So you’ve found an inspiring venue, mouth-watering group meals and the perfect hotels for your attendees, and everything else to make your event a success. But even with all these ducks in a row, there is one area where an attendee’s entire experience can be adversely affected – the restroom. Gone are the days of impersonal dirty facilities and the uncomfortable Porta-Potty: Montréal’s Les Cabinets is revolutionizing washrooms for events with a deluxe touch. And it’s a one-of-a-kind concept.
Elevate the standard
Co-founded in 2016 by Patrice Marier and Marie-Pierre Hamel and joining the projects at MT Lab, Montréal’s incubator for innovative ideas in tourism created by the UQAM School of Management, the Ville de Montréal and Tourisme Montréal in 2019, Les Cabinets is a pièce de résistance to lift your event above and beyond. “We want to elevate the standard and transform the paradigm. It’s about consciousness,” says Marier. “The restrooms are the very last thing in every budget, receiving not even 1% of expenses. It should be 5%!”
The initial spark came at a high profile event, where it seemed every detail had been covered – until a visit to the washroom. “I went to the restroom and there was a huge clash with the rest of the event,” says Marier. “Out in the VIP lounge, everything was set, even the champagne was the right temperature. But then I met someone at the urinal, which is awkward, there was water everywhere on the counter, the space smelled and then there was just that pink hand soap. It was a shock and a complete disaster for a conference charging $4,000 a ticket.”
At event after event Marier experienced the same lapse of effort in the same place. He says, “It could be a gala, a fundraiser or a festival and the restrooms are always the forgotten place – that dark zone that nobody even really thinks of taking care of.” And so, in search of, “personal well being and collective hygiene,” Les Cabinets was born.
Going the extra mile
Creating high-end restroom experiences both in permanent and temporary spaces, Les Cabinets brings together discreet attendants, calming environs and high-end ecological product lines (including sponsorship activations) in bespoke experiences catered to each event. And it’s all on a no tip formula. With an attention to detail, Les Cabinets guarantees the ultimate in comfort even down to the music, leaving attendees feeling pampered – and glamorous. But don’t just take our word for it – Les Cabinets client list includes heavy hitters like C2, Cirque du Soleil, Montréal’s convention centre the Palais des congrès de Montréal, YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, the Montréal Canadiens hockey team, the AEG VIP party at the Grammy Awards and even Elton John’s AIDS Foundation’s annual Oscars party fundraiser in Los Angeles.
From W.C. to World-wide
Focusing on the “rest” in “restroom,” Les Cabinets also specializes in wellbeing lounges, featuring shoeshine stations, barbers, hair and make-up services and products for those in search of a touch-up. There’s also the option for curated beverages and cocktails, plus those unforgettable added touches like music (from playlists to DJs or even a live performers). In Les Cabinet’s vision, “We take care of you from beginning to end – the whole circuit.”
Stocking those restrooms and wellbeing lounge offers intriguing brand activation possibilities, giving local producers and high-end brands the opportunity to also get in on the action. “If I’m spending $25 on a cocktail, you have to give me something better than that pink soap!” Marier jokes, but his point is made. Attendees walking into a Les Cabinets restroom will find products like Aesop, Aveda and Oneka – and walk out feeling like a million bucks.
But Les Cabinets doesn’t stop there. The company’s future plans also include making clean and sustainable restrooms available in highly touristed areas (in collaboration with Tourisme Montréal), another touch to make anyone feel at home away from home. Put simply, we can’t think of a better hashtag than the company’s own: #atlastlescabinets!
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