Meetings and congresses | Eastern Townships: happy hoteliers and customers

Virtual meetings lasted for a while, but its true followers are becoming increasingly rare, if we are to believe the hoteliers of the Eastern Townships and their customers who are making a positive assessment of the current recovery.

Since the spring, the telephone has not been ringing at Château Bromont. “It’s been madness since April. Our calendar history is totally turned upside down, and we have meetings during periods when it’s usually quieter. What’s to come is a mystery,” says Caroline Synnott, Sales Manager, Groups.

The 13 meeting rooms are therefore in demand as never before. This wave of love does a huge amount of good after difficult months where the company still managed to keep its staff base. “There has always been activity, in particular thanks to the reception of 15 film crews. During the quiet moments, we took the opportunity to reconfigure our lobby, the dining room and redo our terrace menu. We added a new room to our offer by transforming the space into a bistro,” says Caroline Synnott.

For Château Bromont, business tourism represents between 50 and 60% of its turnover.

“Besides, we notice that some organizers are rusty. They ask more questions and add requests. Luckily, our motto is flexibility. Also, with everything we’ve been through, we’ve become champions of adaptation,” says the director.

to feel important

Jenny Brideau, hotel relationist for the Quebec Association of Health Teachers (AQPS), explains that her association chose Château Bromont because of its professionalism and above all the respect it has for them.

“Even if we only bring 110 people, we feel like we are a group of 500 delegates. For them, there is never a problem, but always a solution,” she says.

A very popular little novelty: a pre-conference meeting with all the department heads, which allows a review of all the details and order forms. “It greatly facilitates the logistics,” she explains.

Marc Leclair, coordinator of the Transdisciplinary Institute for Quantum Information (INTRIQ), a group of researchers, is also a regular at the castle. Located halfway between Montreal and Sherbrooke, the place has become a real home for his association. “Every year, this is where the action happens. Château Bromont has become the emblem of our meetings. The coordinator was well aware of the exasperation of his members for the virtual meetings, so much so that a large number of participants made an appointment during their last spring meeting. “The longer it goes, the more people there are. »

The transformed Delta Sherbrooke

When the pandemic hit, the Delta Sherbrooke by Marriott had just finished renovating its 178 rooms. During the pandemic, the establishment made other major transformations. Everything has been brought up to date, the 20 meeting rooms, the bar, the gym, etc. Since the resumption of activities, customers have been returning in droves. “It’s going very well, but it’s going fast. We exceeded our 2019 figures,” says Félix Mathieu, sales manager. Associations, unions, corporations, etc., the clientele is varied and requires a tailor-made offer. “We do everything on a turnkey basis and what helps us is the loyalty of our staff. The team is solid and knows its job well,” notes the manager.

Julie Roy, special collaboration