance of Business Tourism for the Regions in Quebec
With regards to the tourism industry, we often think of leisure tourism, which is a synonym for vacations and getting away from it all, and not necessarily business travel. But the economic benefits associated with business tourism sometimes surpass, for many regions of Quebec, revenue associated with leisure tourism. But when we talk about business tourism, what are we really talking about? Read more.
