If you were to choose, as a host city for a premier business travel education conference, somewhere in Canada that was truly a microcosm of North America; one that was a central city for transportation links, that had a large port, a strong service sector and had industries that reflected every facet of the national economy, where would you choose?
And if you were to look for a city that also offered your delegates a choice of over 6,000 restaurants and over 80 varieties of national and regional cuisines, in addition to being designated a UNESCO City of Design, where would you look? Does the ranking of second by Lonely Planet’s list of The World’s 10 Happiest Places help?
Well, every one of those ingredients made Montreal a natural choice for the sixth annual ACTE Canada Education Conference 2011. For this coming November, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) will visit the “City of Saints” to hold what is widely held to be the premier business travel event in the Canadian calendar.
Montreal, due to its location, has not only been a major port, but is also a hub for business, finance and transportation in Canada. It has the largest inland seaport, and is also the railway hub of Canada as it is home to the eastern terminus of Canadian Pacific Railway and headquarters of Canadian National Railway. So travel, and particularly travel for business, plays a big part in the life of the city and therefore makes Montreal a natural home for ACTE’s 2011 Canadian Education Conference.
The membership of ACTE, which includes corporate travel buyers, suppliers and travel management companies, really does come from every segment of the world of business. Montreal with important industries in the city including pharmaceuticals, high technology, finance, software engineering, city engineering, transportation and aerospace along with many others, matches the profile of ACTE and its membership uniquely.
This year’s conference, (6-8 November) with its theme of Revisit, Reconnect and Readjust will see a range of powerful and insightful speakers introduce, debate and illustrate new and innovative approaches to managing the business of business travel.
And with the challenges that every manager in the business travel sector faces, be they a buyer, seller or facilitator, the need to meet peers, hear new thinking, compare notes and network is more vital now than ever before. And that, in essence, is what the conference in November will be all about.
Technology, environmental sensitivities, geo political unrest globally, increased regulation and the emergence of new social and travel trends means that every manager needs to revisit their business objectives, reconnect with customers and stakeholders and readjust their current strategies and practices to prepare for what many call “a brave new world”.
This conference is famous for bringing the very best speakers and thought leaders together to address the issues that really matter to the business travel community. And the conference is also famous for being set in destinations that give delegates the opportunity to meet their clients, experience distinctive cultural delights and gain exposure to new thinking. Montreal offers all that and more.
The Conference, and where delegates stay, is the wonderful Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth II Hotel, arguably Montreal’s most famous hotel. Here in suite 1742 back in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their famous “bed-in” and where that iconic song “Give Peace A Chance” was both written, performed and recorded for the first time.
Over the years the hotel has entertained statesman and women such as The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, General Charles de Gaulle, President Gorbachev, President Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.
And Montreal is a city that the delegates to the ACTE Conference will owe it to themselves to discover. With the accolade of one of the cleanest cities in the world Montreal was founded by French explorers over 350 years ago. As such it is one of the oldest cities on the North American continent boasting a rich history with a strong French influence and a vibrant multicultural lifestyle. With its bustling feel full of shopping, attractions and gourmet style it has to be one of the most exciting Canadian destinations that the ACTE conference has taken place in.
The secret to a great conference is informative, insightful and entertaining content coupled with a high calibre of delegates and set against a vibrant, multi cultural background destinations. Put that all together and there’s absolutely no doubt about it – the ACTE Canada Education Conference 2011 in Montreal is going to be the place to be between 6-8 November.
