Entertainment

The Symphonie Gastronomique

It’s first occurrence was in 1991, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of la Fondation Gérard-Delage. Based on the Salons dégustation des Laurentides, this concept required the participation of 20 hotels serving a gourmet dinner for 50 persons in order to accommodate 1,000 guests. These establishments requested that people be assigned directions in order to avoid that some stand be overburdened while others have no guests. Following this request, the organizing committee asked us to find a method by which each guest would be directed to a specific establishment. This seemed devoid of interest. We therefore decided to assign each person at a table to a different hotel in order to present to the people at the table a selection of the 20 different dishes offered. Then we decided that each guest would sample a different establishment for each of the 6 courses. We eventually realised that by doing this, we were creating a unique menu for each guest. In a room of 1,000 people, nobody would have the same menu.

Waiting time at each stand was minimal and meetings between guests numerous since at each course, guests would go in a different section of the hall.

The success of this event was such that the Symphonie Gastronomique was repeated 9 times : in 1995, 1998 and 2000 for the Foundation Gérard-Delage. In 1996, 1997,1998,1999, 2000, 2001 for the Gala des Ambassadeurs of the Palais des Congrès de Montréal.

At each of these events, profits were given to the Fondation Gérard-Delage

Point CommunÓ

Following this first success, a second concept was developed. Based on the fact that, during meal to which many people attend few succeed in meeting each other, this concept solves this problem in a highly entertaining fashion. Easy to organize, Point Commun © finds for you points of common interest for your guests whether you have 20 or 2,000. After asking them to participate in a questionnaire game the purpose of which is to determine interests, the software will help you to constitute tables for those sharing common interests. Who knows? From a common passion such as the opera, car racing or coleopters? From a travel destination such as Paris, Shanghais, Miami or Lacolle ?  From common abilities like social dancing, golf or tic-tac-to? And what do people having common point of interest do? They talk about them! They become interested to those sharing them!

No need to wonder what to say to your neighbour, technology permits all to comfortably dialogue with those seated together.

You are a restaurateur and you wish for your clients to talk to each other?

Point Commun © will help you to know your customers better therefore seem to be more interested in them and more interesting to them.

Point Commun © allows them to break the ice between them. By discovering common interests such as chess, skin diving or Charlie Chaplin films, you will succeed in introducing them to each other according to their affinities.

By organizing receptions where regular customers will meet each other, you will make your restaurant’s atmosphere more cordial by increasing their pleasure in meeting there. What better way to increase your valued customer’s assiduity!

How does Point Commun © work?

It’s as simple as 1,2,3. Ask your guests to complete a questionnaire and input their answers on a PC. You can use supplied questions or add your own.

Ask Point Commun © to assign your guests to tables according to their interests, according to the common points you have determined.

By including a few details such as number of tables, guests per table etc., Point Commun © will determine your table assignments and will print individual destination sheets for each guest.

You wish for a complete success?

Have your guests play musical table. Make them change table for each course. This formula was used for many events organized by organisations such as l’Association des hôteliers du Québec, Bell, Super C, etc. And each of these events was a resounding success. Point Commun © assigned each guest to a different table for each of 4 or 5 courses. At each course, the affinity was different so that each person met 9 others at each course.

Point Commun © produces a destinations sheet for each participants that shows the names of participants and the affinity shared. This sheet is given to every participant during the cocktail. If the tables seat 8 and there are5 courses, each participant will meet approximately 35 persons each of which share common interests.

Are there limits to POINT COMMUN ©?

As long as you have more than 2 guests and less than 2,000, Point Commun © will make sure that the only limit to success is your imagination.

It can serve as a data bank to better know your customers whether you own a restaurant or any other type of business where customers meet regularly.

Your events can be successes whether they are a cruise in Alaska or a Christmas party.

 La Soirée des Patrons

In 1998, in order to provide a bit of variety, the Fondation Gérard-Delage accepted to organize this new concept. Totally original, the object was more or less a Gastronomical Rally during which guests would take each course of a five course meal in a different restaurant amongst the best in Montreal..

To convey them to and fro, luxurious automobiles (Cadillac, Mercedes etc.)  would take them to their destination in total comfort. They didn’t know where they were going but their chauffeurs did.

Upon arriving at their destinations, they were greeted by the owner, who then proceeded to dine with them.

Start and end were at the Château Champlain. Participating restaurants were : Chez Lévesque, La Spaghettata, Un Monde Sauté, La Chronique, Le Club des Pins, Laloux, Le Piemontais, À l’Aventure, Le Toqué, La Salle Gérard-Delage de l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, Claude Postel, Chez Queue, La Marée, Le Caveau, Chez Georges, Chez Julien, Le Lutétia, Le Mas des Oliviers, Da Vinci, L’Actuel, Ferreira, Opus II, La Rapière, Les Halles, Le Soubise, Guy et Dodo Moralli, Alexandre, L’Orchydée de Chine, Le Saint-Amable, et l’Auberge Le Vieux Saint Gabriel.

This evening will be repeated annually in may.

Conversion 2000 can organise an evening to remember and, mostly, create one that will be unique.

For more information:  Communicate with us