Digital creativity has been present in Montreal for many decades: since the end of the 1960s, with the organization of the Universal Exhibition, new technologies and local creative know-how have transformed the city. Today, this creative and digital ecosystem is more dynamic than ever and has become a real lever for local development and the international influence of the metropolis. Montreal positions itself as a true cultural and artistic hub and has been a UNESCO Creative City of Design since 2006.
Québec benefits from a creative ecosystem and exceptional know-how in digital creativity. Indeed, the arts and digital creativity sector has been positioned, particularly by Montreal, as an expertise sought after by industry giants. This positioning has paid off since, with nearly 500 companies generating colossal revenues estimated at $2.5 billion each year, Montreal is now a true hub of opportunities for digital technology.
The sector is also very fragmented: there are several industrial associations, accelerators and incubators as well as different financing and investment structures. It is also very heterogeneous since it includes the field of video games as well as multimedia experiences, special effects and technology.
HUB Montreal was created with the goal of showcasing the expertise and skills of these creative industries on the local and international stage. At the time, in 2017, these industries were becoming increasingly important and their expertise increasingly sought after. However, the ecosystem was still emerging.
Sébastien Nasra, the founder of HUB Montreal, was inspired by SXSW to create an event that would give studios the opportunity to present their know-how on stage and shine among industry experts from all four corners of the planet. Originally, HUB Montreal was not intended to be an annual gathering: launched in 2017, on the 375th anniversary of the city of Montréal, the event was to be a showcase of digital creativity for one edition.
Given the success of this first edition, HUB Montreal has been redesigned to be an annual market event allowing creators, producers, artists from the creative industries, from here and elsewhere, to come together and discuss opportunities for collaboration and to collectively contribute to the growth of this industry.
In May 2022, Culture Montréal released the first major study conducted on the arts sector and digital creativity. It was the first time that the scope of the digital creativity sector in Quebec had been quantified. The finding is unequivocal: it is a booming sector that brings together nearly 500 companies, generates $2.5 billion in revenue annually and totals nearly 24,000 jobs. For comparison, on a global scale, the industry represents nearly US$200 billion.
Faced with this observation, HUB Montreal has adapted to the growing demand of the ecosystem: the programming offers new activities each year that promote the influence of creativity, exchanges and business opportunities with international buyers. In 2024, 115 professional activities spread over 3 days were offered to the 950 participants from 22 different countries outside Canada.
But what sets HUB Montreal apart and directly contributes to the growth of industries and the positioning of the metropolis as a creative city is the professional network. The B2B meetings pre-organized by the concierge are the true DNA of HUB Montreal. A unique formula that allows, in the form of speed-dating, to network an international guest and a studio according to their respective business objectives. In 2024, nearly 1,000 B2B meetings were organized by HUB Montreal and the estimated impact of these meetings was over $16 million the previous year.
HUB Montreal also participates in various flagship international industry events such as SXSW, the Cannes Film Festival, Global Cultural District Network, Immersive Teck Week and others, to pursue its mission of promoting the creative and cultural industries and promoting Montreal as a creative city. By ensuring a presence and participation in these events, the entire digital and cultural creative industry in Québec benefits and shines. New links, new potential collaborations are being forged, and the HUB Montreal team acts as a commercial showcase for Québec’s creative know-how.
It is also through the implementation of international projects that Québec’s expertise in the digital creativity sector is exploited and highlighted. Projects that have sometimes seen the light of day thanks to one of the editions of HUB Montreal and its B2B meetings.
These various initiatives and the efforts deployed by HUB Montreal throughout the world contribute significantly to the business development of the creative and cultural industries and recall the strategic importance of Montreal as a creative, vibrant and dynamic city.
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