Laval, host of the Société des musées du Québec 2021 Conference

In 2021, there were very few face-to-face business events due to the pandemic. In the fall, the Société des musées du Québec (SMQ) was able to innovate and adapt to the changes brought on by the situation, holding one of the first hybrid conventions in Laval. We spoke to Stéphane Chagnon, General Manager of the SMQ, about his experience.

A modern hybrid event

The theme of the conference was "Museums in Transformation", and it was the first hybrid conference organized by the SMQ and broadcast live on a Web platform. Delegates from all over Quebec were welcomed, including 175 in person and 80 in virtual mode. The latter could interact with the host Stéphane Garneau, a journalist at Radio-Canada, through a chat system. A monitor was placed on stage to receive questions and comments during the event. Several partners contributed to the success of this conference, including Télé-Québec's La Fabrique culturelle and Canadian Heritage.

The Société des musées du Québec has been holding an annual conference for over 40 years. The host destination alternates between urban centres, outlying centres and remote centres from one year to the next.

The new configuration of the Sheraton Laval Convention Centre

Chosen as the venue, the Sheraton Laval Convention Center supported SMQ in the planning and logistics of the event. The team pulled out all the stops to ensure compliance with current health and safety regulations, and to offer services adapted to conferences and hybrid sessions. This was also the first event to take place following major renovations to the Convention Centre, and everything was put in place to ensure that activities ran smoothly.

Photo credit: Sheraton Laval 

"The Sheraton was beautiful: the lobby, the Convention Centre, the different service points, the Market. What was very interesting was the furniture on wheels that allowed for multiple configurations," says Mr Chagnon. He adds that small, state-of-the-art multipurpose rooms were very much appreciated for holding Board of Directors meetings. The Minister of Culture was welcomed in one of these rooms before the QMS awards ceremony.

Another aspect appreciated by participants was the installation of two glassed-in, soundproofed cubicles accessible from the common area, perfect for holding confidential calls, which comes in very handy when delegates don't have a hotel room. Mr. Chagnon also mentions the appreciation of the lobby for breaks to continue informal networking between delegates, as well as the restaurant and bar. "It's the kind of space configuration we're looking for when we want to organize a business event or convention," he adds.

The Laval museum tour

In keeping with tradition, the museums in the host region welcomed delegates to discover the richness of their museum offerings. This tour was produced in collaboration with the participating institutions and the City of Laval. For its part, Tourisme Laval provided financial support through the Programme d'aide financière aux événements d'affaires (PAFEA), and hosted the delegates during the event. 

Photo credit: André Chevrier

​Credit: SMQ / Mylène Choquette mayava.ca 

A "verre de l'amitié" was offered at the Centre d'exploration du Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, and a meal was served at the Salle Alfred-Pellan of the Maison des Arts de Laval, courtesy of the City of Laval's culture department. Collège Montmorency also opened its doors to delegates for a tour of the museology technology department.

Photo credit: André Chevrier

The Centrale de la Rivière-des-Prairies, the Centre d'interprétation de l'eau and the Musée Armand-Frappier set up booths in the Cosmodôme in order to exchange ideas with the delegates and stakeholders of all the museums in Laval.

Photo credit: Musée Armand-Frappier 

Laval, the destination where anything is possible!

"I would recommend Laval for business tourism events because of its strategic location at the crossroads of major roads and because the destination has the infrastructure, meeting and convention facilities, rooms and overnight stays available, as well as parking spaces. The restaurant and shopping offer is not negligible and completes the experience. Many of the delegates took advantage of it after the event," concluded the Executive Director of the Société des musées du Québec with enthusiasm.

Photo credit: André Chevrier

To help you organize your event, contact the Simplifier team at Tourisme Laval.