Making History At Palais Des Congrès De Montréal
From November 28 to December 9, 2005, the Palais des congrès de Montréal played...
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From November 28 to December 9, 2005, the Palais des congrès de Montréal played host to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the first meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol since it went into effect in February 2005 and the first annual conference on the subject to be held in North America.

 

The event was considered one of the largest non-sporting events ever held in Canada since Expo 67 and the most impressive international event staged in Montréal since the 1976 Olympic Games.

 

According to Mimi Breton, Executive Director of the Canadian Secretariat for the United Nations Climate Change Conference: "The Montréal Conference served to consolidate global efforts in finding a solution to climate change and paved the way for international cooperation in the long term.”

 

“I think everyone would agree this was an historic conference in terms of results and highly successful where it concerns staging and organization. We owe this success to the cooperation of all partners involved in conference organization and operations."

 

Close to 10,000 delegates and observers from 184 countries took part in the 12-day conference. Participants included official representatives of member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as representatives of industry, business, the scientific community and environmental groups. More than 1,000 journalists from around the world provided event coverage.

 

The Palais is extremely proud to have been host site for such a prestigious and important conference and to have met the expectations of participants, the United Nations and the Canadian government by offering superior quality services, an exceptional environment and a memorable experience.

 

In the congress industry, decisions on destination selection are increasingly protracted, which substantially reduces lead-time for organization. Such was the case with the UN Climate Change Conference, but the Palais only needed a few months before being ready to organize the largest conference ever held in Montréal.

 

"I don't think any of us thought the Palais could exceed our expectations to such an extent. We appreciated your availability and sense of responsibility where it concerned event preparation as well as your ability to adapt so quickly during events," affirms André P. Hébert, Logistics Coordinator at the City of Montréal for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

 

The reliability of systems implemented for the event and the flexibility of personnel to adapt so quickly on the spot greatly contributed to the success of program activities. Here are a few statistics that attest the scope of conference needs and the capacity of the Palais to respond:

 

·         250,000 feet (76,200 meters) of telephone cable and network were installed by Palais technicians as well as 600 phone lines and 700 network connections  (primarily for Internet access);

·         200 screens broadcasting meetings on Palais internal networks;

·         1,450 digital microphones were installed;

·         64 infrared radiators and 3,000 receivers were installed enabling simultaneous interpreting in several languages;

·         Webcasting (live broadcast of conferences on the web) required 16 people full time from morning to night.

 

Working with representatives from the United Nations, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal/Montréal Police Service (SPVM), the Palais spared no effort in ensuring the security of visitors inside and outside the diplomatic zone.

 

Thanks to its Security Operations Center, more than a hundred cameras and experienced personnel trained to respond to various emergency situations, security services at the Palais are both discreet and effective.

 

According to Denis Desroches from SPVM's Strategic Division: "Your cooperation, professionalism and spirit of partnership have been greatly appreciated by the SPVM. Montréal is justifiably renowned as one of the safest cities in the world. The success of such an event is a tribute to all the organizers and contributes to the reputation of our city. You should be proud of the work you have accomplished."

 

"With the Montréal Climate Change Conference, we have once again demonstrated to the entire world that Montréal and its Palais have all the experience, expertise and infrastructures required to ensure the success of major international gatherings. Moreover, the success of the UN Conference serves to consolidate Montréal's ranking as the number-one host city in Canada and third in North America for the staging of international meetings. The Palais is proud to have so ably met this challenge by offering UN representatives superior quality services, an exceptional environment and an experience they will not soon forget," concludes Palais President and CEO, Paul Saint-Jacques.

 
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