Ambassador of the Year
This designation recognizes the outstanding effort of an ambassador whose involvement, perseverance, and resolve over the years have significantly helped promote the Québec City area as a business destination.
M. Yves Desjardins was named 2016 Ambassador of the Year. He is the Academic Director of Université Laval’s Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF).
A plant physiologist by trade, he uses functional genomics and proteomics tools in his lab to study photosynthetic control mechanisms and enzymes that metabolize glucose in leaves. Mr. Desjardins became interested in the health effects of fruits and vegetables after serving as director of Université Laval’s Horticulture Research Centre. As the academic director of INAF, Mr. Desjardins organized the first International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables. He has written over 40 scientific papers.
Mr. Desjardins is very involved in the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). As head of the scientific program, he organized the 2002 International Horticulture Congress (which attracted 3,000 people from 50 countries), FAVHEALTH 2005 (300 attendees), GREENSYS 2009 (250 attendees), and ISS2016 (700 attendees). He also coordinates the 50 symposiums organized each year by ISHS. He recently organized the eighth International Strawberry Symposium, which was attended by almost 700 people from 30 countries. Currently, he is organizing the eighth International Conference on Polyphenols and Health in Québec City, which is expected to draw some 700 people in October 2017.
Event of the year
This distinction recognizes the outstanding work of an ambassador responsible for the North American or international event that generated the highest tourism returns for the Québec City area in the past year.
Jean Vavrek and Lise Bujold of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum received the 2016 Event of the Year Award for the XXVIII International Mineral Processing Congress. The event drew 1,344 attendees to the Québec City Convention Centre in September 2016 and generated $3.5 million in tourism revenue for the area.
Jean-Simon Deschênes won the 2016 Event of the Year award for an organization for the JCI World Congress. The event drew 3,207 attendees to the Québec City Convention Centre in November and generated $7 million in tourist revenue for the area.
Winners – Events Held in 2016
LUC VILLENEUVE
International Virtual Reality Photography Association
11th International Virtual Reality Photography Association Conference
May, Hôtel Château Laurier Québec
ROBERT CORRIVEAU
Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovations
Photonics North
May, Québec City Convention Centre
SIMON BIRON
Québec Heart and Lung Institute
International Consensus Conference on Duodenal Switch
May, Québec City Convention Centre
JACQUES PELLAND
Optimist International
Optimist International Convention
July, Québec City Convention Centre
ALAIN AUBUT
Québec Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Québec International Business Growth Forum
July, Québec City Convention Centre
MICHEL TRUDEAU
Hydro Québec Research Institute
XIII International Conference on Nanostructured Materials
August, Québec City Convention Centre
YVES DESJARDINS
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval
8th International Strawberry Symposium
August, Québec City Convention Centre
MARIE-FRANCE SOSA
Society of Plastics Engineers, Québec Section
SPE North-East Topcon Conference
August, Québec City Convention Centre
REINHARD PIENITZ
Centre for Northern Studies, Université Laval
24th International Diatom Symposium
August, Université Laval
JOSÉE DESHARNAIS
Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, Université Laval
27th International Conference on Concurrency Theory & 13th QEST International
Conference on Quantitative Evaluation of Systems
14th International Conference on Formal Modelling and Analysis of Timed Systems
August, Hôtel Château Laurier Québec
RÉAL VALLÉE
Centre for Optics, Photonics, and Lasers, Université Laval
6th International Symposium on Filamentation – COFIL 2016
September, Hilton Québec City
JEAN VAVREK ET LISE BUJOLD
Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
XXVIII International Mineral Processing Congress
September, Québec City Convention Centre
MARIO FAFARD
Aluminium Research Centre – REGAL
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval
34th International Conference and Exhibition of the International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium
October, Hôtel Palace Royal
LOUIS LECLERC
Pixel Québec
Cartoon Connection Canada and Pixel Animation
October, Québec City Convention Centre
JEAN-SIMON DESCHÊNES
JCI World Congress Organizing Committee
2016 JCI World Congress
November, Québec City Convention Centre
About the Ambassadors’ Club
The Ambassadors’ Club is a meeting, conference, and event club whose mission is to attract meetings to Québec City. It is managed by the Québec City Convention Centre, Québec City Business Destination, Québec International, and the Québec City Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Crédits photo: Guy Rainville
