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Bal En Blanc 2009
Thursday, March 12th 2009
Words: Bal En Blanc
In less than a month – from Thursday, April 9 to Monday, April 13 – Montreal will thrill to the rhythm of the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of Montreal’s White Party Week, an event that has become one of springtime’s most important social and urban manifestations. A number of initiatives have been put in place to mark the occasion, beginning with the adoption of a “green” theme, in line with which the organization undertook a complete review of its practices with a view to reducing its ecological footprint. For one thing, the new official 50-page magazine, presenting a graphic design inspired by scrapbooking, is printed on paper made from recycled fiber and distributed free of charge throughout the Montreal area. Bal en Blanc organizer Playground Productions recently put on line its brand new website, featuring all the information about the event as well as about the production company’s other annual activities.
Entire programming for the 15th Bal en Blanc unveiled
Partying promises to be intense at the 15th Bal en Blanc, which will be taking place, as tradition demands, on Easter Sunday (April 12) at Palais des Congrès. A blend of prominent figures from previous editions and new DJs for attendees to discover, the anniversary programming brings together Armin Van Buuren, Above & Beyond, Markus Schulz, Roger Shah and Insomnia in the Tech room, while Offer Nissim, Axwell, Deadmau5, Victor Calderone, Ana Paula, Uppercut and King Louis will be performing in the House room. In addition, Brazilian singer Amannda and Montreal’s Lavoie will do the 15th-anniversary theme song as a duo to music composed by Steve Aries aka Jester. A varied programming of related events will round off the festivities from Thursday to Monday, April 9 to 13.
To avoid congestion and waiting at the Palais des Congrès entryway for Bal en Blanc, the organizers have come to an agreement whereby a greater proportion of the rented spaces can effectively be converted and used while the event takes place. A higher number of security agents will also be assigned to searching in order to speed up access to the rooms.
A completely renovated website
To more closely reflect all its activities, which now comprise several large-scale events throughout the year, Playground Productions recently put on line an entirely rethought-out website. In addition to providing a more dynamic visual impression, productionsplayground.com offers friendlier access to all the information on upcoming events, right on its home page. The Photos and Videos sections, meanwhile, allow users to trace the evolution of the productions offered over the years. Finally, the addition of the forum and the creation of a virtual community will soon bring an interactive Web 2.0-oriented dimension.
Bal en Blanc goes green
Various initiatives have been put in place to reduce the environmental impact of White Party Week. For instance, printed on more ecological paper, the magazine is now being distributed in smaller quantities in order to promote the use of a new electronic version, accessible on the website. As for the event itself, several approaches have been modified. It begins with the recycling of the roughly 50,000 bottles and containers of water, juice and energy drinks consumed during the Bal, not counting plastic glasses. The use of less energy-consuming lighting systems is also part of the measures adopted, as is the choice of recyclable materials for decorations. The day-to-day administrative practices of Playground Productions have also been reviewed – in particular at the level of recycling and energy savings – to render these less damaging to the environment.
Tickets, while there’s still time...
As all the reduced-price and VIP tickets for Bal en Blanc have sold out, it is highly recommended not to delay in acquiring regular-price tickets. These are currently on sale at a price of $105 (+ $4 police service fee + $2 box-office fee + service charge - taxes incl.) on the Web at wantickets.com/canada (by phone at 1-877-449.0446) and at the usual network of specialty sales points. It is important to note that the price of tickets will be higher at Palais des Congrès the night of the event.
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