In the events and experiential industry, C2 Montreal has long been a source of inspiration for our peers. But to be honest, the last few years have been extremely challenging.
We’ve done our best to remain creative despite the toughest constraints—a global pandemic, team restructures, budget cuts, you name it. Yet, through it all, we stayed the course, and one resounding statement became the rallying cry of our staff, speakers, partners, and participants for our 13th edition this past May:
C2 Montreal is back!
This new phase of C2 has been in ideation for the past two years. The team has been analyzing data, interviewing past participants and partners, prototyping formats and experiences, experimenting with tech and AI, and studying the evolution of gatherings. We’ve thought deeply about the transformative potential of in-person meetings.
If the past was about attending lots of events, the future is about attending events that matter. And we’re committed to the latter.
The 2024 Highlight Reel
Venue
From the beginning, we knew we needed a venue that amplified a sense of place. We embraced the unconference approach and sought a location with natural light, views, and proximity to nature.
The Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal met all the criteria and more. It provided a versatile, campus-like setting that fostered creativity and collaboration. Moving away from the conventional office environment, the new venue offered an inspiring backdrop for our event. Its unique configuration was designed to facilitate new encounters and the exchange of fresh ideas.
Themes
Unlike past years, where an overarching theme was established, each day was orchestrated around a daily theme: Experiential & Immersive, Sustainability & Innovation, and AI & Commerce. By focusing on these daily themes, we created a bridge between Montreal's ecosystem and the international community. This facilitated meaningful connections and exchanges between participants, fostering forward-thinking conversations and collaborative opportunities across diverse fields.
We also made an editorial pivot for C2, prioritizing topics and angles over big names. This year, we crafted interesting duos, in-depth interviews, and panels.
Daily themes allowed us to view them through different lenses throughout the day. We could deconstruct sustainability through the lens of new business models, culture, creativity, history, activism, and spirituality.
Event Design
Business meetings shouldn’t be boring, and we love being able to get creative while also prioritizing our participants' bottom line.
We are driven by design, not just because it's pleasing to the eye, but because good design matters. It's the key to unlocking defining moments both big and small.
This year, we wanted our site to feel alive, evolving throughout the day and offering various functions with a village feel that reflected C2's core principles: inclusivity, meaningful play, experimentation, beauty, and collaboration.
The main inspirations for the site design came from the language of biodynamics and resorts. We leaned into the resort aesthetic of the 1930s for the vibes.
In stark contrast to typical closed, dark business meeting venues, the Grand Quay was flooded with sunlight—from the soft morning light to the glow of magic hour. The river also gave serious main character energy.
Participants
We welcomed over 4,000 participants from all over the world. Over three days, they explored more than 40 discussions, labs, and coaching sessions. This year, there was a palpable energy from our participants. After years of zooming, slacking, and meeting on teams, they were ready to connect live.
To encourage networking, we introduced a new AI-powered app that helped participants connect. We launched it several weeks before the event, allowing attendees to chat and schedule meetings in advance. The powerful AI technology learned usage preferences and leveraged participant profiles to deliver a best-in-class networking experience.
We also brought back Braindate, enabling attendees to book meetings based on specific topics. These formats allowed for content to become the connector and created a sense of belonging for our participants.
Main Stage
One of our more ambitious projects this year was creating our main stage in the exterior parking lot. Vines were grown in early February at a farmer's greenhouse offsite. Light was infused with mesh walls, keeping the views open. The stage was designed to look as if the vines were about to overtake an abandoned space—a metaphor for the content that was about to take over our brains in the best way possible.
Sessions
We focused on shorter, to-the-point sessions based on audience feedback. Longer sessions, boring keynotes, and celebrity speakers are out. Hands-on workshops and micro-events are in.
Discussion topics included renewable energies, sustainable architecture, and the societal impact of technology. We also introduced "The XP Fronts," a new immersive session presented by XP Land (the editorial arm of Liberty & Company) that explored the future of experiential with industry leaders like Jay Rinsky of Little Cinema, Michael Barclay II of ESSENCE Ventures, and Félix Lajeunesse of Felix & Paul Studios.
Workshops & Labs
Engagement is the level of dedication and enthusiasm participants feel towards their C2 experience. It’s about their emotional as well as physical commitment. Sessions were designed with this in mind.
Labs and coaching sessions were back again this year with a wide variety of creative collaborators at the helm. Labs are exactly what they sound like: experiential zones offering participants a chance to be part of the narrative. Some are social, some are introspective, some are guided, and some include prompts to facilitate discussions.
This year’s labs featured artists and creatives like Cath Laporte, who developed the Path of You coaching sessions. In this lab, Dr. Stewart Brown’s theories on play science were explored, and participants were encouraged to understand that our deepest talents are associated with an engaged sense of play. Keeping play in one’s life is essential to life’s journey.
Neurodiversity brings unique perspectives and traits to the workplace. Shi Diwen Zhu, Michael Ho, Melissa St-Louis, CRHA, and Fran Delhoume, M.Sc., presented a collaborative food lab using lasagna to start the conversation on how to understand, support, and champion neurodiverse individuals in the corporate world.
Playwright, screenwriter, and co-director of the theatre company Posthumains, Dominique Leclerc, featured Prophecies, a lab exploring the concept of self-determination, privacy, and destiny. Sound artist David Drury’s The Language Model lab asked: "What kind of language emerges when intelligence is raised on a mono diet of text?"
Caitlan Maggs, teacher, choreographer, and dancer, guided participants to thrive through the development of their presence. Are You You? was a coaching workshop that offered a fresh perspective on how to be present and creative in their field of expertise while boosting communication skills.
Creative technologist Pierre Thirion developed Relevant or Obsolete, an AI game show that helped participants discover if they were fit for the future. Participants were randomly picked to take the stage and navigate topics chosen for a new AI world order.
Food and Beverage
For C2, food is far more than just nourishment. It’s how we communicate sentiments, express creativity, and create memories. Taking the time to refuel at C2 Montreal is not just about the meal, but an opportunity to deepen connections and bring people together to break bread. This year, we worked with Nouveau Standard for our pop-up restaurants. Le St. Laurent was our business lunch spot, which gave a nod to its surroundings with a seafood-forward menu. Dimanche was a laid-back, sharing plate experience. Focusing on restaurant-style establishments allowed us to deepen the hospitality experience and allowed our participants to deepen their connections with one another.
Looking to the Future
While we’re still basking in the afterglow of an epic C2 Montreal, we’ve already gotten the question from eager participants: So what’s next?
Our team is constantly looking to the future, exploring how we can be bold, create new concepts, and set the tone for the next generation of events.
Here are a few musings we’ll be tackling for the foreseeable future:
Embrace Technology Without Isolation: We plan to fully embrace technology but do away with any technology that isolates us.
AI for Content Expertise: Imagine collaborating with historical experts on key topics or having some of our experts create their own digital doubles. Does ChatGPT join our programming team?
No Fear of Failure: There’s a clear online fatigue, and the value of offline experiences is amplified. The biggest risk is to stop innovating and fall back into old patterns now that in-person events are back and stronger than ever.
Next-Level Immersive Experiences: Our audiences are discerning, and more white spaces need to be made for participants to connect on their own terms.
Regenerative Convening: How to think holistically about the spaces and cities your event is in, where sustainability is not just about recycling but aims to decelerate destination degradation and focuses on regenerative travel to restore a destination.
We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, creating events that matter, and continuously innovating for the future. Join us on this journey of transformation, and let’s redefine the future of experiential together.