Hard hit during the pandemic, business tourism has picked up again this year in Laval. However, the crisis was an opportunity for Laval Économique and Tourisme Laval to rethink the way it welcomes this type of visitor. The L2L project was born from this reflection. Explanations.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
The project’s goal
L2L stands for “leader to leader”. The objective is to encourage the commitment to business tourism of Laval builders who work in different niches such as agri-food, robotization, health technologies, transportation, plastics, etc.
Longer term
Business meetings are legion on Laval territory. Often, this type of meeting was organized informally without being structured. L2L wants to provide structure and support. His wish is also to attract or even to create events oriented towards particular sectors. “We are changing the way things are done. We no longer rely solely on associations or others to hold activities. What we want is for our builders to serve as headliners to create an ecosystem of business relationships. We want them to invite people from their network and help the community shine,” explains Geneviève Roy, President and CEO of Tourisme Laval.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
The Sheraton Laval is another popular destination for business customers.
From 10 to 20 more events
To help them put Laval at the forefront, whether by opening their infrastructures to visitors or by organizing a meeting from A to Z, L2L has hired a resource dedicated to the project. At this time, three ambassadors have been confirmed. “We have a great list of future ambassadors,” emphasizes Geneviève Roy. L2L hopes to add between 10 and 20 meetings, congresses and other events in association with these leaders. “At the moment, it’s a bit of madness after the pandemic for our suppliers who rent rooms for meetings and conventions. We still have 300,000 square feet of rental space to offer. You have to see in the long term because the events are planned well in advance,” says the general manager of Tourisme Laval.
Lumen, first ambassador
Lumen, a distributor of electrical and automation equipment, has agreed to jump on the L2L bandwagon. The company will become its first headliner on November 23. “We are going to receive, during a private event on digital transformation, a hundred people. Even if we had planned this activity before the creation of L2L, it is a pleasure to join them because the help they give us for the organization is insane”, explains Luc Poirier, Director of Account Development. industrial majors. The leader sees in L2L a direct link with his mandate. “My job at Lumen is to guide business people into the future that will undoubtedly be associated with eco-responsibility. The association with L2L is a winner because it helps me achieve my goal, which is to make our partners understand where the future takes us,” explains Luc Poirier.