Montréal is about creative talent

MONTREAL, May 18, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Montréal will be the scene of an exceptional convergence of events highlighting local talent and creativity, from May 21 to 25. Activities will include:

• UNESCO's Creative Cities Network Annual General Meeting
• C2-MTL experience
• 24 Hours of Innovation - École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
• 7th Proximity Days, organized by HEC Montréal's MOSAIC
• Autobus des créateurs, Ville de Montréal - STM

There will be a lot of creative energy in Montréal, and to make sure Montrealers are part of this extravaganza, the Ville de Montréal will offer preferred access to these events via its Internet portal at createurs.ville.montreal.qc.ca. Exclusive multimedia content will be available for viewing, free.

"Openness of mind and innovation help ideas, cultures and creative talent meet and flourish. Montréal creators stand out through their resourcefulness as they reinvent science, culture and business. Creativity in Montréal is deep-seated, informal and responds to no specific code. We have the ability to break down boundaries between sectors to promote innovation: the fashion industry clothes virtual characters, the health sector meets with the digital arts industry to help sick children, aerospace shares with the video game industry. Montréal is totally about creative talent," said the Mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay.

"Through positive actions such as the implementation of the Montréal, Cultural Metropolis 2007-2017 Action Plan or Quartiers culturels, we are reaffirming our commitment to strengthening and promoting Montréal's position as a city where creativity is part of our daily lives. The events that will take place over the next few days show that our city's innovative strength and vitality contribute to Montréal's reputation," said Helen Fotopulos, member of the Montréal Executive Committee responsible for culture, heritage, design and the status of women.

MONTRÉAL IS ABOUT CREATIVE TALENT campaign
Montréal is introducing an ad campaign which includes outdoor posting and print ads to recognize local creative talent. Featured in this campaign are six Montréal creative forces: Jérôme Ferrer, grand chef Relais & Châteaux - Restaurant Europea; Louise Guay, president, Living Lab Montréal; Mohamed Hage, founder and president, Fermes Lufa; Adam Hummel, multimedia artist, Moment Factory; Philippe Meunier, creative chief and co-founder, Sid Lee; and Monique Savoie, founder and president, Société des arts technologiques (SAT).

UNESCO's Creative Cities Network Annual General Meeting
On May 21 and 22, Montréal will host UNESCO's Creative Cities Network annual meeting. It is part of the network as a city of design. A series of public activities will be held to highlight the richness and diversity of creative cities and promote meetings with local key players representing the field of design, culture and international delegates.

24 Hours of Innovation - ÉTS
24 Hours of Innovation is an open competition aimed at students attending university or schools specializing in various fields of activity. The event will take place in the hall of the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS). The objective is to develop an innovative solution to an actual problem faced by businesses seeking solutions, and then make a presentation before a jury. Teams have 24 consecutive hours to devise a solution to a problem submitted by professionals involved in various fields of activity. This is the 5th edition of the event which takes place simultaneously in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Autobus des créateurs
Autobus des créateurs, or "hackerbus", is a mobile creative space which is made available by the Ville de Montréal and STM. The bus will tour the Island of Montréal on May 23 with Montrealers who are interested in finding creative solutions to the city's transportation problems. Their mission will be to develop a sustainable project to improve transportation in Montréal. Montréal's open data http://donnees.ville.montreal.qc.ca/ and the STM's open data http://stm.info/enbref/developpeurs.htm will serve as fuel for app. developers.

C2-MTL
The C2-MTL experience gets its inspiration from Montréal and celebrates its reputation as a world renowned multicultural, creative, vibrant and unique destination. Forget about PowerPoint presentations. C2-MTL goes beyond traditional lectures and adopts leading-edge technology as well as personalized content delivery.

7th Proximity Days
The 7th Proximity Days, organized by MOSAIC, an organization founded by HEC Montréal that serves as a catalyst for creative potential, will be held May 21 to 23. This year's seminar will have creativity, innovation and proximity as a theme. In addition to the categories that were examined over the past years (industrial clusters and other forms of innovative agglomerations, based on the interpretation of spatial relations between science and industry), characterizing creative territories has become a priority for researchers, entrepreneurs and governments. These topics have recently gained specific importance with the introduction of the "creative cities" concept, to be discussed at the seminar.

Source:
Darren Becker
Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee
514 872-6412

Information:
François Goneau
Division des affaires publiques
514 868-5859