The Trademark Site Select team recently scouted Québec City, Canada, and would like to share what they discovered as an incredible location for companies that want an immersive, memorable destination for their corporate event or incentive trip. Québec City is a UNESCO World Heritage city situated on the picturesque St. Lawrence River with cobblestone streets and quintessentially French charm. This off-the-beaten-path destination allows attendees to experience a compact, European-style city that is the only walled city in North America. It’s easily accessible from Europe, the U.S., and South America. It’s a perfect mix of modern convenience and sophistication with old-world charm. As a bonus, It’s a great walking city that also offers convenient intracity transportation and the newly renovated Québec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport which doubled its terminal size.
Welcome your guests to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac; located near the edge of the promontory of Québec, the Château is near several major historical attractions within Old Québec City, the historic district. It offers 610 guest rooms and suites and 43,986 square feet of meeting space. The largest room is 21,525 square feet, large enough for over 1000 people seated theater style.
A Perfect Three-Day Corporate Event Experience
Day 1:
Guests arrive, Kick-off and Welcome Dinner
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
“It’s an honor to welcome visitors to our beautiful, historic city and hotel. We’re proud of our ability to merge modern business capabilities with the charm and beauty of old-world sensibilities. As a unique destination, Québec City offers experiences, breathtaking views, history, and activities that make any event special, different, and memorable. We hope to welcome you soon!”
Catherine Lapierre, CMP – Fairmont Hotel, Québec City
Welcome your guests to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac; located near the edge of the promontory of Québec, the Château is near several major historical attractions within Old Québec City, the historic district. It offers 610 guest rooms and suites and 43,986 square feet of meeting space. The largest room is 21,525 square feet, large enough for over 1000 people seated theater style.
Exquisite continental cuisine in stunning 19th-century surroundings and beautiful grounds with views of the river will give your attendees an opportunity to settle in, get acquainted, and get ready for general sessions and conference activities the following days. Opening events can be held outside overlooking the river or in the hotel’s historical Rose Room, which royals, presidents, and dignitaries have visited from around the world.
Day 2:
More Than Just Another Conference.
Bring your event vision to life with a high-impact general session in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom outfitted in French classicism. With its space and soaring ceiling height, the room can be transformed to engage and inspire attendees with sophisticated visuals and sounds that deliver messages and create memories.
Mid-day creates networking opportunities for exchanging ideas while dining at hotels Bistro Le Sam or one of the many cafes off of Rue Sainte Anne. You could also arrange a picnic lunch at Parc des Gouverneurs.
Afternoon meetings, break-out sessions, birds-of-a-feather gatherings, and team-building activities can be planned to engage attendees and create opportunities for meeting business objectives.
Plan a night at Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec or La Citadelle du Québec. Both are within walking distance or a short shuttle ride. The Citadelle, one of Québec’s historical treasures and a living fortress is located on the highest point in Québec City, overlooking the town and the river. The Musee National des Beaux-arts houses a collection of over 42,000 works dating from the 17th century. These venues offer high ceilings and expansive spaces that could easily host a “Cirque du Soleil” inspired night, an artist showcase, musical entertainment, and a rich dining experience.
Museums, not your style? Consider a reception and boat ride on St-Lawrence River with breathtaking views of the city and hotel. Then, drop everyone at Quai 30 to enjoy a DJ or band with various foods, beverages, and acts to entertain and inspire.
Or, a night at the Théâtre Capitole, attendees can enjoy a 6-minute stroll thru the French streets to one of Quebec’s oldest theaters rich with history hosting artists and musicians for centuries. Arriving at a reception in the magnificent foyer, with its spiral staircase, followed by an intimate dinner show for up to 210.
Day 3:
Inspiration and Education
Open the general session with a speaker such as Sebastien Sasseville, a local legend who delivers impactful keynote experiences that inspire leadership with purpose. As an endurance athlete, his extraordinary accomplishments, which include summiting Mount Everest, completing the mythical Sahara race, and running across Canada, are made even more impressive by the fact that he lives with Type 1 Diabetes.
After an inspiring general session, offer lunch and allow attendees to meet with executives and reflect on your event while they network in the partner pavilion before departure.
“Ultimately, your ability to lead is directly connected to your ability to inspire. Nothing creates more engagement than a leader who always serves the mission first. Don’t tell people what to do; give them something to believe in, and you’ll have an army.”
Sebastien Sasseville
Bonus:
Offer VIP or Small Group Experiences
For Incentive programs and half-day excursions, attendees can bike or be transported to Orleans Island (l’Île d’Orléans) and experience wineries, cider mills, a chocolate factory, or the Sugar Shack. Or take a gondola ride to the top of Montmorency Falls for a picnic or an exhilarating zipline across the face of the falls!
For more excitement, attendees can ride zip lines across the falls or take a guided winery tour on bicycles. Your attendees might also love a ride on Québec City’s funicular, which directly links the hotel, Quartier Petit-Champlain, Place-Royale, and the Old Port. Riders can see the St. Lawrence River and Lower Town from an interesting vantage point as they travel up or down the cliff face at a 45-degree angle.
The Trademark Take on Québec City
This small city is brimming with opportunities to engage audiences and inspire them with your messages. It’s truly a unique location ideal for discerning organizations with an event vision and desires to inspire, awe, entertain, and educate attendees. It’s perfect for corporate events, incentive trips, and conferences. While we love the Fairmont property, we have relationships with independent hotels such as the mid-sized Hotel Chateau Laurier and properties by Auberge, Hilton, and Marriott. Québec City is easily accessible with a modern international airport and easy ground transportation. We love the city for its unique hotels and meeting venues, including the convention center. Its mix of old-world charm, state-of-the-art production capabilities, top-notch catering, and non-conference areas lend themselves to great meetings with unique transformations, networking, and entertainment options. We look forward to bringing our programs to your one-of-a-kind city!
We would like to thank the following for their hospitality in introducing us to their gem of a city Catherine Lapierre, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac for truly rolling out the red carpet and introducing us to your community!! Annie Bouchard, Auberge Sainte Antoine for a special reconnection with old friends. Sebastien Sasseville, for a great evening of conversation and inspiration. Stefanie, Lucie, Karen, and Philippe of Inscript for driving us around during the 1st snow of the season to show us the backroads and hidden secrets of event opportunities in Québec.
Merci Beaucoup
For additional insight into Québec City contact:
Alison Jayne, Global Sourcing Director, Trademark
[email protected]
siteselect.wearetrademark.com
