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Montréal’s Vitrine Culturelle
Following in the footsteps of New York, London and Paris, Montréal has finally acquired its own last-minute ticket office. A plugged-in cultural showcase in a prime location, the Vitrine Culturelle offers all travellers to Québec’s largest city an unbeatable chance to discover a whole world of entertainment in the heart of Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles (entertainment district). 
Across Montréal’s various venues, this year’s unsold tickets are estimated to be worth $50 million—a sizeable shortfall for the city’s teeming cultural industry. Now, the newly opened Vitrine Culturelle offers performing arts and cultural event aficionados an unprecedented break: discounts of up to 40% on last-minute tickets… and even freebies for certain events!Don’t leave home without…
… checking in with La Vitrine Culturelle first! New York has TKTS; London has London Theatre Direct; Boston has BosTix; Toronto has T.O. TIX and Vancouver has Tickets Tonight. But of all these last-minute ticket outlets, Montréal's La Vitrinel stands out for the sheer diversity of what it has to offer. “It’s the world’s most highly evolved last-minute ticket sales platform, both in terms of content and the technology used,” said Nadine Gelly, Business Development Manager.
La Vitrine is an informational and transactional Web site complete with cultural calendars, a multiple-criteria search engine, information bulletins, a newsletter, online box office and more! All the right ingredients to make it essential browsing for any arts lovers or culture vultures planning to visit the city.“The Vitrine puts an original spin on the city’s cultural production and increases access to the arts by offering last-minute discount tickets. We have given ourselves a playground of endless possibilities and are affirming loud and clear that Montréal belongs to those who want to make it a true cultural destination. To paraphrase Shakespeare, Montréal is ‘such stuff as dreams are made on’,” said Lorraine Pintal, President of La Vitrine and Director of Théâtre du Nouveau Monde.
In the heart of the action
Located on Rue Sainte-Catherine in the heart of the Quartier des spectacles, La Vitrine is set to become the pivotal axis of a major urban initiative to enhance the area’s cultural assets. The resource boasts another winning asset: a luminous facade designed by Axel Morgenthaler, which is sure to boost La Vitrine’s visibility in the downtown core. Morgenthaler is also the artist behind the light sculpture entitled .98 (2007) commissioned for the new line at the Henri Bourassa metro station, as well as the 2006 installation You are almost there! / Vous êtes presque arrivé! at Pierre-Eliot-Trudeau International Airport.
La Vitrine is located at 145 Rue Sainte-Catherine W. Its staff have been trained to provide information and advice on events taking place in Montréal and within an 80-km (50-mi.) radius of the city. Whether you’re a passer-by or a Web user planning an impromptu visit, it’s a great opportunity to get last-minute ticket to the entire spectrum of cultural happenings.André Quenneville
2007-11-20
