Experiential travel has been a growing trend for at least a decade, but what does that mean for business events? In Montréal, a city that prides itself on welcoming visitors like locals, it means giving attendees interactive, behind-the-scenes access to the people and places that define the city’s diverse culture. Genuine engagement with local vendors, restaurants, and festivals helps attendees connect with Montréal’s heartbeat.
“You don’t visit Montréal, you live it — because that’s the only way to get a real feel for the deep culture, the rich, authentic heritage of this city that’s so forward-looking, yet rooted in nearly 400 years of history,” said Dawn Eagleton, regional director of Business Events Montréal.
Immersive FAM Activities That Bring Montréal to Life
Business Events Montréal regularly hosts familiarization (FAM) trips to help meeting planners experience the city’s inviting atmosphere firsthand. The summer 2025 season showcases the city’s cultural mosaic and offers inspiration for weaving experiential elements into events.
Cameron Curtis, CMM, CAE, and the founder and chief innovator of C2 Association Strategies, took part in one of Business Events Montréal’s FAM trips earlier this summer. “Montreal has such a unique vibe,” she said. “You get that European feel without having to go that far.” It’s not just the French language, but a deeper shift in culture. “There’s something for everyone, and a quaint, laid-back vibe,” added Curtis.
Behind the Scenes Access With Entertainment Powerhouse
For Curtis, a trip highlight was meeting two performers from Cirque du Soleil, the world-renowned show that started in Montréal. “We were able to do things that the general public doesn’t have access to. We networked beforehand and during intermission, and then after the show, had a conversation with two of the artists,” Curtis said.
Interpersonal connection was prioritized at every opportunity. Curtis added that the meet-and-greet felt very intimate, with no more than twenty-five participants.
Corporate social responsibility is also at the heart of Business Events Montréal’s mission, and it’s another way to help FAM participants feel connected to the city’s community spirit.
One standout activity is an Indigenous beading workshop led by Cree artist Deborah Ratt. It takes place at the Wachiya boutique, a store specializing in Cree products. Wachiya, which means “hello” in Cree, runs on a community-led model where Indigenous creators welcome visitors to learn about their culture. The beading workshop is more than a creative activity: It’s a moment of cultural exchange, with Deborah Ratt sharing the stories and significance behind each bead. In turn, the workshop provides financial support to both Wachiya’s mission and the artists who sustain it.
Culinary Experiences that Define Montréal’s Diversity
Montréal’s famous food scene provides another key opportunity to foster an immersive connection to the city’s values of diversity and community.
This summer, Business Event Montréal treated FAM trip participants to a savory dinner at Kamúy in the heart of Jazz Festival. Kamúy is the brainchild of award-winning chef Paul Toussaint, whose dedication to sharing an authentic Caribbean experience helped him win a Community Leadership Award in 2024. The restaurant name comes from the word for “sun” in the language of the Taino people, the First Nations of the Caribbean. Similarly, the venue’s decor, artwork, and live music help to conjure the colorful spirit of a Caribbean market while combining locally-sourced ingredients with Caribbean specialties.
Another favorite option gives participants the opportunity to make one of the city’s most famous delicacies: Montréal-style bagels. The secret? A hands-on class with Les Affûtés is the best way to find out.
Citywide Values Reflect Welcoming Spirit
For maximum effect, these experiences are matched with a citywide spirit of welcome. The destination management team connects planners to key resources and ensures guests feel at home from the moment they arrive.
Montréal ranked among the world’s top 10 big-city travel destinations in CN Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 and claimed the top spot in UIA’s list of international association meeting destinations in the Americas.
Tailored Service From Destination Partners
The Business Events Montréal team ensures planners can take full advantage of the city’s offerings. “We connect our guests to the local community because our partners join our FAMs for the whole time, as part of the experience, as members of Team Montréal,” Eagleton said. “From the moment they land, our guests don’t feel like visitors — they feel welcomed like a member of the Montréal family.”
The team offers free resources and services to build attendance and connect planners with real Montréalers — entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, and more. They can also share bleisure travel ideas for extending stays.
“We’re not just making sales, we’re building relationships for the long term, and because they know we’re not high pressure, we become their trusted advisors,” Eagleton explained.
“It’s great because the relationship is there regardless of whether or not you have business,” confirmed Curtis, who has kept in touch with the team since her first FAM trip more than a decade ago.
Fostering a Sense of Belonging
Montréal’s multiculturalism is yet another factor that helps international visitors feel welcome. The city is known for bilingualism in French and English and is Canada’s capital for trilingual residents, with over 80 languages spoken locally.
The city takes pride in making everyone feel like they belong, earning a worldwide reputation for places and spaces that are inclusive, balanced, welcoming, and accessible. It was ranked North America’s safest big city for travelers in Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s recent analysis, Safest Cities in the World for Travelers in 2025. Similarly, it was named the safest and best destination for women traveling solo by Holidu in 2022.
Montréal has also fostered a culture of caring for the environment. It was ranked the second-most sustainable city in North America under the GDS Index. It’s also among the world’s top 15 cities for green spaces and access to nature, according to a poll run by Time Out magazine.
Eva Blue – Tourisme Montréal
Venues That Enhance the Experience
Ideally, an event’s venues should help to connect attendees to the city’s top attractions while also providing world-class amenities. Montréal offers a wide variety of distinctive venue options, both indoor and outdoor. The city’s main convention center, Palais des congrès de Montréal, won the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) Delegates’ Choice Innovation Award in 2024. According to Curtis, the Palais stands out for its unique design, featuring kaleidoscopic jewel-toned windows and a rooftop garden: “I love the Palais. I mean, those windows!”
Other highlights include the recently opened Grand Quay and Port of Montréal Tower with its ultra-modern glass-walled design and exceptional panoramic views. Multiple venues allow attendees to connect with Montréal’s thriving live performance scene and cutting-edge audiovisual infrastructure: 360-degree screens immerse visitors at both SAT (Society for Arts and Technology) and one of three Cirque Éloize studios, where guests can also be treated to a live circus show.
For the full Canadian experience, the Bell Centre allows visitors to feel connected to the country’s hockey culture, while Windsor Station immerses them in the elegance of early railway station architecture. As the former site of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the St-James Theatre similarly combines contemporary entertainment with stately stonework and stained glass windows. For true versatility, Parc Jean-Drapeau not only stands as a living monument to the 1967 World Expo, but also offers both large-scale outdoor spaces and intimate indoor options.
Bienvenue and Welcome
In short, Montréal helps meeting planners create events that feel truly local — through cultural immersion, welcoming citywide values, flexible venues, and dedicated support from Business Events Montréal.
To learn more about how Business Events Montréal can support your next event, click here.
This content was created collaboratively by Business Events Montréal (Tourisme Montréal) and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.
