Representatives from close to 100 hotels, restaurants, and spas located in eight regions throughout Quebec showcased their venues and services in Toronto Thursday during the 28th annual Quebec Day presented by Destination Quebec. “The objective is to bring the buyers and the sellers together … basically to provide an opportunity for the meeting planners here to meet our Quebec partners,” said Susan Prophet, the agency's director of meetings, conventions, and incentive travel. “It’s an opportunity for planners to meet 100 Quebec suppliers under one roof."
Close to 300 local event and meeting planners attended the three-hour marketplace and luncheon, held in the Canadian Room at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This year’s event, designed once again by Penni Holdham of the Display Connection, featured a spring theme with pastel linens and florals throughout the room. “We’re later in February than we used to be,” Prophet said. “We used to be around Valentine’s Day and we had a very Valentine’s Day theme. This year it’s the end of February, so we decided to start thinking spring.”
Destination Quebec worked with the Fairmont to include local fare in the menu for the buffet lunch. “We try to make cuisine from each of the regions,” Prophet said, noting that dishes included items like cheeses from Charlevoix and maple syrup from the Eastern Townships. “It’s so people are tasting something they could experience if they went there.” Prophet also said that the tourism agency surveys participants each year to gauge the return on investment.
