annual report - Tourism Montreal

ANNUAL
REPORT
20
14
MONTRÉAL
TOPS THE
CHARTS
IN
20
14
Montréal ranks 12th out of the
50 Most Inspiring Cities in the World
according to the 2014 Good City Index
50 Most Inspiring Cities in the World
For a second
consecutive year, Montréal ranks first in the
Americas for hosting international association events
according to the International Congress and Convention Association
and the Union of International Associations
Osheaga captured
2ND
SPOT
on Fest300’s Best Music
Festivals in the World
Best Music Festival In The World
The Web site routard.com
rated the Montréal-Trudeau Airport
among the
TOP 10
Best Airports in the World
In 2014, Parc Jean-Drapeau was the most
popular outdoor
concert venue in Canada according to the magazine Pollstar
Montréal secures
10TH
SPOT
on Reputation Institute’s World’s
Most Reputable Cities list
Montréal is
7TH
The American magazine MovieMaker
declared FANTASIA one of the 25 Coolest
on CNN’s list of World’s
Best Nightlife Cities
Film Festivals in the World
The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World
World’s best nightlife cities
C2 Montréal takes top spot on Bizbash magazine’s
Most Innovative Meetings 2014
The 15 Most Innovative Meetings 2014
Montréal is crowned North America’s premier
bicycle city by The Copenhagenize Index
Trivago.fr named Montréal
NUMBER
1
in Canada for its hotel industry
03/
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
04/
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
05/
ADMINISTRATORS
06/
2014 TOURISM INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS
10/
FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, HUMAN RESOURCES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
14/
BUSINESS SALES AND CONVENTION SERVICES
14/ Business Sales
19/ Convention Services
22/
COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING, MEDIA AND LEISURE MARKET
22/ Communications and Marketing
31/ Media and Leisure Market
33/ Member Services and Partnerships
36/
PUBLIC RELATIONS, RESEARCH AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
40/
TOURISME MONTRÉAL PARTNERS
41/
NEW BRAND IMAGE
42/
2015 PRIORITIES
Cover photos credits: Montréal skyline from the Clock Tower in the Old Port of Montréal © Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin
Igloofest - © Vivian Gaumand
Palais des congrès (Montréal Convention Centre) - © Palais des
congrès de Montréal (Montréal Convention Centre)
© Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
© Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
MESSAGE
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
As President of Tourisme Montréal’s Board of Directors
since June 2014, it is an honour to share my reflections
on an organization that lets the world to discover the
attractions and talents of Montréal, gateway to Québec.
The year 2014 allowed us to positively assess our
initiatives in modernizing Tourisme Montréal’s practices
to meet the more stringent governance and management
measures that were introduced following the Auditor
General’s report in fall 2013.
Our organization drew inspiration from the best
governance practices of non-profit organizations. Three
new committees were introduced to the Board: the
Governance Committee, the Human Resources
Committee and the Audit Committee. We also adopted
an employee Code of Ethics and new regulations for
spending. As a consequence, the organization can
continue to grow in a more responsible, transparent
and ethical fashion.
The board also continued to ensure Tourisme Montréal’s
leadership role in different spheres of influence. Its
primary objective was to position Montréal as a leading
tourism destination to attract the greatest number of
visitors possible in order to maximize economic spinoffs for our partners and members.
On behalf of Tourisme Montréal’s board of directors, I
would like to thank Yves Lalumière, President and Chief
Executive Officer and his entire team. I commend
Tourisme Montréal for the great strides it has made in
attaining its objectives and becoming more streamlined.
I would also like to thank our members and partners
for their loyal support and unwavering confidence
throughout the changes Tourisme Montréal experienced
in 2014.
We are now in a much better position to develop
Tourisme Montréal’s brand image, both here and
abroad.
Raymond Bachand
President, Board of Directors
Tourisme Montréal
03
MESSAGE
FROM THE
CEO
This year, Tourisme Montréal kicked off its 5/5/5 strategic
plan. This 5-year plan aims to position Tourisme
Montréal as a key player in Montréal’s tourism
community and is made up of five key strategic
orientations:
The plan also includes two financial goals: an annual
increase in number of room nights and in revenues.
With this objective in mind, all departments worked
on honing a business approach that included more
targeted, quantifiable and measurable strategies.
/ TOGETHER, ACT AS A CATALYST FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF MONTRÉAL’S TOURISM OFFER
BASED ON TOURISME MONTRÉAL’S NEW BRAND
IMAGE
The organization also worked to position tourism as a
key driver of Montréal’s economic development. To do
this, it strengthened Montréal’s position as a major
catalyst in the business and sports markets.
/ RETHINK THE WAY WE DO THINGS. BE MORE AGILE.
CREATE MORE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER.
As well, Tourisme Montréal contributed to Montréal’s
375th anniversary celebrations by providing expertise
on the choice of promising projects as well as playing
a decision-making role in matters concerning the
upgrade and development of the city’s infrastructures.
/ BECOME THE LEADING CONVENTIONS AND MEETINGS
DESTINATION AMONG SIMILAR-SIZED CITIES IN
NORTH AMERICA
/ BECOME THE UNDISPUTED MARKETING EXPERTS OF
A CULTURAL METROPOLIS
/ BECOME THE NORTH AMERICAN REFERENCE FOR
HOSPITALITY. DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND INTERACTIVE
STRATEGIES.
First, we had to ensure Montréal’s position as a gateway
to Québec, in line with Tourisme Québec’s 2020 Plan.
Next, we needed to bring about a change in culture,
reinforce the business and economic aspects of our
approach, and focus efforts on specific priorities
(especially key niches in the leisure and business
markets). Finally, we needed to allocate resources
toward what would help us best achieve these strategic
objectives.
04
The year 2014, influenced by Tourisme Montréal’s human
resources modernization strategies, was a year of
reorganizing work units and teams within the company.
The team worked hard to meet these major challenges
during this transition period. I would like to congratulate
each and every employee on a successful and productive
year.
Yves Lalumière
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tourisme Montréal
ADMINISTRATORS
TOURISME MONTRÉAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(AS OF FEBRUARY 6, 2015)
PRESIDENT
Mr. Raymond Bachand
Strategic Advisor
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
VICE PRESIDENT
Mr. Michel G. Giguère
General Manager
Centre Sheraton Montréal
Ms. Stéphanie Allard
Vice President, International Organizations
Montréal International
Mr. Michel Archambault
Professor Emeritus and
President of the Board of Governors
Transat Chair in Tourism ESG UQÀM
Université du Québec à Montréal
Ms. Christiane Beaulieu
Vice President, Public Affairs
and Communications
Aéroports de Montréal
Mr. Bernard Chênevert
General Manager
InterContinental Montréal
Mr. Jacques-André Dupont
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
L’Équipe Spectra
Ms. Chantal Fontaine
President
Accords Wine Bar and Restaurant
Mr. Claude Gilbert
President
Gilbert Stratégies Inc.
Ms. Anne-Marie Jean
Executive Director
Culture Montréal
Mr. J.D. Miller
B2TEN
Ms. Eve Paré
President and CEO
Hotel Association of Greater Montréal
Mr. Claude Poisson
President of Operations
Société des casinos du Québec
Mr. David Rheault
Director, Government Affairs and Community
Relations – Québec/Atlantic
Air Canada
BOARD OF DIRECTORS SUB-COMMITTEES
(AS OF FEBRUARY 6, 2015)
Audit Committee
Mr. Claude Gilbert (President)
Mr. Bernard Chênevert
Mr. J.D. Miller
Governance and Ethics Committee
Ms. Eve Paré (President)
Ms. Stéphanie Allard
Mr. David Rheault
Human Resources Committee
Mr. Michel G. Giguère (President)
Mr. Claude Poisson
Ms. Anne-Marie Jean
Events Committee
Michel G. Giguère
Anne-Marie Jean
Danielle Sauvage
Yves Lalumière
Pierre Bellerose
Stéphanie Laurin
Mr. Yves Lalumière
President and CEO
Tourisme Montréal
Mr. Raymond Larivée
President and CEO
Palais des congrès de Montréal
05
20
14
TOURISM
PERFORMANCE
AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
2014: A PROSPEROUS YEAR FOR CONVENTIONS, BUSINESS MEETINGS
AND SPORTS EVENTS
IN 2014, MONTRÉAL’S KEY TOURISM PERFORMANCE INDICATORS GREW, PARTICULARLY AT THE START OF
THE YEAR’S SECOND TRIMESTER. THIS SOLID PERFORMANCE TRANSLATED INTO HOSTING A SIGNIFICANT
NUMBER OF MAJOR BUSINESS MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS, WHICH COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE
WORK OF MEETING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN MONTRÉAL. THE SPORTS MARKET HAD A BRILLIANT
PERFORMANCE IN 2014, THANKS TO THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS INVESTED IN THIS MARKET OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
9.2
•
Tourism spending
was evaluated at
$2.7B.
over the year, or
an increase of 4.6%.
compared to 2013.
•
The hotel occupancy rate
on the Island of Montréal
rose 3.39 percentage points.
in 2014.
attaining 71.64%.
Out of a total of 27.4 million
1
visitors in 2014,
Montréal welcomed
9.2 million tourists
or 2.2% more than in 2013.
The average hotel
room rate on the island
of Montréal
was $151.14,
for an increase of 5.63%
over 2013.
1 Visitor: Term that encompasses tourists and day-trippers.
Tourist: A person who travelled outside their place of residence for at least one overnight stay or longer,
but for less than a year, and who used commercial or private accommodations.
Day-tripper: A person who has made a round-trip of at least 40 kilometres from their place of residence
in the same day.
06
Efforts by Tourisme Montréal’s
Business Sales Team helped
generate slightly more than
333,000 room nights in commercial
accommodations in the conventions,
business meetings and sports markets
for 2014, for an increase
of 44.8% over 2013.
79% of room nights
of commercial
accommodation in Montréal.
were reserved by tourists
2
from outside of Québec. 2014
2013
HOTEL OCCUPANCY RATE (ISLAND OF MONTRÉAL)
71.64%
68.25%
VARIATION
3.39% PTS
AVERAGE HOTEL ROOM RATE (ISLAND OF MONTRÉAL)
$151.14
$143.08
VARIATION
5.6%
NUMBER OF ROOM NIGHTS FOR CONVENTIONS / BUSINESS MEETINGS / SPORTS
EVENTS GENERATED BY TOURISME MONTRÉAL FOR THE YEAR
333,000
230,000
VARIATION
44.8%
PASSENGERS AT MONTRÉAL AIRPORTS
14,821,100
14,095,272
VARIATION
5.2%
INFORMATION REQUESTS/WELCOME BOOTHS
90,500
109,600*
VARIATION
21.1%
VISITS TO TOURISME MONTRÉAL’S PRIMARY WEB SITES
4,619,000
4,170,000
VARIATION
10.8%
*Including the 5,729 information requests at the mobile information booths, new for 2014 (from June 18 to October 18).
2 Cities 2012
07
TOURISM IN MONTRÉAL:
OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
A DRIVER
According to estimates in 2014,
Montréal’s tourism industry supported
38,000 direct and indirect jobs.
in the province of Québec,
representing $1.417B in payroll.
IMPACT GENERATED FOR ALL OF QUÉBEC BY TOURIST SPENDING
IN THE REGION
3
OF MONTRÉAL IN 2014 (DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT)
JOBS
38,000
PAYROLL ($)
1,417,000,000
3 Results from Tourism Economic Assessment Model (TEAM) of the Conference Board of Canada.
08
ORIGIN OF TOURISTS AND
TOURIST SPENDING
CAN BE BROKEN DOWN AS FOLLOWS:
ORIGIN OF TOURISTS WHO VISITED
MONTRÉAL IN 2012*
OVERSEAS
9.6 %
BREAKDOWN OF TOURISM SPENDING,
ACCORDING TO ORIGIN OF TOURISTS,
IN 2012*
QUÉBEC
OVERSEAS
25.8%
24.8%
UNITED STATES
12.4%
CANADA,
OUTSIDE QUÉBEC
24.5%
QUÉBEC
53.5%
UNITED STATES
21.9%
CANADA,
OUTSIDE QUÉBEC
27.5%
*Latest available official data is from 2012.
HIGH
SATISFACTION
RATE AMONG TOURISTS IN 2014
4
THE 2014 TOURISME MONTRÉAL SATISFACTION SURVEY , CONDUCTED AMONG LEISURE
TOURISTS WHO SPENT AT LEAST TWO NIGHTS IN THE CITY FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER,
REVEALED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS: 94%
In 2014, leisure tourists
gave Montréal an excellent
satisfaction score of 8.5/10.
This means that 94% of tourists
gave their leisure stay in Montréal
a rating of 7 out of 10 or higher.
4 Survey on tourist experience in Montréal, research carried out in collaboration with the Ipsos research firm,
2014 edition.
09
FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION,
HUMAN RESOURCES AND
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
Key to the smooth running of the organization, the Finance, Administration, Human Resources and Information
Technologies (IT) Department introduced an action plan to respond to the November 2013 report by the Auditor
General of Québec and follow recommendations made in the February 2014 report by the Committee on Labour
and the Economy.
2014 ACHIEVEMENTS
AND RESULTS
GOVERNANCE
/M. Raymond Bachand was appointed President of
Tourisme Montréal’s Board of Directors during the
June 2014 Annual General Assembly. Four new
administrators were also appointed.
/The Ethics and Governance Committee and the
Human Resources Committee, two new committees
created on the Board of Directors at the end of
2013, got down to work and established:
/a complete review of the general regulations
to modernize the structure, which were adopted during the June 2014 Annual General
Assembly
/practices and guidelines in ethics and
governance
/an employee Code of Ethics
/a manual and training sessions for Tourisme
Montréal’s managers
/a rubric of key competencies and an annual
evaluation of managers
/a complete performance management process
for each position that includes a rubric of key
competencies, measurable objectives, standardized evaluation forms and a revised pay
scale
10
HUMAN RESOURCES
/Major organizational changes occurred in 2014.
/A human resources management strategy was
implemented to modernize the CVB, particularly
with regard to processes, standards and
mentoring. Among the achievements:
/revised and updated key competencies to
dovetail with the strategic plan
/reviewed positions and updated their
descriptions
/reviewed pay equity:
/
studied remuneration externally
/ established pay scales
/developed and implemented a pay management policy
/updated the performance management cycle
ADMINISTRATION
AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES
/Important organizational changes took place over
the course of the fiscal year
/Tourisme Montréal was able to take advantage of
favourable market conditions and moved to new
premises at 800 René-Lévesque Boulevard West.
The new lease will generate annual savings in the
order of $500,000 for the next 10 years. Among
the key elements of this move:
/a real estate firm was retained to look for a
space, negotiate offers and manage the move
/a design firm advised us on how the design
could best meet our needs
/the IT team was kept particularly busy with
planning and executing the move of the entire
technological structure (from servers and work
stations to telecommunications systems)
/the team took advantage of the move to modernize computer networks, install effective
communication tools and improve IT
security
/the move went smoothly and efficiently and
staff found the new environment refreshing
and energizing
FINANCE
/Adopted and reinforced numerous policies that
allowed us to improve our current management
and control tools
/The accounting system was reevaluated by an
external firm to ensure it met the organization’s
needs
/Rigorously managed the accounting department
and renegotiated borrowing rates with the bank,
allowing us to reduce borrowing fees
/Particular attention was paid to drafting different
contracts and agreements to ensure conformity
and satisfactory risk management
After consecutive years of deficit, Tourisme Montréal
balanced its operating budget and achieved a surplus
income of $284 000 in 2014, despite unanticipated
expenses of nearly $200,000 that were beyond the
managers’ control.
Tourisme Montréal intends to free up an even greater
surplus in 2015 in order to slowly replenish member
equity and keep it at a satisfactory level to offset
unanticipated expenses.
11
FINANCIAL DATA
DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE SOURCES
BETWEEN 2014 AND 2013 (IN MILLIONS OF $)
REVENUE
2014
REVENUE
2013
DIFFERENCE
2014-2013
VILLE DE MONTRÉAL
1.0
1.1
-0.1
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC
1.1
1.2
-0.1
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
2
2
-
ACCOMMODATION TAX
23.5
22.88
0.8
MEMBERSHIP FEES
0.7
0.9
-0.2
PARTNERS
4.5
4.7
-0.2
TOTAL REVENUE
32.9
32.7
0.2
The following charts illustrate the source of revenue, breakdown of expenditures per category and per
department.
TOURISME MONTRÉAL REVENUE IN 2014
The 3.5% accommodation tax
brought in and additional
$700,00 over 2013.
1. Ville de Montréal
3.0%
$1,000,000
2. Gouvernement du Québec
3.4%
$1,122,995
3. Government of Canada
6.1%
$2,000,000
4. Private sector
16.0%
$5,270,027
5. Special accommodation tax
71.5%
$23,525,265
BREAKDOWN OF EXPENDITURES IN 2014 PER MAJOR SPENDING CATEGORY
1. Salaries and benefits
22.5%
$7,499,357
2. Operating expenses
9.6%
$3,198,333
3. Sales, marketing and advertising 65.9%
Sales, marketing and advertising initiatives constitute the major
investments in order to highlight the potential economic spin-offs
for the entire tourism industry and Tourisme Montréal members.
12
$21,946,128
13
© World Trade Centre Montréal
SALES
AND CONVENTION SERVICES
BUSINESS SALES
The year 2014 was a very good year for the business
and sports markets. More than 712 business
opportunities totaling close to 700,000 room nights
were shared with our members this year. As promised,
Tourisme Montréal generated nearly 290,000 room
nights.
104 files were confirmed by our sales team in 2014
(31%) for the years to come, particularly in the finance
and insurance markets. Interestingly enough, Montréal
seems to be gradually regaining its position on the
Canadian, American and European incentive travel
markets through the corporate sector.
More than 333,000 room nights generated by Tourisme
Montréal were used over the course of the year,
including 73,000 within the year.
After several profitable years, the American market
has become a formidable challenge. We confirmed
close to 90,000 room nights. The U.S. market continues
to generate the most room nights in spite of this.
Naturally, the high occupancy rate of the Palais des
congrès de Montréal adds to the challenges for this
market. No effort, however, has been spared to
increase these numbers for upcoming years.
2014 was the first year that we obtained conclusive
results on the sports market, thanks to the efforts we
have invested in it over the past several years. In fact,
after developing it for three years, the market generated
close to 55,000 room nights due to, among others,
hosting FIFA, FINA and the World Junior Hockey
Championships.
Both the Canadian associative and the corporative
market met our expectations despite increasingly stiff
competition.
The success of the corporate market is certainly worth
mentioning. More than 41,228 room nights, representing
Our continued presence in the United States, many
one-time events, a strategic agreement with PCMA,
Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès are just
some of the many initiatives that we have undertaken.
Also in 2014, Tourisme Montréal invested $1.1M in a
common fund designed exclusively for clients who use
the Palais des congrès.
In addition to this amount, Tourisme Montréal allocated
more than $2.5M in financial aid to meetings and
conventions. By doing this, a portion of the accommodation tax earmarked for the destination can be given
back to hotels.
Michel Bourdon
Vice President – Sales and Convention Services
14
© Lhotel
Tourisme Montréal’s team also signed 88,668 room
nights for upcoming years in the American market. To
this end, I would like to underscore the efforts of our
personnel based in the United States.
The upswing of the American economy and the renewed
confidence of Americans gives us hope for future years.
MAIN CONVENTIONS
SOLD IN 2014
/ American Society for Bone and
Mineral Research
/ Canadian Union of Public Employees
Changes made to the sales team in 2014, particularly
the arrival of Christopher Marilley as Director of Sales,
has allowed us to increase development opportunities
in all markets.
/ College of Family Physicians of Canada
According to the Watkins Survey, Tourisme Montréal
ranks among the top CVBs in North America, occupying
first place in the “convention sales and services”
category, and second in the “ease of doing business”
category.
/ Psychonomic Society
Our results for 2014 reflect a solid balance between
the results obtained for our Canadian, American and
international markets.
/ Allstate Insurance Company
/ American Society of Plant Biologists
/ International Union of Radio Science
/ National Association for Law Placement
/ Biotechnology Industry Organization
We also held 143 site visits, allowing us to confirm
35,000 room nights for a conversion rate of 61.5%.
333,000 ROOM NIGHTS
15
ACHIEVEMENTS AND RESULTS
The Business Sales Team set an objective of 315,000 room nights for 2014.
267,478 room nights were confirmed for 2014 and years to come:
83,289
88,668
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED
FOR THE CANADIAN
MARKET
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
MARKET
59,525
35,996
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED
FOR THE AMERICAN
MARKET
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED
FOR THE SPORTS MARKET
376,257
ROOM NIGHTS AT THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STAGE AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014
56,440
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED AT THE ASSOCIATIVE LEVEL FOR THE MULTI-HOTEL SEGMENT
40,394
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED FOR THE SMALL MEETINGS MARKET (100 TO 199 ROOM NIGHTS)
39,085
ROOM NIGHTS CONFIRMED FOR THE EXPRESS MEETINGS MARKET (1 TO 99 ROOM NIGHTS)
16
SALES ACTIVITY IN 2014
In addition to ensuring Montréal’s success in the business market, sales activities enable Tourisme Montréal to
reach a target audience that is carefully selected for its potential for the destination.
These popular partner events are organized with the business campaign team. Partners have an opportunity
to spend some time with clients and build strong relationships in a creative and friendly environment that is
representative of Montréal’s spirit.
INTERNATIONAL MARKET
/L ondon: special Cirque du Soleil event
(associative)
/Frankfurt: IMEX, The Worldwide Exhibition for
Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events, Soirée à
la Montréal (corporate, associative, incentive)
/Las Vegas: IMEX America, Breakfast in Bed à la
Montréal – breakfast served in clients’ rooms
(corporate and associative)
/New York and Philadelphia: wellness event
/Chicago: special basketball event
/Mission in Europe: Wellness events in London,
Paris, Brussels (incentive and associative)
/Barcelona: as part of EIBTM, The Global Meetings
& Events Exhibition, Soirée à la Montréal (U.S.
associative and European incentive)
/Paris: Montréal Networking Forum event (international associations)
AMERICAN MARKET
/Boston: Professional Convention Management
Association (PCMA), wellness event (associative)
and sponsorship of a lunch for all delegates
/Boston: Professional Convention Management
Association (PCMA), Breakfast in Bed à la
Montréal – breakfast served in clients’ rooms
(associative)
/Minneapolis-Chicago-NYC: C2-MTL events and
conferences
/Washington: Redskins football event (PCM
exclusive)
/Minneapolis: Meeting Professionals International
– World Education Congress (MPI/WEC), Breakfast
in Bed à la Montréal – breakfast served in clients’
rooms
CANADIAN MARKET
/
Toronto: event with the l’Orchestre Symphonique
de Montréal (corporate and associative)
/
Toronto: wellness event and sales mission (corporate and associative)
/O ttawa: Hockey à la Montréal event (PCM
exclusive)
/
O ttawa: wellness event and sales mission
(associative)
/
Vancouver: wellness event (associative)
/Washington: wellness event
/Chicago: wellness event
ALL MARKETS
/Advisory Board
/Nashville: American Society of Association
Executives (ASAE), wellness event (associative)
/Nashville: Professional Convention Management
Association (PCMA), Breakfast in Bed à la Montréal
– breakfast served in clients’ rooms
(associative)
17
BUSINESS CAMPAIGN
The main objective of the campaign, which targeted association and corporate meeting planners, was to
position Montréal as a leading business destination. It also sought to position Tourisme Montréal as a
source of information, assistance and inspiration while offering a window onto our major business market
partners (Team Montréal).
TACTICS
/Content marketing strategy supported by content
sponsorship on social media, e-mail marketing
and advertorials
/Print advertising in specialized media
/Web banners in specialized networks
HIGHLIGHTS
/48% increase in traffic on business platforms over
2013
/51% increase in subscribers to our Linkedin page
over 2013
/721% increase in @meetmontreal retweets over
2013
/Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies
/41% increase in average time spent on business
blog over 2013
18
CONVENTION SERVICES
Meeting and convention planners who benefited from
Tourisme Montréal’s services in 2014 gave it a rating of
9.9/10. This excellent score, which Tourisme Montréal
receives year after year, encourages us to offer quality
services to meeting planners. It is the best way to
ensure that Montréal continues to be chosen as host
city of major meetings.
WATKINS REPORT
A survey among 40 North American tourism offices
and 1,000 active and potential clients was conducted
in 2014. On a scale of 1 to 9, Tourisme Montréal received
8.09 on the question “superior CVB/DMO”, placing it
in the top quartile. And in answer to the question,
“How easy is it to do business with the following CVB?”,
Montréal ranked second, after Seattle.
© Montréal Convention Centre (Palais des congrès de Montréal)
These results reflect the quality service offered to
meeting planners and delegates and includes, in
particular, supplier recommendations, organization
of site visits, tools to foster delegate participation and
a personalized welcome.
2014 ACHIEVEMENTS
AND RESULTS
/Coordinated and hosted 54 site visits
/Participated in 10 promotional year-prior visits
/Invested $200,000 in promotional tools to increase
delegate participation
/Members were referred more than 1,000 times to
convention organizers
/Participated in six local committees that helped
organize major conventions
MEETING AND CONVENTION PLANNERS WHO
BENEFITED FROM TOURISME MONTRÉAL’S
SERVICES IN 2014 GAVE IT
A RATING OF
9.9/10
/Created 13 custom-made microsites for delegates
of each congress
/Distributed over 45,000 brochures
19
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:
MEETINGS LEAVE A LEGACY FOR THE MONTRÉAL COMMUNITY
Tourisme Montréal works in partnership with associations and their delegates who would like to get involved locally
and make a positive difference during their time in Montréal. This can take on different forms, including:
/ IUFoST 2014 World Congress
Montréal set a new Guinness record! The IUFoST 2014 World Congress lined up 44,966 cans of food to make a
3.28 kilometre-long chain. The goal of this activity was not only to sensitize people to world food issues, but also
to make a substantial donation of canned goods to Moisson Montréal, the city’s largest food bank.
LIST OF CONVENTIONS AND SPORTS EVENTS FOR 2014
ORGANIZATION
CONGRESS / MEETING
LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA
BIENNIAL CONVENTION 2014
PYTHON SOFTWARE FOUNDATION
2014 PYCON
CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS, CLC
TRIENNIAL CONVENTION 2014
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEURORADIOLOGY
ASNR 2014 ANNUAL MEETING
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PHARMACOECONOMICS
AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH
18TH ISPOR ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MEETING
AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION
2014 RAIL CONFERENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RAIL RODEO
AMERICAN ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATION
2014 AOA/COA JOINT MEETING
SPIE
2014 SPIE ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPES AND
INSTRUMENTATION
SECRETARIAT OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
18TH MEETING - SBSTTA
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL LANDMEN
AAPL 2014 AMERICA'S LANDMEN ANNUAL MEETING
IRISH DANCE TEACHERS NORTH AMERICA
2014 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURAL AND
BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERS
ASABE/CSBE JOINT 2014 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL
MEETING
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
23RD IPSA WORLD CONGRESS
SOCCER
FIFA U-20 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2014
NATATION
FINA WORLD MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2014
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL SOCIETIES /
MYCOLOGY DIVISION
JOINT: BACTERIOLOGY/APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY/MYCOLOGY
+ GENERAL ASSEMBLY + VIROLOGY
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY & CONGRESS
ASSOCIATION FOR EDUCATION IN JOURNALISM AND MASS
COMMUNICATION
2014 SUMMER CONVENTION
WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
2014 WORLD WEATHER OPEN SCIENCE CONFERENCE
BDO CANADA
2014 ONE CONFERENCE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AUXILIARY SERVICES
NACAS 2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
ASME - AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
2014 INTERNATIONAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CONGRESS
AND EXPOSITION (IMECE)
FIGURE SKATING
2015 SKATE CANADA CHALLENGE
NEURAL INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS
FOUNDATION
NIPS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
HOCKEY
2015 IIHF ICE HOCKEY U20 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
20
21
© Stephane Poulin
MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS,
MEDIA RELATIONS,
DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
AND PARTNERSHIPS
Communication campaigns that were rolled out for
several niches in 2013 evolved into promotional campaigns structured around certain thematic moments
(F1 moments, music moments, gourmet moments,
family moments) in 2014. They targeted families and
youth as well as clients interested in gastronomy,
nightlife, culture and festivals. The results for these
campaigns were excellent: visits to Tourisme Montréal’s
digital platforms increased by 38% and the number
of followers on our social media increased by 67%.
A thematic moment is designed to stimulate and structure an offer to better disseminate it and unite the
industry around a specific theme. Creating a particular
dynamic, showcasing the city’s appeal and bringing
together industry partners are just some of the many
objectives of these thematic moments. This is a first
for the tourism industry and a new way to ensure
continuous communication with clients in their decision-making process.
The results of this thematic moment approach were
excellent. A few highlights:
/171,000 Montréal revs up videos were viewed on
Tourisme Montréal’s YouTube channel and the
campaign attracted over 2 million followers on
Facebook. The efforts made by the SDC du VieuxMontréal are particularly noteworthy: it got into
the spirit by encouraging business owners to
celebrate the Grand Prix F1 in Old Montréal. It
anticipates doing this once again in 2015.
/The music moment generated more 16,000 visits
to the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
limited-time offer page and 17 journalists specialized in this niche came to Montréal to cover it.
/In November, with gastronomy as the theme, MTL
à TABLE once again united restaurants with
Montrealers and visitors. This year, 140 restaurants
offered their MTL à TABLE menu to more than
100,000 participants, for a 25% increase over
2013. Thanks to our communication efforts, the
number of visitors on the MTL à TABLE microsite
increased by 147.94% and nearly 8,000 people
participated in the contest.
/We tabulated more than 845,000 views of the
family moments videos; that’s 1,408% more than
the anticipated objective and 28,867 clicks to the
family package.
Emmanuelle Legault
Vice President, Marketing
22
© Pascal Vicari
The #MTLMOMENTS campaign launched in 2012, for
its part, continued to gain followers, allowing us to
record more than 4 million views at Dundas Square in
Toronto and over 75,000 photos shared on Instagram.
It also helped us attract more than 1,400,000 fans to
our social media platforms.
We pursued our partnership with the Montréal Cruise
Committee, which continues to attract cruise passengers and travel agents through various approaches,
including advertising campaigns, microsites, representation, hospitality and more.
These efforts resulted in a 600% increase in visits to
the microsite over 2013 and we connected with more
than 10 million cruise passengers.
On the Member Services side, we signed up 171 new
members for a record year. Of the many training sessions offered in 2013, the focus was on social media,
both internally and with members.
We hosted more than 557 media representatives and
implemented performance indicators per type of journalist to better quantify actual spin-offs. For the year
2014, the advertising value of articles written about
Montréal was nearly $8.3M. We could never have
afforded to pay for this kind of visibility. It is proof that
Tourisme Montréal’s ongoing efforts with this target
are paying off.
SOCIAL MEDIA
193,840
FOLLOWERS
(INCREASE OF 39%
OVER 2013)
56,092
FOLLOWERS
@MONTREAL (ENGLISH)
(INCREASE OF 43%
OVER 2013)
32,736
15,900
FOLLOWERS
(INCREASE OF 365%
OVER 2013)
FOLLOWERS
@MONMONTRÉAL
(FRENCH)
(INCREASE OF 60%
OVER 2013)
861,010
VIEWS
AWARDS AND HONOURS
THE INTERNATIONALIST AWARDS FOR
INNOVATION IN MEDIA 2014
/The Montréal Moments in Toronto campaign, which
encouraged Torontonians to ask questions about
what to do in Montréal via digital signage on Dundas
Square, earned Silver in the category Best in Travel,
Entertainment and Leisure.
PRIX BOOMERANG 2014
/The Montreal Boy: Some Strings Attached, a
six-episode Web series on LogoTV.com produced
for the LGBT clientele, won the Grand Prix
stratégie éditoriale.
23
#MTLMOMENTS CAMPAIGN
DE
TA
C
H
#MTLMOMENTS
The objective of this campaign was to increase the
visibility of #MTLMOMENTS in Toronto and introduce
Torontonians to the array of activities in Montréal in
summer.
It won SILVER at the Internationalist Awards for
Innovation in Media.
TREAL
TWEET @MON
TO DO
TO ASK WHAT
THIS SUMMER
GET A CHANCE TO WIN
AN AMAZING TRIP TO MONTRÉAL
/Digital signage at Dundas Square. The use of
high-impact formats allowed us to stream live
from our Twitter feed
/The on-site team at Dundas Square invited
passersby to sign up for our newsletter and receive information about Montréal
/ Promoted the @Montreal Twitter feed by posting
15 road signs in Toronto
HIGHLIGHTS
/ Live streaming at Dundas Square: 4,038,636 views
/ 51,413 unique participants sent messages
/ 75,250 messages contained @Montreal or Montréal
/ 29,084 Twitter interactions
/ 15,592 interactions by on-site team
/ 13,185 #mtlmoments frames distributed
24
@Montreal
TOTAL VALUE CND: $2, 400
TA
C
SEE COMPLETE RULES AND REGULATIONS AT WWW.ASKMTL.CA
DE
/ An on-site team promoted our @Montreal Twitter
account by inviting Torontonians to ask them
questions about what to do in Montréal
H
TACTICS
THEMATIC MOMENTS CAMPAIGN
GRAND PRIX FORMULA 1 DU CANADA
This campaign, rolled out in the Ontario (primarily
Toronto) and the northeastern U.S. markets, aimed to
enhance Montréal’s profile as a nightlife destination.
TACTICS
/Toronto stunt: Ferrari teams and cars on site
attracted the attention of passersby in order to
promote the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada and
a contest
/ Traditional posting on Newad
/C ontests announced via Web banners and
Facebook publications
/4 videos (#1, #2, #3 et #4) recapping the festive
weekend spent by the three winning couples in
Montréal. The videos were posted on social media,
YouTube and rich media banners
HIGHLIGHTS
/9,450 interactions on site
/ 3,217 contest participants
/ 1,841 newsletter subscriptions
/ 7,400 #mtlmoments frames distributed
/ Media relations
/ 171,000 video views
/ Articles on Newad and Dose.ca
/ Advertising banners for the F1 hotel package
/5,012 “likes” on Facebook reaching an audience
of 2,190,837 people
RIGHT NOW
G
YOU ’RE JU ST G ETTIN
W ARM ED U P
F1 WEEKEND IN MONTRÉAL
IS THE MAIN EVENT
Book now at MONTREALOFFER.COM and get your trip started off right
with up to $450 worth of discounts on different food, nightlife and attractions!
25
THEMATIC MOMENT CAMPAIGN - MUSIC
Backed by the international popularity of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the campaign positioned
Montréal as a vibrant and creative destination by featuring its numerous festivals and events in the markets of
Ontario, Québec and northeastern U.S.
TACTICS
/
Publicity stunt in Toronto during which
Torontonians got a taste of the Jazz Fest by
attending live music shows
/ 2-page advertorial on the Jazz Fest in Now Toronto
HIGHLIGHTS (TORONTO STUNT)
/Promotion of stunt on social media:
/ Facebook: 260 new “likes” and
4,816 interactions
/ Twitter: 148 new followers and
22,903 interactions
/Contest promoted by Web banners posted on
Now Toronto, Google and Accuen and via Facebook
publications
/ Now Toronto: distributed 386,000 copies
/3,600 interactions by the onsite team
/ Production of a video and advertising on YouTube
/2,685 #mtlmoments frames distributed
/Advertising Web banners for limited-time Jazz
packages and keyword purchasing
/89,711 YouTube videos viewed
/7,458 contest entries
/4,027 new newsletter subscribers
/16,049 visits to the limited-time Jazz package
page
/Hosted 17 journalists in 8 music-themed tours
/8 articles published in 2014. More articles to
come as part of the 2015 Jazz Fest
/2 tours (5 people per tour) organized in collaboration with the Canadian Tourism Commission
for the Australian and German markets
/Collaborated with the Festival International de
Jazz de Montréal to host journalists
/ A few examples:
/ The Telegraph: Montreal Jazz Festival 2014:
Unforgettable
/ Esquire: 48 hours in Montreal
/ New Wesfälische: Montreal mon amour
Sponsored content
Whether you’ve come for a summer getaway or
Modern marvels
you’re a festival junkie, Montreal delivers at every
If you need a break from music, head to the
level of sight, sound and taste. Let your stomach
Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal
guide you through the bustling foodie
(185 Saint-Catherine West, 514-847scene, which offers far more than bagels
6226, macm.org) for a little eye candy.
and smoked meat.
Browse more than 7,600 pieces, inStroll through the Quartier des
cluding installations, paintings, sculpSpectacles to an array of buzzy restauture, prints and drawings, by the best
rants and bars, or venture to nearby
Canadian and international contemChinatown for dim sum and bubble tea.
porary artists.
© Musée d’Art
ConteMporAin de
Scoot up to Saint-Laurent Boulevard for
MontréAl
In honour of its 50th anniversary, the
chic bistros and chi-chi fine dining, or settle
Musée digs into the archives and unearths
into one of the many wine bars or microbrew
donor collections and previous acquisitions, inpubs.
cluding one particularly noteworthy bright
For night owls who crave a good dance sesh,
spot: originally shown at the 2007 Venice BiOld Montreal offers a slew of clubs and bars
ennale, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s interactive
pumping out the beats. And if queer nightlife is
installation Pulse Room (2006) is on display
more your speed, the Village has an electric
during the Jazz Festival. The sensory piece
atmosphere, with dozens of clubs and bars.
picks up on visitors’ heart rates and converts
The art scene is one of the country’s most vithe spikes and peaks into flashes of light by
brant, too. Check out these two unique venues:
way of 300 suspended incandescent bulbs.
26
© soCiety of Arts And teChnoloGy [sAt]
Montreal’s entertainment scene is heating up, with the
star-packed jazz festival on the horizon By ELYSE GOODY
Digital delight
The Satosphère, an immersive theatre space
at the Society for Arts and Technology (1201
Saint-Laurent, 514-844-2033, sat.qc.ca),
supports research, creation, production,
presentation, education and conservation of
digital culture.
The Satosphère dome acts as a 360-degree canvas for video and light projections as
well as interdisciplinary shows and concerts, so
be sure to check the calendar of events.
While you’re there, fuel up on some great
food at SAT’s Foodlab on the third
floor. Small plates are innovative –
sometimes even experimental –
and, because it’s a not-for-profit
resto, the price is right. One
floor up is a fabulous outdoor
terrace where you can snack
and drink.
Action in the Quartier
The Jazz Festival goes down in Montreal’s cultural hub, the Quartier des
Spectacles. The 1-square-kilometre
area in the downtown core is jampacked with more than 80 cultural
hot spots and venues – including
Jazzing it up
MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ
FESTIVAL June 26 to July 6, Quartier des
Spectacles. montrealjazzfest.com.
In celebration of the Montreal Jazz
Festival’s 35th anniversary, a spectacular lineup of talent is scheduled
to rock the downtown core.
Given that jazz is a melting pot of
musical styles and rhythms, it’s fitting
that this year’s slate features a diverse gathering of legendary performers and artists who push
musical boundaries.
Kicking off the two-week event, Beck
makes his festival debut with a sampling
from his newest album, Morning Phase,
while crooner Cassandra Wilson marks
the 20th anniversary of her famous
breakthrough album, Blue Light ’Til
Dawn.
Tapping into jazz’s Afro-funk roots,
Angélique Kidjo performs highlights
from her 13th album, Eve, and reggaerock star Ben Harper teams up with
blues legend and harmonica master
Coeur de Pirate and BadBadNotGood. In
the Nuits Heineken series, homegrown 90s
alt-pop duo Gogh van Go reunite to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their first
album and reach a new audience.
For those with a taste for artistic
mashups, the Culte! series presents the
Canadian premiere of For The Record: Tarantino In Concert. Melding the musical
scores and cinematic inspiration of Quentin
Tarantino’s greatest hits – it’s Broadway
meets Hollywood meets music
hall – the event is sure to be
killer.
On the other hand, if poetry is your jam, the Musique au
MAC series presents
L’orchestre
d’hommes-orchestres’s Cabaret BriseJour, based on the music of
Kurt Weill. The limit-pushing show weaves poetry
and theatre into a
unique musical spectacle.
To plan your
schedule and keep
acts, artists and
Enter for a chance to win a unique trip for two to the
35th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
The package includes exclusive access to the festival’s
best concerts: a unique and thrilling experience.
THE STAY INCLUDES:
>
>
>
Airfaire for two courtesy of Air Canada
Two show tickets at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
A Sweet Deal package for a 2-night hotel stay
To enter and for the
complete contest terms
and conditions go to
© Canadian Tourism Commission
© festiVAl internAtionAl de JAZZ de MontréAl, JeAn-frAnçois leBlAnC
French
connection
ission
© Groupe Antonopoulos
WIN A UNIQUE TRIP
TO THE FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL DE
JAZZ DE MONTRÉAL!
mtlmoments.com
Value of $2,900. Contest ends May 18, 2014.
SPECIAL LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
Take advantage of special offers and see what
Montréal has in store for you!
From discounts and exclusive deals to sweet perks, you'll have it all.
Hurry, these are limited-time offers only.*
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2014, CRUISES, LGBT & MORE!
SPECIAL HOTEL OFFERS AVAILABLE.
Go to montrealoffer.com for more info.
GASTRONOMY
A campaign was rolled out in the Québec and Ontario markets. The goal was to continue to strategically position
the MTL à TABLE event as a major gourmet happening. MTL à TABLE shines the spotlight on the culinary diversity
and quality of Montréal’s restaurants and chefs.
TACTICS
/Presence on the V television channel on the shows
Un Souper Presque Parfait, Ça Commence Bien
and En Mode Salvail
HIGHLIGHTS
/ More than 153,000 visits to Tourisme Montréal’s
Web platforms (MTL à TABLE site, blog and
tourisme-montreal.org)
/Advertorial in La Presse and La Presse+
/ 7,882 contest participants
/Sponsored content on social media (YouTube,
Facebook and Twitter)
/ 3,594 newsletter subscribers
/ 60,710 Facebook and Twitter interactions
/Web banners
/Many contests broadcast on V television, Rouge
FM and our blog
/5 non-Montréal bloggers on press tour
/ Hosted 22 journalists from Québec, Ontario, the
United States and France
/ 2 group tours for the France and Toronto
markets
/ 22 articles and radio commentaries
/ Hosted a Toronto blogger tour (Think campaign)
/ Hosted a France tour with A11
/ Received excellent coverage of MTL à TABLE,
particularly on social media, following the campaign led with Think and the MTL à TABLE tour
prior to the event
/ A few examples:
/ Forbes Magazine Mexico
/Magazine M Le Monde par Camille Labro –
Québec : Vive la cuisine libre
/Press Republican – Montreal restaurant
Week the foodie event for fall
ProMoTion
MTL
à TABLE
GoûTEz LE MEiLLEur
dE MonTréAL
La troisième édition de la Semaine des restaurants de
Montréal se déroulera du 30 octobre au 9 novembre.
Avec plus de 135 restaurants participants, il y aura de
quoi plaire à tous les goûts et à tous les budgets.
PLUS DE 135 RESTAURANTS PARTICIPANTS | 3 SERVICES - 3 PRIX - 11 JOURS
27
une initiative de Tourisme Montréal
mtlatable.com
FAMILY
By offering the brand-new Family Pass, the campaign sought to position Montréal as a one-of-a-kind winter
destination for families that was fun, safe and accessible. Ontario and Québec were our targeted geographic
markets.
TACTICS
/An entire Web strategy including banner and preroll videos (advertisements)
HIGHLIGHTS
/845,094 video views, for a 1,408% increase over
the original objective of 60,000 views
/1 group tour from the United States and 7
individual tours from Ontario, the United States
and Québec
/3,340 clicks to the blog
/19 articles and videos
/28,867 clicks on the limited-time family offer
/Hosted 13 journalists
/3 tours from the United Kingdom
28
/A few examples:
/ The Press and Journal – OOH LA LA! French
Canada. This article was picked up by some
30 sites and publications.
/ Blog Macaroni Kids – Magical Montreal
CRUISES
Developed concrete strategies to attract cruise ships to Montréal and encourage cruise passengers to remain
for a pre- or post-cruise stay.
MEMBERS OF THE MONTRÉAL CRUISE COMMITTEE
Supported by Tourisme Québec, the Montréal Cruises Committee comprises the Montréal Port Authority and
Tourisme Montréal as well as six other associations and local organizations: Aéroports de Montréal, the Old Port
of Montréal Corporation, the Casino de Montréal, the Société de développement commercial du Vieux-Montréal,
the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal and the Ville de Montréal.
TACTICS
/L aunched an advertising campaign targeting
cruise passengers and travel agents
/Participated in a media purchase plan in partnership with the nine ports of call of the Cruise
the Saint Lawrence Association in specialized
industry media
/Took part in sales and representation missions
with cruise lines and tour operators, broadcast
webinars with travel agents
/Planned a campaign for marketing, media relations
and social media activities as well as a partnership
agreement with Holland America
/Organized fam tours for itinerary planners for
cruise companies and travel agents
/Developed or updated business tools: microsite,
destination brochure, client information leaflet,
cruise ship schedule, excursion brochure and
pre- and post-cruise activities in Montréal
/Improved passenger experience: training (taxi
drivers, stevedores, tourism information representatives, tourism information partnerships with
the SDC du Vieux-Montréal and renewal of the
passenger privilege program in the boutiques of
Old Montréal
/Celebrated the arrival of Maasdam in Montréal
for the 10th consecutive year and the embarkation
and debarkation of the 100,000th passenger.
HIGHLIGHTS
/Tour operators – fam tours
/ CAA Travel Fam Tour (Cruise and Luxury):
10 travel agents
/ Fam Leisure Cruises Holland America:
40 travel agents
/ ACSL tours: 12 shipping lines and
16 participants
/Media
/ Hosted 3 journalists
/ 27 articles written thanks to newsletters,
media visits and responses to requests
made by Tourisme Montréal
/Performance of the cruise microsite in 2014
/ 88,085 visits, for a 600% increase over 2013
/ audience of 10.1 million people
/ 89% of traffic generated by the advertising
campaign
/ 78,753 clicks to the microsite generated by
different advertising placements
/ Average click-through rate of 0.66%
(superior to the 0.33% objective)
/ Average time spent on site:
1 minute 28 seconds
/ Average number of pages visited: 2.18
/Other results for 2014
/ Welcomed more than 56,400 passengers
and 14,500 crew members for a total of
58 days docked
/ Signed a COOP agreement with the Encore
network to promote pre- and post-cruise
visits
/ Announced a new cruise terminal project
planned for 2017
29
SWEET DEAL PACKAGE
Tourisme Montréal continued to offer the Sweet Deal Package to clients seeking a short urban getaway. When
tourists book a package, they receive the second or third night at half-price, depending on the season, as well
as a discount coupon booklet.
TACTICS
/Media purchase of banner ads on Google and Trip
Advisor
/Purchased the sponsored “Montréal” page on
Trip Advisor
/Purchased keywords in Search Engine Marketing
(paid indexing)
/Invested in Search Engine Optimization (organic
indexing)
30
HIGHLIGHTS
/ 30% increase in page views in “offers” section of
tourisme-montreal.org over 2013
/266% increase in pages viewed in the “offers”
section on mobile over 2013
MEDIA AND LEISURE MARKET
In 2014, the media and leisure strategies aimed to:
/maximize use of social media when communicating with journalists and bloggers
/use social media for the Chinese market and prepare the industry for a new direct Beijing-Montréal flight
/maximize promotional efforts among DMCs in Canada
/increase promotional efforts in the French market
/increase marketing to promote the number of international cruise ships and pre- and post-cruise stays
MEDIA — ACHIEVEMENTS
SENT OUT
SENT OUT
+ 130
NEWSLETTERS
IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES (ENGLISH,
FRENCH, MANDARIN, SPANISH,
PORTUGUESE, ETC.) WITH CONTENT
TAILORED TO EACH NICHE
PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE
IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES WITH
AN ADVERTISING VALUE OF
+ $1 MILLION
ENSURED THAT
LED A PRESS TOUR OF
331
ARTICLES
ABOUT MONTRÉAL WERE PICKED UP
BY QUÉBEC AND INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA, THANKS TO DIRECT ACTIONS
TAKEN BY TOURISME MONTRÉAL
AND ITS PARTNERS
5 GLOBAL
INSTAGRAMMERS
WHOSE COMBINED AUDIENCE
IS 1 MILLION FOLLOWERS
HOSTED
CTV’S eTALK
SHOW IN NOVEMBER WHILE
SHOOTING A PROGRAM
ON OLD MONTRÉAL
44
WRITERSJOURNALISTS
DURING A MEDIA EVENT
IN TORONTO
HOSTED
RADIO NOVA
IN FRANCE FOR THE SHOW
“2 H ET QUART AVANT LA FIN DU
MONDE” LIVE FROM LA VITRINE
FROM MARCH 22 TO 29, 2014
FRONT PAGE
COVERAGE
IN THE LIFE & ARTS SECTION
AND AN ARTICLE ON MONTRÉAL
WINTER ACTIVITIES IN THE
GLOBE AND MAIL.
31
MEDIA ACTIVITIES IN 2014
OUTSIDE MONTRÉAL:
/ Participated in more than 13 specialized meetings,
marketplaces, trade shows and media events:
/m edia conventions: Travel Bloggers
Exchange (TBEX), GoMedia Canada, Canada
Media Marketplace, Terroir, TMAC, etc.
IN MONTRÉAL:
/ Led 219 personalized media tours
/ Held 68 tours in conjunction with Tourisme
Montréal’s public relations agencies, members
and partners for a total of 153 media
representatives
/ Met with 547 writers
/ Met with 556 media representatives of whom 453
were journalists
DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS — ACHIEVEMENTS
/ Collaborated on a special edition of Québec le
Mag entitled Tellement Montréal for the French
market
/ Proposed photo contest to Chinese students, in
partnership with Concordia University
/ Organized fam tours for Québec DMCs to provide
training on Montréal’s tourism offer for the gastronomy and religious heritage niches
/ Organized fam tours for 45 French agencies and
41 Belgian agencies in collaboration with Jonview
and Tour Chanteclerc
/ Held Webinars for 19 agents and tour operators
for the Australian market
/ Promoted pre- and post-stay packages in
Montréal, in partnership with a Canadian tour
operator for World Pride held in Toronto (LGBT
niche)
/ Participated in Destination Québec workshops in
Paris and Lyon
/ Hosted major Californian tour operators
/ Held Webinars for specialized travel agents for
the cruises, luxury and gastronomy niches
LEISURE MARKET
ACTIVITIES IN 2014
OUTSIDE MONTRÉAL:
/
P articipated in 9 specialized meetings and
marketplaces: Cruise 3Sixty, Rendez-Vous Canada,
Destination Québec (in Paris and Lyon), Discover
Québec Marketplace
/Met with more than 579 buyers (tour operators, tour
wholesalers and DMCs)
32
IN MONTRÉAL:
/ Managed and organized 56 site visits
/Met with 571 buyers
© Hyatt Regency Montréal
© Susan Moss
MEMBER SERVICES
AND PARTNERSHIPS
In 2014, Tourisme Montréal continued to focus on new
partnerships, such as those with the Montreal Canadiens
and Sopexa, while offering its some 800 members with
new marketing opportunities. By adopting this approach,
we were able to launch major events with proven
spin-offs.
This was certainly the case for MTL à TABLE, which was
held from October 30 to November 9, 2014. The third
edition of the event once again accomplished its mission
of encouraging people to dine out at the 140 participating
restaurants.
MTL À TABLE 2014:
Invited Montréalers and tourists to discover the city’s
culinary richness
/3rd edition of MTL à TABLE held from October 30
to November 9, 2014
/140 restaurants participated
/Fixed-price menus offered: $19, $29 or $39
/25% increase in restaurant-going over previous
edition
/Over 100,000 people took part in the event,
generating close to $5M in economic spin-offs for
participating restaurants
/V isibility provided to restaurant owners on
mtlatable.com and via a contest, social media
and coverage in local and international media
/96% of restaurant owners surveyed qualified
their experience as positive or very positive
MONTRÉAL RESTAURANT WEEK
OVER 135 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
3 COURSES FOR $19, $29 OR $39
mtlatable.com
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MEMBER SERVICES
TRAINING AND CONFERENCES
/11 Membership 101 workshops: 90 participating
companies (109 people)
/2 social media training sessions per membership
category
/Training session: Comment travailler avec la clientèle chinoise
/Conference on tourism forecast for 2014, in
collaboration with the Conference Board of
Canada and Aéroports de Montréal
/5 training sessions on sustainable development
in accommodations
EVENTS
/The Gueuleton touristique on 13 tourism trends
for 2014 organized in collaboration with UQAM’s
Chair in Tourism (300 guests)
/T he 28th Grands Prix du tourisme québécois
gala (200 guests)
/T he Members’ Christmas Party (485 guests)
/A cocktail organized in collaboration with the
Palais des congrès (225 guests)
/Launch of the 2014 tourism season (300 guests
and 60 exhibitors)
/A nnual General Meeting 2014 (100 guests)
MEMBERSHIP
91.1%
171 NEW MEMBERSHIPS
MEMBER RETENTION
RATE
HOSPITALITY
With the support of the borough of Ville-Marie,
Tourisme Montréal and the SDC Vieux-Montréal
launched a mobile hospitality squad to welcome
visitors (tourists, Montréalers, cruise passengers)
to the neighbourhood and provide them with tourist
information.
The goal of this experiment was to modernize traditional tourism hospitality by offering an easily
accessible and personalized welcome as well as
promote Montréal.
The bike squad was in operation from the end of
June to October 2014. Representatives provided
tourism information a total of 5,700 times during
this period.
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A RECORD YEAR FOR RECRUITING
NEW MEMBERS
PACKAGES AND DEALS
Package that gives visitors reduced prices on extra hotel nights, a privilege pass and exclusive discount
coupons.
25
7,900
22,750
$4.2M
PARTICIPATING
HOTELS
ROOM
NIGHTS
PACKAGES
SOLD
IN REVENUES
FOR HOTELS
LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
Tourists were offered limited-time, theme-specific offers throughout the year. They included reduced prices on
nights at certain hotels as well as a coupon booklet. The theme offers for 2014 were:
/ School breaks
/ Cruises
/ Family
/ Foodies
/ Jazz
/ LGBT
/ Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada 2014
/ Just for Laughs Festival
/ MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE Festival
/ Montréal celebrates
/ Romance
PARTNERSHIPS
© Martine Doyon
Tourisme Montréal works with major marketing partners
to develop its marketing campaigns. 2014 was a banner
year as we renewed close to 15 partnerships and signed
new partnerships with the Montréal Canadiens, the
National Bank, Les Vins de France and the Association
des Restaurateurs.
35
PUBLIC RELATIONS,
RESEARCH AND
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
The year 2014 was marked by a number of changes
that illustrated our commitment to listening to partner
concerns in each of the initiatives taken and adopting
a more flexible and creative approach.
We concentrated our efforts on strengthening
partnerships with different levels of government and
positioning Tourisme Montréal as a major economic
player. We also remained actively involved with the
Association des ATR associées du Québec (ATRAQ). As
a result, Tourisme Montréal continues to enjoy a
positive image among different levels of government,
private partners, members and the general public.
With regard to cultural tourism, Tourisme Montréal
continued to work hard on the Cultural Tourism
Development Plan strategy, one of the organization’s
priorities. Whereas before we focused our attention
on mature cultural companies, in 2014 we collaborated
with neighbourhoods, creative sectors and new fields
to restructure our offer. We took the same approach
with ecotourism. The goal of this long-term approach
is to integrate new stakeholders into the DNA of
Montréal’s tourism industry and better respond to the
city’s needs.
36
The financial aid program for cultural tourism events
continued to be at the heart of the actions taken by
Tourisme Montréal in 2014. Despite budgetary
constraints, the organization continued to invest
considerably in Montréal events. We also ensured the
financing of events that generate visibility and business
room nights for Montréal. Return on investment has
become a criterion of our financial aid program, and
we now use PerforMind™ software to manage requests
more rigorously.
With regard to research, the business influence of our
new President and Chief Executive Officer challenged
us to develop an excellent command of the added
economic value of Montréal tourism and our
organization.
In terms of product development, we directed our
attention to lending our expertise to Montréal’s
375th anniversary legacies as well as introducing a new
component to international market development to
create new attractions.
Pierre Bellerose
Vice President – Public Relations,
Research and Product Development
© MEG Montréal Festival, Adrian Villagomez
2014 ACHIEVEMENTS
AND RESULTS
RESEARCH
/Surveyed leisure tourists to determine their level
of satisfaction with their stay and their perceptions
of the destination.
/Surveyed cruise passengers to determine their
profile and understand their booking and vacation
habits.
/C onducted a Web Survey and held group
discussions with Ontario travelers to learn more
about their perceptions of Montréal.
/Compiled a summary on the added value of
Tourisme Montréal and Montréal tourism.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE OFFER
/ Supported four projects by partners of the
Entente de partenariat régional en tourisme
(EPRT) for the Montréal tourism region in 2014,
representing $113,000 in funding and a planned
investment of more than $200,000.
/
Met nearly 20 Montréal tourism project promoters
at different stages of their business plans to share
expertise or forge partnerships
/
Implemented research protocol for new international urban tourism products that enhance the
permanent tourism offer
/Conducted a comparative analysis of business
tourism as well as a market analysis of incentive
travel.
/Produced and updated research documents,
including studies on Montréal’s priority niches.
/Carried out ad hoc research projects, including a
survey conducted in collaboration with Montréal’s
hotels to determine the tourism impact of certain
festivals.
37
PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
/
Liaised with media (primarily local) on corporate
issues: responded to close to 550 requests from
journalists and influencers (bloggers)
/
Wrote speeches, messages from the president and
sales presentations and provided strategic advice
to the executive.
/
Wrote and released more than 40 press releases
on the organization’s initiatives and campaigns,
including the MTL à TABLE event.
CULTURAL TOURISM
/
Pursued our partnership with the Ville de Montréal
and the Ministère de la Culture et des
Communications as part of a joint protocol policy
for promoting active partnerships between
Montréal’s cultural and tourism milieus.
/
Released the second edition of the 2014-2017
Cultural Tourism Development Plan in June 2014.
Visit: culturalamontreal.com
/
Provided support to our Sales and Conventions
Services Team to highlight the efforts of Tourisme
Montréal in the business and sports tourism
sectors.
/
Liaised with government partners: Ville de
Montréal, CRÉ de Montréal, Tourisme Québec,
Canada Economic Development, Ministère des
Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire (MAMROT), etc.
/
Maintained involvement with numerous local, provincial and national organizations (chambers of
commerce, businesses, TIAC, AQIT, ATR associées
du Québec, etc.).
EVENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Over the course of 2014, Tourisme Montréal provided
close to $2.5M in funding to festivals and events that
showed a strong tourism performance.
Tourisme Montréal supported close to 50 events as part
of its Event Assistance Program, the main objective of
which is to increase Montréal’s tourism revenues.
In 2013, Tourisme Montréal began revising the program’s
selection criteria. The new components, implemented
in 2014, now include:
/ events with tourism potential
/ events with tourism growth
/ mature tourism events
38
Tourisme Montréal is now in a stronger position to
encourage and promote an event’s individual
performance and provide necessary financial and
marketing support.
The implementation of the PerforMind™ software in
2014—also used by Tourisme Québec and LotoQuébec—now allows us to better analyze requests.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
With the support of the Montréal tourism industry’s
Green Committee and numerous partners, a sustainable tourism advisor implemented a Green Plan for
Montréal’s tourism industry, thanks to funding provided
by Tourism Québec. It aims to:
/position Montréal as the leading Canadian destination for hosting environmentally responsible
meetings.
/implement an APEX/ASTA certification process
for environmentally responsible meeting cities,
in partnership with the Ville de Montréal and the
Palais des congrès.
/create a consortium of a dozen or so participating
festivals committed to sustainable development.
/disseminate information on sustainable tourism
trends and practices via different communication
tools.
/support the local food sector and restaurant
representatives.
Visit: greenmeetings.tourisme-montreal.org
/a ssist Tourisme Montréal members in their
sustainable development initiatives (themed
workshops and advice).
Tourisme Montréal has been working on integrating
sustainable development within the different
departments of the organization. The Green Committee
regularly follows the progress of our committees via a
dashboard listing more than 15 quantitative and
qualitative indicators. By doing so, Tourisme Montréal
sets an example and takes a leadership role in
implementing the Montréal tourism industry’s Green
Plan.
HIGHLIGHTS:
/ Moved to a BOMA BESt® Level 3-certified building
/ Implemented a materials recycling system in
Tourisme Montréal’s offices
/ Classified the most important corporate events
according to sustainable event management
standards with the help of a firm certified by the
Bureau de Normalisation du Québec
/ Took part in La Corvée du Mont-Royal
/ Reduced paper consumption by 40% between
2010 and 2014
© Sid Che
GREEN MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COMPANY
39
THANKS TO OUR
PARTNERS
REGROUPEMENT
DES HÔTELIERS DU
VIEUX-MONTRÉAL
SEVERAL
FESTIVALS
AND EVENTS
40
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING,
TOURISME MONTRÉAL REVAMPS ITS IMAGE.
The organization just unveiled a new brand image.
The inspiration? Montréal, and its many exciting and eclectic facets.
Tourisme Montréal’s new brand image shines the spotlight on all of the city’s memorable
moments, unique experiences and one-of-a-kind ambiance, season after season.
A promise kept and a long-term commitment.
41
2015 PRIORITIES
BUSINESS SALES
AND CONVENTION SERVICES
BUSINESS SALES
/ Maintain objective of 300,000 confirmed room nights
/ Redefine the added value of Montréal for the corporative, associative, sports and incentive travel markets
/ Review the business campaign model
/ Develop a strategy to increase tourism during the low season
CONVENTION SERVICES
/ Increase convention participation
/ Encourage delegates to prolong their stay in or to return to Montréal
/ Maximize reservations within room blocks
/ Ensure conventions receive an exceptional welcome and service
/ Optimize existing tools and actions (microsites, brochures, prior-to visits, social media)
/ Develop new social media strategies
/ Optimize the “community involvement” program
/ Purse the Taxi Ambassadeur program with taxi drivers
/ Meet Canada Border Services Agency officers
COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING,
MEDIA AND LEISURE MARKET, AND IT
/ Issue a call for tender for revamping digital platforms
/ Optimize CRM strategies
/ Create new performance indicators and new dashboards
/ Expand the French market
/ Prioritize thematic moments
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COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
/ Revamp brand image
/ Launch advertising campaigns in the markets of Ontario, northeastern U.S. and France
by positioning priority niches
/ Launch a new tourist pass
/ Continue integrating social media tools
/ Continue expanding the cruise market
MEMBER SERVICES
/ Strengthen ties with existing partners
/ Increase number of non-traditional partners
/ Review subscription and payment process
/ Upgrade database management tool
/ Create new reports on visibility obtained
/ Create a new extranet for 2016
/ Begin revamping all tools offered to members for 2016-2017
MEDIA
/ Increase media market development
/ Focus market development activities on France, Canada and the United States
/ Host more French journalists
/ Actively participate in GoMedia 2015
/ Prepare to host GoMedia 2016 in Montréal
/ Continue to evaluate media spin-offs of actions taken
LEISURE MARKET / DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
/ Increase activity in French market and the Cruises and Religious Heritage markets
/ Actively participate in RDVCanada 2015 in Niagara Falls
/ Prepare to host RDVCanada 2016 in Montréal.
PUBLIC RELATIONS, RESEARCH
AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
/ Continue to ensure Tourisme Montréal’s leading position
/ Promote the CVB’s achievements
/ Make cultural tourism in Montréal a unique experience
/ Obtain international APEX /ASTM certification for environmentally responsible conventions,
in partnership with the Ville de Montréal and the Palais des Congrès
/ Develop a new strategy to bring new attractions to Montréal
FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION
AND HUMAN RESOURCES AND IT
/ Continue to improve the work processes of each department
/ Implement performance improvement measures
/ Eliminate doubling of data entry and superfluous management reports
/ Finish updating management system for communicating with partners, clients and potential clients
/ Increase electronic data processing
/ Reduce use of paper
/ Improve financial reports
/ Review costs of employee benefits
/ Apply for reduced interest fees again
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