Who’s ready for Montreal?

The revitalized WinDoor show, which is moving to Montreal this fall after many years in Toronto, is generating palpable excitement north of the border. That was apparent during my recent visit to the Fenestration Canada annual general meeting in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. There was a definite buzz about the new location and the new plans for the show. And, of course, the new website.

In fact, the word “new” (or “nouveau”) was part of nearly every conversation about WinDoor. For an event that’s been around more than 20 years, it perhaps speaks volumes about how people regarded the “old” WinDoor, which seemed to be dying out in Toronto.

“It’s important for people to realize it’s a new show,” said Stephane LaBelle of Groupe Eugenie during the Fenestration Canada meetings. He’s the chairperson of the WinDoor organizing committee and a driving force behind many of its changes.

Some of those include a pub crawl around Old Montreal after the show’s first day and a social event on the exhibition hall floor after the close of the second day. That one sounds like it would be similar to those at major European trade shows such as Fensterbau, which feature live music along with food and drink.

“We want everybody to stay together and network for as long as possible,” said LaBelle.

While networking looks to be the star of the show, Montreal could definitely play a major supporting role. Organizers hope the beautiful, historic city encourages greater attendance.

Will the “new” WinDoor in 2016 be a huge success? We’ll see — this effort is just getting off the ground, and November is closer than many people realize. But whatever happens this year, it appears that the framework is in place for  future success.