“From Alloys to Allies” was the theme of the event, which focused on networking and aimed to bring together aluminium industry stakeholders, promote the many advantages of the metal, and highlight the achievements of people and businesses which find innovative, gainful ways to use the material.
Collaboration between R&D, education, companies, industrial associations, and socioeconomic partners was central to reaching those aims. Indeed, the Trade Show enabled exhibitors and visitors to create and build on rewarding business relations, find new business partners and opportunities, learn more about aluminium, and increase their business volume.
The Trade Show, a must for all aluminium industry role players, was a unique opportunity for national and international companies to showcase their expertise, achievements, products, and knowhow in front of major enterprises and clients in connected fields. Private and personalised business meetings and various networking activities led to the creation of sustainable business relations, thus contributing to invaluable business and income opportunities for participants. Interspersed with industrial tours and expert conferences, the international Aluminium Valley in Business Trade Show was once again a prized discussion platform on innovation.
With 75 participating enterprises and visitors from at least ten countries, the Aluminium Valley in Business Trade Show continues to be the largest aluminium event in Canada. Moreover, support from the UQAC Centre d’entrepreneuriat et d’essaimage gave 25 university students an opportunity to approach companies regarding future employment and ongoing projects. In brief, many formal and informal business meetings took place. For three days, wide-ranging activities were so many occasions for participants to expand their networks and improve their technical knowledge base.
Recognising the growing international footprint of the event, the prestigious American firm Platts presented its training course “How the Aluminum Market Works” for the first time in Canada, in cooperation with the Aluminium Valley in Business Trade Show.
Overall, the events included in the Trade Show programme also aimed to reinforce the recognition and acknowledgement of Aluminum Valley as a global hub for the aluminium industry by showcasing the knowhow of its member companies and partners.
Mission accomplished! The number of participants and exhibitors, the diversity and representativeness of participating companies, the quality and diversity of exhibitors and exhibits, as well as the notable satisfaction of participants lead to conclude that with the Aluminium Valley in Business Trade Show is a growing success.
In large part, this success can be attributed to the strong engagement and mobilisation of the organisation’s partners, namely the Aluminium Valley Society, Trans-Al Network, Centre québécois de recherche et développement de l’aluminium (CQRDA), University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, Economic Development Canada, Rio Tinto Alcan, Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation, et des Exportations du Québec, National Research Council Canada, Promotion Saguenay, Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, City of Alma, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, Fusia, Aluminerie Alouette Inc., Elkem Metal Canada Inc., Association des CLD du Saguenay‒Lac-Saint-Jean, Cegertec WorleyParsons, Café Marc Robitaille Inc., and Nutrinor.