The C2 Conference Is a Billboard For Montreal as a ‘Smart Living Laboratory’
Photo Credit: The mobile interview bike at C2 Montreal was one of many creative elements spurring spontaneous networking this year. C2 Montreal
Skift Take
While everyone is talking about the industry-leading creative conference design at C2 Montreal, the big story is how the 6-year-old event has evolved as a platform for the region's innovation economy to co-create the future of cities and collaborative urbanism.
The annual C2 Montreal conference every May is widely considered to be the benchmark for corporate event design in North America, but it's actually much more than that.
Inside Montreal's sprawling Arsenal contemporary art gallery this year, as reported last week in Skift, the show floor was filled with dozens of creative activations, such as networking experiences in trapeze chairs suspended from the ceiling. In a high point for the event, attendees booked more than 3,000 face-to-face meetings with each other to discuss topics of common interest via E-180's Braindate platform.
Outside, a pop-up big top circus tent with 360-degree ceiling projection hosted the keynote sessions. Surrounding the tent, stacks of brightly painted shipping containers served as outdoor corporate VIP suites overlooking the dock and restaurant floating on a channel connected to the St. Lawrence River.
In 2012, the Sid Lee ad agency and Cirque du Soleil — both headquartered in Montreal
