Québec City Convention Centre and Rennes Métropole team up to attract international conferences

Québec City Convention Centre CEO Pierre-Michel Bouchard and Rennes Métropole President Emmanuel Couet signed a cooperation agreement on April 6, 2016,  to enhance the drawing power of Québec City and Rennes on international conference markets and to produce events in their respective regions.

The agreement was signed during the Opportunités digitales event at the Québec City Convention Centre. This business gathering, organized by Québec International in conjunction with Rennes Métropole for Digital Week in Québec City, drew some 200 European entrepreneurs seeking to develop their businesses in the province.

“Working together is a winning business strategy on both sides,” said Pierre-Michel Bouchard. “The agreement will help draw international conferences to both cities, foster economic, tourism and cultural development, and raise the profile of both destinations.”

In addition to a common language, Rennes and Québec City share areas of expertise, business interests, and development objectives, especially in the digital domain.

“We set out with the conviction that the agreement between our convention centres had to foster cooperation and exchanges between economic stakeholders in our two regions,” added Emmanuel Couet. 

The agreement also calls for the parties to share experiences and best technical and logistical practices. This means that the Québec City Convention Centre will be providing support and advice in the lead-up to the opening of Rennes Métropole’s Le Couvent des Jacobins convention centre in 2018.

The desire to work together stems also from the close relationship between the cities of western France (Saint-Nazaire, Nantes, Rennes, Saint-Malo) and Québec City overall.