Montreal's Rising Profile

<H1>Montreal's Rising Profile</H1><H2>Private functions: Bateau-Mouche</H2><H3>By Carolyn Green</H3><I>Montreal</I> - David Goff, vice president of San Francisco-based Incentives Unlimited, said that one of the most difficult tasks he faces when trying to sell this city of 3 million is dispelling the notion that Montreal is just like any other North American metropolis.

But unlike other business destinations in the United States and Canada, Montreal offers incentive and meeting planners a plethora of unusual activities and venues set in a unique French-English culture.

"Frequently, it does not have a lot of sex appeal from a destination perspective because people don't know it," said Goff, who has been organizing travel programs of varying sizes in Montreal since 1982.

"It doesn't sound as exciting perhaps as Hawaii because people think of it as just another North American city," he said. "But if I can get the client to go, then it's sold because once they're there, they always say: 'This is a wonderful place.' "

Claude Zalloni, vice president of marketing for the Greater Montreal Convention and Tourism Bureau, said the city's cultural uniqueness draws people. "If you go to Quebec City, it's entirely French," he said. "If you go to Toronto, it's like any other North American city. But Montreal is unique because it's built on those two primary cultures, and has other cultures such as large Italian and Chinese communities as well."

While city officials do not have up-to-date statistics tracking the exact value or size of the corporate meetings and incentive travel market-believed to be valued in excess of $7.1 million for the entire province of Quebec-Zalloni thinks the number of programs and delegates coming to Montreal is growing: About 80 percent of business is from the United States, 15 percent from Canada and 5 percent from Europe. Officials here credit the U.S. Open Skies pact with the large percentage and future potential of U.S. business.

"Open skies is definitely a plus already," said Michel Bourdon, sales director for the Convention and Tourism Bureau. "It's a lot easier sale for us when we talk with a client from Washington and we tell him there are direct flights to Montreal."

To help stimulate even more group business, the bureau recently hired Christiane Beullac as sales manager, corporate meetings and incentives, to take charge of marketing efforts.

Zalloni, who declined to reveal budgetary figures, said the bureau also has stepped up its promotional expenditures-particularly to the U.S. market-and has spent more than $288 million on a variety of renovation projects.

For example, Old Montreal, filled with cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings, received a major face-lift, including renovations to the Old Port area along the waterfront and the revamping of Champ-de-Mars, once a military parade ground.

Montreal also offers a multitude of activities and venues for group functions. The Museum of Archaeology and History, also known as Pointe Callire, offers visitors an historical perspective of Montreal. The building, like several other museums in Montreal, can accommodate group functions. The museum lobby can hold 200 people for cocktails, while the chic second-story terraced cafe overlooking Montreal harbor can accommodate 85 for meals and up to 150 people for a stand-up reception.

For major events, including black-tie affairs on or off the ice, l'Amphitheatre Bell is a truly unique locale. Located in the 51-story office tower Le 1000 de la Gauchetire, the semicircular ice theater on the building's ground floor is a popular gathering spot to either watch skaters or partake in the sport during the day.

In the evening, the glass-domed amphitheater and connecting lobby plays host to various events-with or without ice-and can hold up to 3,100 people for cocktails or 2,300 for a sit-down dinner.

For private functions on the water, planners can reserve space on the 144-seat Bateau-Mouche, reminiscent of the glass-domed tour boats that ply the Seine in Paris. Based in the Old Port of Montreal, the ultramodern river cruiser gently travels along the St. Lawrence, offering guests spectacular views of the city.

Zalloni said that Montreal's well-deserved reputation as a gourmet's paradise, coupled with its exciting night life and various special events such as the annual Grand Prix racing, the Montreal Jazz festival and the Montreal Film Festival, add to the city's flavor. One noteworthy extracurricular activity, she said, that has attracted interest is the Montreal Casino, located in the Palais de la Civilisation, which is built on Ile Notre-Dame as the French pavilion for Expo '67.

Catering to both groups and individuals, the 86,000-square-foot facility gives visitors plenty of opportunity to try their luck at one of 200 slot machines or 65 gambling tables offering such games as blackjack, mini-baccarat and roulette. A cabaret offering dinner and a show is scheduled to open this summer.

And while planner Goff described Montreal as a truly world-class cosmopolitan city, he and others suggest that costs belie its big-city amenities. The city is bolstered by a favorable exchange rate, and prices for accommodation, food and attractions are reasonable and, in fact, are among the lowest in North America.

"The only city that I would say is on par in terms of major American cities would be perhaps San Antonio, which is very cost effective," Goff said.