The Association of Montreal Commercial Development Companies (ASDCM) launched its first summer campaign on Wednesday, dedicated to listing the 400 free events organized by Commercial Development Companies (SDC) in Montreal. In the form of a platform, it aims for several objectives, such as the relay of events and the stimulation of commercial arteries.
“It is a campaign that allows us to shed light on the entire work of the SDCs. This is a campaign that seemed important to us, therefore a first edition, but which really allows you to have an announcement which is positive, to bring together these 400 events, ”says Sébastien Ridoin, director general of the association of Montreal Commercial Development Companies for almost 5 years.
He underlines that his mission, just like that of the ASDCM, is to “represent in a common voice the Network of SDCs in Montreal in order to strengthen the economic vitality, the vitality of the districts and the lasting prosperity precisely of local shops. »»
Relay free programming
The idea of this platform was trotting in the head of Sébastien Ridoin for a long time. After having a first pilot experience last year, the project was launched this month.
“We had created like a small story in Story where we relayed all the events, then at the end of the summer, we had noted nearly 400 events organized in the territories of the SDCs”, specifies the director general, adding that these were events only created by the SDCs.
“These are free and accessible events on the commercial arteries, in neighborhoods, or at least at a lower cost. Then we are still, the SDCs, a free culture vector. In any case, we participate in making culture accessible via commercial arteries and business districts. »»
The programming is led to evolve throughout the summer with events adding as you go.
The platform therefore brings together a variety of events organized by SDCs taking place in Montreal, including those who have acquired a reputation. Among them find themselves the Mural Festival, the Ruelle d’Hochelaga shows, the festival on the canal, and many others.
“We have street festivals, we have shows, we have murals, commercial fairs, pedestrian streets, entertainment. We have specific arrangements on the street which allow everyone to take advantage of public space ”, lists Sébastien Ridoin.
Rediscover the city
This summer campaign is also used to put forward and accentuate the local experience, to discover the different SDCs that make up the city, but also to give visibility to companies in the sector. “And in the end, through this campaign, it allows you to note that. »»
“Each SDC is working on events that will be specific to its territory. We have no events that duplicate from one territory to another. We have events that are worked on according to the needs, the atmosphere, the identity of the territory, then which will come to give a specific flavor, ”says Sébastien.
He explains that the ASDCM is working simultaneously on economic development in order to stimulate traffic via events. It is also a question of encouraging visitors to enter businesses to consume locally, an increasingly worn initiative and present in recent years and in the last months.
The campaign poster, produced by the Montreal multidisciplinary artist Isadora-Ayesha Lima, also reflects this thought.
Graphic design credits: Idora Ayesha-Lima
“What we want to value is really doing business with companies, local entrepreneurs, then working with a local artist was important for us,” he adds.
Through all these events, ASDCM wishes to “generate economic benefits for neighborhoods, make culture accessible for the population and use culture accessible to revitalize sectors or public spaces which are some times underused or underdeveloped.”
Sébastien Ridoin also hopes that the summer campaign allows citizens to connect with each other, and to create a feeling of belonging for their neighborhood.
Although the current campaign is exclusively summer, the director general of the ASDCM explains that, according to its evolution, the platform could potentially be led to list events for the year, including during the holidays, which sees several events organized on the commercial arteries.
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