Les 6 et 8 mai derniers, les entrepreneuses et entrepreneurs des cohortes 10 et 11 du programme Maillage du MT Lab ont vécu une expérience privilégiée : une série de visites VIP au cœur de grandes organisations touristiques de Québec.
The concept is simple, but the impact is significant: thanks to the MT Lab, 16 young innovative companies have been able to pass through the doors of major players in the tourism industry, doors that are usually inaccessible to start-ups. This unique immersion allows the startups incubated with us to better understand the realities on the ground, to exchange directly with decision-makers and to sow the first seeds of future collaborations.
Strategic immersion
These VIP tours offered startups much more than just a guided tour. They were warmly welcomed at the Port of Québec, the Musée de la civilisation and Apikol, and were able to exchange with Sépaq and the Sustainable Tourism Innovation Hub, all strategic places where innovation is deployed on a large scale. Each meeting allowed the entrepreneurs to discover the backstage of these organizations, their current issues, their future priorities and their concrete needs, in addition to learning more about their culture of innovation and their most recent innovative initiatives.
"The VIP visits were a valuable opportunity to dive into the very concrete realities of these tourism players. Hearing their challenges, projects, and priorities directly from the source helps us align our approach and come up with ideas that really fit their playground... and which also nourish our thinking for other collaborations!" explains Marie-Claude Lachance of Charlie Tango.
At the Port of Québec, startups have discovered the unsuspected scope of the activities carried out on port territory: recreational tourism offerings, welcoming cruise passengers, business intelligence, community relations, etc. A rich and nuanced overview that has made it possible to deconstruct certain preconceived ideas.
The visit to Apikol, a local micro-distiller, offered an inspiring perspective on how to reconcile growth, sustainable values and competitiveness in a niche market. Their zero waste approach, their artisanal creation process and some fascinating anecdotes about bees fuelled some great discussions.
For its part, Sepaq has opened up the debate on the complexity of working with a Crown corporation that manages a huge, structured territory governed by well-defined policies.
Enfin, à l’Espace Voie libre du Musée de la civilisation, les entrepreneuses et entrepreneurs ont été accueillis par Paysages (startup issue de la cohorte 7 du programme Maillage du MT Lab) et les équipes du musée. Ensemble, ils ont partagé l’histoire de la voûte aux intentions, un espace immersif conçu en collaboration. Cette rencontre a ouvert un dialogue sincère sur les conditions gagnantes d’un processus de co-création entre startups et institutions culturelles.
In addition to these visits, the startups also added a networking and outreach dimension to their stay by participating in the tourism industry cocktail on the sidelines of the Assises du tourisme as well as in Québec Slush'D. This dynamic of proximity to industry creates a ripple effect, fuels ambition and accelerates growth.
An essential link between worlds
The MT Lab plays a catalytic role here. Without him, these meetings would not take place. It acts as a strategic bridge between two worlds that rarely intersect: that of the great leaders of the tourism industry and that of start-ups that innovate at full speed. These moments of connection allow startups to validate their offer, test ideas, better guide their development, and in some cases, win their first structuring mandates.
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