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Canada, City-Style
November 14, 2008
Canada's great metropolitan centers, Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto, offer everything from jazz festivals to dogsledding
By Harriet Edleson and Alexandra Haake
For incentive planners looking for an alternative to a Caribbean cruise or a weekend of golf, The New France Festival in Quebec City, Quebec, meets the challenge by taking visitors to another world, almost. The annual summer festival recreates the feel of the city back in 17th century when part of North America still belonged to the French. From August 5th through August 9th visitors get the chance to experience the art, entertainment, food and atmosphere that make Quebec City so unique yet so reminiscent of Europe.
Sylvain Gagné, a representative of the Quebec City Tourism Office, says the festival attracts groups for the city itself, for its ambience and the spirit around the New France Festival.
The festival reveals the heritage, history and culture of New France, Gagné says. "It's like Europe but closer." For all the attractions the festival and Quebec City have to offer, the five-day celebration is particularly conducive to teambuilding in a cultural and historical setting. "People can rent or buy costumes and be part of the celebration," Gagné adds.
The city itself is pedestrian-friendly, allowing incentive groups to easily get around from festival to hotel. The well-known Château Frontenac, a Fairmont hotel built at the turn of the last century, is a destination in itself with its extravagant décor and mesmerizing views of the city and countryside below.
The farthest hotel from the festival that is held throughout the historic district of old Quebec is just a 20-minute walk. The Hotel Frontenac is just up the hill, about ten minutes by foot, or a quick bus or taxi ride up. "You have access to all the major activities, from the marketplace, to all kinds of reenactments (this year we had the giant village, so we invited giants from Europe, with over 60 giants, which was a first in North America)." Aside from the festival, incentive travelers have access to countless restaurants, serving everything from traditional Quebecois dishes to international cuisines.
Whether staying for the full week, or just two or three days, the New France Festival is just one of the many festivals held throughout Canada. There are a number of others in the Province of Quebec that draw incentive groups: the Montreal International Fireworks Competition in summer of 2009; "Just for Laughs," the international comedy festival (à la Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby), with shows in English July 16 to 26; the International Jazz Festival of Montreal; and the World Film Festival, August 27 to September 7.
Incentive groups can take in the Toronto Jazz Festival, in Ontario, June 26 to July 5, in 2009, and the International Film Festival in Toronto, which takes place September 10 to 19. Looking further ahead, the Winter Olympics are slated for February 12 to 28, 2010, in Vancouver, B.C. But events are only part of the attraction of an incentive in Canada. Each city has its own appeal.
 Montreal offers a European flavor, an Old World ambience, says Jean-Paul de Lavison, president of JPdL Destination Management Company in Montreal. People tell him all the time, "I feel like I'm sitting in a café in Paris," when in Old Montreal.
And during festivals, the energy heightens. "The city is at its best [during festivals], says Laure Gazale, director of sales for JPdL, Montreal. "You can wander the streets and come across a festival. It's like an outdoor party basically. The city's abuzz. A lot of American celebrities come up here."
Although French is the official language of Quebec Province, English is spoken everywhere, says Gazale. (English is the official language of the rest of Canada.) Incentive trips to Canada are often split between Montreal and Quebec City, with two nights in each city. "Quebec City is always a very popular destination because it's like being in Europe without crossing the Atlantic Ocean," says Hélène Pomerleau, director of meetings and incentive travel for Quebec City Tourism. Skiing, snowmobiling and dogsledding can be part of a program until April. In addition, she says, Quebec City is safe, clean and hospitable. And, the exchange rate is once again favorable to the U.S. dollar.
Pomerleau brought a group of 360 people from a U.S. health care company to Quebec Province for a four-night incentive split between Montreal and Quebec City in May. Fifty percent of the group was from the U.S. Midwest and West. In Quebec City, program highlights included a cooking class, a full-blown circus and a walking tour of the city. "You will hear French, more French than you do English in Quebec City," says Pomerleau. "It's a foreign destination—Europe without the jet lag."
Participants stayed at the Fairmont Frontenac for two nights, then headed to Montreal by train, three hours away. In Montreal, they stayed at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth near the train station, for "an easy arrival," says Pomerleau.
The challenge of this incentive was access, she says, as flights and seats are limited. Participants flew in from Boston, Newark or Detroit, for example, to either Toronto or Montreal, then flew 45 minutes to Quebec City.
 Hockey and Comedy
Toronto, situated on Lake Ontario, also has an international flavor, but going beyond what Quebec evokes of France, Toronto's multicultural influences include a Little Italy, a Greek area and Chinatown.
The city ranks after New York and London as a live theater center, according to JPdL. It is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame and to professional hockey, baseball, football, basketball and soccer teams. Golf courses are abundant. Groups can spend time at the Royal Ontario Museum or watch a Dragon Boat Race in the port, enjoying a view of the city. Restaurants number more than 7,000, with cuisines from throughout the world. May through September temperatures are quite moderate.
In addition, 60 percent of the U.S. population is within 90 minutes by nonstop flight to Toronto's Pearson International Airport, according to Grant Snider, president of JPdL Destination Management Company, Toronto. "It's very easy to get to Toronto," he says.
Incentive trips can focus on Toronto or can be split between Toronto and the Niagara Region, known as the "Napa of the North" for its 70 wineries. For example, a group of 100 traveled in summer 2007to both, first to Niagara-on-the-Lake near the wineries, then by motor coach to Toronto, where they stayed at the Four Seasons. "They really like that mix of urban and the country," says Snider. A six-night incentive including dinners, transportation, wine tastings and other entertainment can cost $2,000 to $3,000 per person, double occupancy, plus air. A special event can be a "blend your own wine and create your own label" activity.
Other options for incentive trips in Toronto are a reception at the Hockey Hall of Fame, home of the Stanley Cup when it's not traveling, tickets for the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays or Argonauts, or a reception in private boxes for as many as 100 people at a sporting event. Other venues are The Docks at the Toronto Harbor, the Canadian National Tower, or the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. "We've got something for everybody's tastes," says Snider.
 Overall, despite the potential for excitement with an event-based incentive to Canada, consider the interests of your group. "Forget about the wow factor if [the event] doesn't match the interests or the demographics of your audience," says JoAnne Pusateri, director, Maritz Canada. Think about what will seem like cachet to your group, something that they already want, she says. Catered events, better tickets than are available to individuals and behind-the-scenes tours to meet some of the comedians at "Just for Laughs," for example, lend sparkle to the incentive. "Build it around the destination or the event," she says. "You still want to promote all the great things about the destination. Choose a property that suits your group. For example, for 50 people, a company might want to take over one of the smaller boutique hotels. "It depends on the culture of the company and the objectives and demographics of who's participating in the program. [Attending] the event can be the biggest part of your budget," says Pusateri.
Send comments to feedback@incentivemag.com.
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