#ThrowbackThursday: Event Inspiration From C2 Montréal Over the Years

Last year, C2 was held at Grandé Studios, a 200,000-square-foot space in the Point-Sainte-Charles neighborhood, located on the grounds of the former Grand Trunk Railway yards, which was once Canada’s largest train repair shop. The Agora space provided one of the main stages for speakers and performances, including an opening night show by Cirque du Soleil. The hexagonal, 360-degree stage was covered in sand, which C2 president Richard St-Pierre said was a nod to the conference's commitment to sustainability. Efforts to reduce the conference's carbon footprint included providing recyclable attendee badges, banning straws and single-use water bottles on-site, and reducing the proportion of fossil fuel-powered machines used in the buildout to below 40%. Another section of the space also held the "Braindate Lounge," where attendees had one-on-one conversations on specific topics.

The venue’s outdoor space, the C2 Village, is where guests checked in and out. The space featured a massive welcome wall with the conference logo, surrounded by industrial elements and greenery.

One of the first C2 Village experiences guests encountered was goat yoga, which was held at the Community Garden by Facebook. Along with yoga sessions, guests could also use the space to relax and pet (or take selfies with) goats. See more: 16 Creative Highlights From a Revamped C2 Montréal

In 2018, one trademark of the conference, meetings in unusual environments, is a huge draw for conference attendees. The interactive stations—known as Labs—provided attendees with hands-on team building, networking, and tech-fueled experiences designed to take them out of their comfort zone.The Transparent lab was held in a mirrored room, where a moderator led a conversation about diversity and bias in the workplace.

Guests could schedule meetings and lunches in "cabins," transparent cylinders that blocked out much of the general noise in an area near the entrance. The venue also featured a rotating carousel bar that served drinks and food.

At a lab called Cookie, groups brainstormed ideas to make and market their own cookies in a pop-up kitchen. The cookies were displayed in jars in a circular wall showcase outside of the kitchen for other attendees to try. After trying a cookie, guests were encouraged to write a dream or idea on a Post-it, which would be used as inspiration for new cookie ideas throughout the conference.

Attendees looking to take a break from the conference chaos could relax in a restored vintage Airstream in a "Breathing Space" relaxation area. The trailer was provided by Art de la détente (Art of Relaxation), a company that specializes in personalized relaxation areas. See more: 17 Ways C2 Montréal Got Attendees Out of Their Comfort Zones

In 2015, the concept of breaking down the barriers between participants was the driving force behind the event’s design. One of the most unusual and eye-catching experiences was small group discussions that took place as attendees sat in chairs suspended 18 feet in the air above a net, pushing them out of their comfort zones.

A virtual reality experience from Ubisoft enabled participants six guests at a time to virtually walk around Paris’s Notre Dame cathedral together. How C2 Montréal Challenged Attendees to Take Risks