HUB Montreal 2017 - Review of the 1st edition

Mission accomplished: the concept is a success!

MONTREAL, Nov. 23, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - From November 8 to 18, HUB Montréal rallied the dynamism of its cultural and creative industries and laid the foundation of a major event offering, positioning November as yet another highlight of the Montreal calendar by focusing on creative business tourism!

In total, no less than 25,000 spectators and 1,000 professionals from more than 20 countries participated in these 11 days of activities, through 9 partnered events, bolstered by the contributions from more than 50 public and private partners. All responded to HUB Montréal's invitation to unite the efforts of Montreal's creative and entrepreneurial community to woo foreign buyers, decision-makers and investors while creating an event accessible to Montrealers who are curious to discover new forms of artistic expression in the digital age.

"It is with a joyful mix of pride and gratitude that we watch the curtain drop on this prototype edition. The challenge was indeed tremendous but the timing, impeccable. Witnessing such a large diversity of creative ecosystems converge in the HUB confirms the relevance of this initiative and hints at a future as fascinating as it is promising. Thank you to all those who believed and contributed directly or indirectly to the success of this 1^st edition!" -Sebastien Nasra, founder and producer of HUB Montreal.

In this, our city's 375^th Anniversary, HUB Montreal will also have reached its goal of showcasing more than 30 Montreal companies, creative studios and artists in five creative sectors including video games, multimedia, music, digital arts and special effects.

"The Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375^th Anniversary views this industrial hub as one of the engines of our economy. As precursors, we are happy to have supported the creation of this event, which will take root in the years to come. In this first edition, HUB Montreal has shown great leadership and know-how in developing high quality content that will only improve over the next few years." - Alain Gignac, General Manager, Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary

The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM), Lune Rouge, the Guilde des développeurs de jeux vidéo indépendants du Québec, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership (PQDS), the Phi Centre, Mutek and MTLàTABLE are among the players who collaborated in the presentation of HUB Montreal activities, contributing to a rich and well-received programming for the 350 participants registered for the HUB PRO segment. The latter also welcomed, in the context of its 28 trans-disciplinary panels and conferences, showcases and networking events, several hundred participants registered for partner events: the Relevent Conference, Doc Circuit Montréal (DCM), the Atelier Grand Nord in virtual reality, the Montreal Virtual Reality Market (MVRM), RPM's JAMX360, Mundial Montreal and M for Montreal.

The "Revolution" and "Revelation" showcases at HUB PRO offered an impressive array of creators and local creative companies such as Felix & Paul Studios, Moment Factory, GSM Project, 45 Degrees and Rodeo FX. By way of this programming, participants and visitors could discover the talent via the showcases, and experience it immersively through activities like Your VR in my RV, the MVRM at the SAT, the architectural projections at the Place de la Paix and the presentation of prototypes of "augmented musical performance", the fruits of a 48-hour collaborative laboratory orchestrated by the RPM in collaboration with M for Montreal.

HUB Montréal also enabled inter-sectorial meetings between professionals, international delegates and representatives of "Montreal Inc." at cutting-edge networking events that have (finally) desegregated the various creative silos. Its "speed-meeting" allowed HUB Pro participants to meet leaders in the field of VR and video games, while the networking dinner mentored by the CCMM was an unforgettable moment of convergence between 140 guests from business, creative industries and high-profile influencers from across the globe.

The Soirée Composite and its digital creation projects, which closed HUB Pro, attracted nearly two hundred participants. They all entered via the red tunnel that led them into the room where the presentations were held, followed by a cocktail party. This was a fantastic foray into the Lune Rouge Creative Hub, where impending construction will soon revive and repurpose the now-defunct Maison Alcan.

"The goal of the Lune Rouge Creative Hub is to foster the emergence of creative and entrepreneurial projects which promote the development and effervescence of Montreal. As such, it was only natural that we join this project and we are delighted to have contributed to the first edition of HUB Montreal, which was brilliantly executed by an experienced and imaginative team. "
Nadine Gelly -Executive Director, Lune Rouge

See you in 2018
The showcases presented this year suggest only good things for the second edition, coming in November 2018. They have proven that Montreal and Quebec are brimming with creative talent and that our task is simply to have it recognized locally and to launch it into foreign markets.

HUB Montreal also hopes to continue the conversation with other potential partners, particularly in the field of publishing. It seeks to fulfill its mandate to champion the local creative potential and consolidate our creative offer so that November becomes an international rendezvous not to be missed. The annual recurrence of an event such as HUB Montreal will contribute to Montreal's positioning as a prized destination for business tourism, and as an international leader in the creative industries.

HUB Montreal, presented by LUNE ROUGE, is conceived by Antenne créative (a non-profit organization responsible for managing the event). It is produced by Avalanche Prod and is made possible thanks to the support of the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary and the participation of the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal, Tourism Montreal, the Canada Media Fund and the Conseil des arts de Montréal. The Casino de Montréal supports the HUB FEST component and Audiokinetic is associated with HUB PRO.

ABOUT AVALANCHE PROD

Founded in 1994 by Sébastien Nasra, Avalanche Prod specializes in cultural events architecture and production. Its mission is to provide cutting-edge expertise in the crafting and delivery of top-quality festivals and conferences (B2B and B2C), as well as innovative initiatives to export creative talents internationally. Its event portfolio includes M for Montreal (12th edition, 16- 19 nov. 2017), Mundial Montréal (7th edition, 15-18 nov. 2017), OUMF Festival (7th edition, 6-9 sept. 2017), and the newest initiative HUB Montréal (1st edition, 8-18 nov. 2017).

About the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary

The Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the festivities and socioeconomic initiatives that will mark Montréal's 375th birthday in 2017. With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for initiatives that come together to fulfill its mandate: to mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, manage financial resources wisely, develop an exceptional program of events and promote the festivities.

The Society receives financial support from the Ville de Montréal, the Canadian government and the Québec government, as well as private funding from twelve Great Montrealers.  For more information: 375mtl.com

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SOURCE HUB MONTRÉAL