The Palais des congrès de Montréal among the finalists for the prestigious Award for World's Best Congress Centre

MONTRÉAL, July 4, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) declared the Palais des congrès de Montréal among its industry leaders during its 2014 AIPC Apex Award ceremony in Berlin, Germany by shortlisting it among the 3 finalists for the title of "World's Best Congress Centre." The winner was Australia's Cairns Convention Centre.

The Palais des congrès de Montréal stands out thanks to the remarkable quality of its venue and facilities right in the heart of the city, and its internationally recognized award-winning event technology. The Palais also enjoys a customer satisfaction rate of nearly 90% for the level of service it provides from initial contact through to the event planning phase, which explains why so many customers keep coming back.

"We have been working passionately for over 30 years to give our visitors a memorable Montréal-style event experience. This recognition by the AIPC is therefore a wonderful present for the entire Palais des congrès team, which relentlessly strives to offer its customers exceptional service," indicated Raymond Larivée, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès. "Being among the finalists for our industry's most prestigious title pushes us to continue to work hard to remain a leader on the world stage," added Larivée while also congratulating the Ottawa and Québec City conventions centres, which also qualified for this international award.

The Palais des congrès de Montréal and Québec City Convention Centre nominations speak to just how dynamic business tourism is in Québec. Montréal's primary venue for major meetings since it opened in 1983, the Palais des congrès hosted 332 events in 2013-2014 generating an estimated $209 million for the city and Québec as a whole and welcomed over 766,000 visitors, a historical record.

2014 AIPC Apex Award - World's Best Congress Centre

The Apex award for World's Best Congress Centre is granted on the basis of an evaluation of centre performance as rated through satisfaction surveys of customers having recently held a major large-scale event. The Palais des congrès de Montréal's Top 3 finish therefore further entrenches the standing it has earned internationally for outstanding service and state-of-the-art facilities.

About the AIPC

The International Association of Convention Centres is the world's leading convention centre association. Its global network spans 165 centres across 53 countries and represents over 650 professional convention centre managers.

To learn more: http://www.aipc.org/

About the Palais des congrès de Montréal

The mission of the Palais des congrès de Montréal is to attract and host conventions, exhibitions, conferences, meetings and other events. A public institution with a commercial vocation, the Palais generates major economic benefits for Québec and has contributed proudly for over 30 years to sharing knowledge and enhancing Montréal's international reputation as a first-rate destination.

To learn more: www.congresmtl.com

SOURCE: Palais des congrès de Montréal

For further information: Jimmy Laforge, Advisor, Communications and Public Affairs, Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal, [email protected], Phone: [phone]