Insider Events – Salon International du Livre de Québec

Basic details of the event: 
Title: Salon International du livre de Québec 
Date: April 6-10, 2022 
City, Country: Québec, QC 
Host Venue: Centre des congrès de Québec / Québec City Convention Centre

Organizing Team:

• Daniel Gélinas, General Manager
• Alexia Bouchet, Director of Administrative Operations
• Johanne Mongeau, Director of Communication and Programming
• André Crochetière, Exhibitor Operations and School Visits Coordinator
• Anne-Isabelle Pelletier, Event Coordinator, Québec City Convention Centre
• Caroline Bérubé, Director, Customer Care, Québec City Convention Centre
• Jean-Pierre Roger, Greeting and Ticket Office Supervisor, Québec City Convention Centre

Specific Event Questions:

Who was the target audience?

The Salon international du livre de Québec targets book lovers of all ages. Every year, the event welcomes thousands of children through school events.

What was the main objective of the Salon? Tradeshow?

After more than a 2-year absence due to COVID, the Salon came back in full force with a wide variety of exhibitors and a great ‘Auteur.e Studio’ that featured talks with authors.

The objective of the Salon is to create an opportunity for connection between readers and the literary world, including authors.

How many people attended the Salon?

The 2022 edition attracted 70,000 attendees, including exhibitors and authors.

What did the Centre do differently to adapt to a post-covid world and keep the attendees/clients safe?

The restrictions were almost all lifted when the Salon was held at the beginning of April 2022, except for masks. Attendees, authors and exhibitors needed to wear masks at all times on the tradeshow floor and other Convention Centre spaces. They could take off the mask to eat or drink.

Hand sanitizer was available at Convention Centre and most room entrances.

Were attendees required to put the masks on?

The Salon was held in April 2022 and masks were still mandatory in all public spaces in the Province of Québec.

What specific health & safety measure did the Centre put in place?

The Québec City Convention Centre does up to 12 air changes per hour. This is an important measure, as COVID seems to be transmitted through air particles. It is important to note that air changes have been standard practice at the Québec City Convention Centre thanks to its sustainable approach to building management. Touchless automatic door openers for washrooms are also standard at the Convention Centre to minimize contacts.

Here is more info on the Convention Centre’s health and sanitary measures.

What was the biggest obstacle/fear the organizers had?

The 6^th wave was underway when the Salon was held. Both the Salon and Convention Centre team were worried the pandemic would force the event to be cancelled.

There was also the worry that exhibitors would be hesitant to confirm their presence. In the end, all was well thanks to diligent planning and reassurance.

Did the Centre do anything new or innovative?

The Salon sold tickets online for the first time. This helped reduce lines and contacts between visitors and staff.

The Salon and Convention Centre team meet with publishing houses and schools to gauge their interest and explain the measures in place as well as to reassure them on the commitment to hold the event safely.

Booths were standardized to lessen the impact of labour shortage and to reduce costs for exhibitors.

Did the organizers have a contingency plan?

The Salon is normally planned 6 months in advance. Because of the uncertainty of the situation and delays caused by the pandemic, the 2022 edition was planned 2-3 months in advance. Without knowing what would happen with the pandemic and restrictions, the Salon team decided to mostly invite national and regional authors. This lessened the chance of having authors cancel last minute due to COVID related issues.

 Article edited by Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services