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Montréal, May 4, 2023 – At the close of its 2022–2023 fiscal year, the Palais des congrès de Montréal has set a new record for economic spinoffs generated by its business events, with a total of $426 million.
As the Palais des congrès began its new fiscal year in April 2022, the future of the event and business tourism industry looked very uncertain. However, the results for this first post-pandemic year clearly show that the business event recovery is well under way and highlight the government corporation’s contribution to the metropolitan region’s economic vibrancy. For comparison purposes, the five-year average for Palais-generated economic spinoffs was $217 million prior to the pandemic. Coming in at $426 million, the 2022–2023 results were almost double those pre-pandemic figures.
Highlights of the 2022–2023 fiscal year include:
In terms of drawing major global events, the close cooperation between Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès also paid big rewards during the year, including the hosting of the 104th Lions Clubs International Convention, AIDS 2022 – The 24th International AIDS Conference, and of course the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15). The Palais team is especially proud of its 2022 event lineup, which reflected the shift the Palais has made in recent years to favour hosting events with substantial intellectual and social benefits.
The Palais des congrès, a government corporation with a commercial focus, put its mission front and centre more than ever while making a significant impact on the industry. By bringing together the scientific and non-scientific communities to promote the sharing of knowledge, advancing social causes on a global scale and contributing to Québec’s economic growth, business events hold incredible potential for the province.
Held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from December 1 to 19, 2022, the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) was a landmark event not only for the Palais and for Montréal, but for the entire world. Over 10,000 participants, dignitaries and experts from 196 governments came together to adopt a new global framework for protecting biodiversity. The event gave rise to a number of historic commitments from municipal, provincial, national and international organizations.
The participating countries announced biodiversity commitments valued at CAN$6.2 billion. In addition to the unprecedented social impacts announced at COP15, the agreement signed during the event will stand as a permanent legacy for Montréal. This event alone generated $151 million in economic spinoffs for Québec.
Thanks to the support of the Ministère du Tourisme throughout the pandemic, the Palais des congrès de Montréal was able to remain open to host local events and even to assist with the vaccination campaign by becoming the first mass vaccination site in Montréal.
With the reopening of the tourism and event industries in early 2022, the Ministère made a concrete commitment to support the growth of business tourism in Montréal and across Québec. Its support for the mission of the Palais des congrès and the efforts made to keep its spaces open during the pandemic helped consolidate its position once business events resumed. The experienced Palais team also remained in place during those two years—a big plus in an industry currently experiencing a marked labour shortage.
The 2022–2023 year confirmed the important role played by business tourism in creating economic wealth for Québec. It was truly a historic year: the events held generated nearly double the economic spinoffs for Montréal, at over $426 million! The Palais des congrès de Montréal was a big factor in the city’s tourist appeal. We are extremely proud to present the Palais as a sure value on the global stage and to provide these economic and social benefits for our province. – Emmanuelle Legault, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal
The economic spinoffs from business tourism are undeniable. It is a highly lucrative industry that contributes to the number of visitors all year long, including during slower periods. Over the last year, the Palais des congrès de Montréal was able to distinguish itself and remain a destination of choice for convention-goers, and it has my sincerest congratulations. Thanks to you, Québec is garnering attention around the world. – Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism and Minister Responsible for the Lanaudière Region