Montréal, March 3, 2014 – The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and its team of international trade experts, the World Trade Centre Montréal, successfully completed a trade mission to New York last week, where they accompanied a group of Quebec fashion designers to the Moda Manhattan trade show. This trade mission, conducted jointly with the Quebec Government Office in New York, backed by the financial support of the Government of Quebec, gave participants a chance to present their collections, take advantage of major visibility during the trade show and close sales.
“We are proud to come back from New York with tangible results: the eight participants generated $1.5 million in sales on site and entered into purchasing agreements worth a potential $500,000,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade. “The direct benefits prove that our ongoing and repeated efforts to promote Quebec designers in New York are paying off.”
“In our study on the creative industries and during the Strategic Forum that we held in December, we emphasized the need to support the efforts of our designers around the world,” Michel Leblanc said. “They contribute to the international visibility of Montréal and Quebec. This trade mission revealed that the “Montréal brand” already has a highly favourable image in New York’s fashion world. We must take advantage of this excellent reputation and renew our promotional efforts to increase our market share in the U.S.”
“The New York market is ripe for Quebec creations,” said Dominique Poirier, Quebec Delegate General to New York. “But the competition is fierce. For local companies to make their mark there, we have to encourage initiatives based on the group’s strength. That’s precisely what made the difference in the past few days during the trade mission we put together working with the World Trade Centre Montréal. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of pieces companies presented were designed and made in Quebec, which shows that the Quebec fashion industry is competitive and promising on export markets.”
“This is the third time we have presented our collection at Moda Manhattan, but we have never had such a visible booth location that generated so much traffic,” said Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice-President of Business Development at Kollontaï. “This trade mission confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that the New York market is interested in our women’s fashions, and we have every reason to return to this trade show. The preparation and support of the World Trade Centre Montréal and the Quebec Government Office in New York directly contributed to our success this year.”
About the trade mission to New York
The trade mission to New York was organized by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal’s team of international trade experts, the World Trade Centre Montréal, working with the Quebec delegation in New York and with the financial support of the Government of Quebec.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
About the World Trade Centre Montréal
With the help of its World Trade Montréal experts, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal offers international trade services to the extended business community, with the support of Canada Economic Development.
-30-
Source :
Michelle LLambias Meunier
Advisor, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
mllambias@ccmm.qc.ca
Facebook : www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter : @chambremontreal
Follow the discussion: #ccmmqcca