Export forum aims to help firms expand beyond Quebec

Tashi Farmilo

Export Outaouais will host the 2026 Grand rendez-vous de l’exportation on March 19 from 12:30 - 7 pm, bringing together regional businesses, experts and economic organizations to discuss strategies for expanding into markets outside Quebec and abroad. The half-day event, presented by Scotiabank, will take place on the second floor of 179 Promenade du Portage at Chez Henri in downtown Gatineau.

The event is aimed at companies already exporting as well as those considering entering new markets. Organizers say exporting remains a key driver of growth for businesses able to structure their approach and develop partnerships that support expansion beyond Quebec.

Doors will open at 12:30 pm, followed by a keynote conference from 1 - 2:15 pm on geopolitical trends and international trade by journalist and international analyst Jean-François Lépine. The session is presented by the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

Two workshop sessions will follow in the afternoon, from 2:30 - 3 pm and from 3:15 - 3:45 pm, offering practical guidance on export planning and market development. A panel discussion presented by Investissement Québec is scheduled from 4 - 5 pm, followed by networking and business meetings from 5 - 7 pm.

Experts from organizations including Global Affairs Canada, Export Outaouais, Scotiabank, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Investissement Québec, ID Gatineau and Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton will be present throughout the event, alongside specialists from consulting, marketing and digital firms involved in international business development.

“In a geopolitical context marked by the emergence of new economic blocs, shifting supply chains and rapidly evolving trade rules, businesses must be equipped to navigate with agility and seize emerging opportunities,” said Olivier Roy, director of Export Outaouais. “The Grand rendez-vous de l’exportation was designed to give them that strategic advantage.”