French-Speaking Business Forum
In July 2022, the French-speaking Business Forum held in Québec City and jointly organized by Québec International, the Centre des congrès de Québec [Québec City Convention Centre] and Québec Cité Destination Affaires, was attended by a wide range of people from the international French-speaking world including the business and industry communities, as well as organizations and associations from various backgrounds, with the main objective of developing business. The event also represented the first major activity targeting business tourism after two years of the pandemic. Against this backdrop, the French-speaking Business Forum was an essential step in taking stock and providing food for thought for future collaborations and partnerships in the international French-speaking world. Business-to-business (B2B) meetings were central to the event, which also featured a wealth of presentations content. To encourage discussion, the event focused on four themes: entrepreneurship, sustainable development, supply chains and digital technology.
The event, which took place from July 4 to 6, 2022, attracted more than 430 participants from 14 countries, with the aim of developing business by strengthening or consolidating links between the various French-speaking business communities. French is the third business language in the world after English and Mandarin. The aim of the initiative was to encourage companies to do business abroad and seize opportunities to develop and diversify their markets by promoting the French language as a formidable tool for economic development. The event also served to stimulate business tourism in Québec City following the lifting of health restrictions, raising the international profile of the Capitale-Nationale region and strengthening its position as a key player in the global French-speaking world. The Forum was a unique opportunity for all participants, including members of the foreign and Canadian delegations, to develop and consolidate their business relationships. Over 300 participants were expected to attend this major event, aimed to bring together a wide range of people from the international French-speaking world, including the business and industry communities, as well as organizations and associations from a variety of backgrounds, with the main objective of developing business. In all, the event attracted professionals from 14 different countries, including France, Switzerland, Belgium, the United States, Tunisia, Mexico, Haiti and several African countries. Over 430 participants, almost 55% from outside Quebec, attended the three-day event designed to foster the exchange of ideas. More than 120 speakers and panellists contributed to discussions on four topical themes: entrepreneurship, sustainable development, supply chains and digital technology. The desire to accelerate business relations between French-speaking companies from all four corners of the globe motivated the organizers to innovate and create a venue conducive to exchange and collaboration between French-speaking countries! What’s more, after France and Côte d’Ivoire, it’s now Quebec’s turn to host another major French-speaking economic event, a direct consequence of the success of the Forum in 2023. In June 2023, the 3rd Rencontre des Entrepreneurs Francophones, with which Québec International is collaborating, will be held in the region under the aegis of the Conseil du Patronat.
