Chairs in the Air

The “Cloud of Fog” was a 40-foot tentlike structure filled with fog. Groups of seven attendees stood inside and participated in a moderator-led discussion, but they could not see one another. As the session progressed, the participants would take small steps forward, until the end when they were all gathered in the middle and close enough to see one another. St-Pierre said by removing the ability for participants to see one another, the experience “completely disconnected the person from the persona. Once everybody was out, you would see those groups coming back again to share coffee and such," he said.

C:Lab, the creative laboratory of Cirque du Soleil, used real tree branches to create the Nest, a hollow structure measuring 30 feet across and sitting 10 feet in the air. Participants were invited to climb a ladder into the nest where a moderator led them in a discussion. To leave the nest, attendees slid down a slide.

A moderator led guests in a seven-minute discussion of business topics while they sat in chairs suspended inside a net 18 feet in the air. “When you are physically at risk of something, your perception of who you are, the environment, the world, will change. So that’s what we wanted to accomplish,” St-Pierre said.

A virtual reality experience from Ubisoft enabled participants six guests at a time to virtually walk around Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral together.

During the “In the Mouth” food events, participants received information and instructions throughout the meal via headphones.

Using E-180’s matchmaking platform, more than 1,345 “brain dates” took place during the three-day conference, double the amount from 2014.

Located alongside Montreal’s Lachine Canal, C2’s outdoor plaza included a Ferris wheel, a tent, food services, and a variety of seating areas. Organizers encouraged attendees to meet for “brain dates” in one of the Ferris wheel pods.

The outdoor plaza included a new venue, the Big Top BDC. Hosted by the founders of Montreal’s 7 Fingers circus, the venue had space for about 200 people.

Inside the Big Top BDC, participants listened to a variety of speakers on topics such as investment, social business, innovation, renewable energies, and technology.

The Forum Solotech was the conference's main venue, where speakers such as Alec Baldwin, Chelsea Clinton, and Andre Agassi addressed the crowd.

A separate venue called the Garage hosted 10 master classes led by professionals from organizations such as M.I.T. Media Lab and BMW.   ·

Inside Arsenal, organizers used scaffolding to expand the amount of spaces available for people to gather.

Bistro Lafontaine was one of the places where conference participants could dine on food from chef Jérôme Ferrer.