MONTREAL – March 5, 2025 – RDÉE Prince Edward Island is looking to recruit a dozen Island businesses – manufacturers, processors and producers or distributors of all types of goods and services – to take part in its 17th sales mission to the greater Montreal area this spring. Registration deadline is March 28, 2025.

Coordinator Robert Maddix, who is RDÉE PEI’s manager of entrepreneurial initiatives, points out that participants (with French-speaking capability) have the option of participating virtually through meetings with potential buyers by audio-visual teleconference the week of May 5-9. Those wishing to attend in person will do so from May 19-23. (Travel to and from Montreal will take place on Monday and Friday; sales meetings will be held from Tuesday to Thursday).

“Each participant will receive group training in How to Sell in 30 Minutes, as well as individualized sessions to help them prepare their sales pitch. The firm we’ve hired, Clientis, will also prepare a profile on each participating business,” explains Maddix. “Then, each participant will have the opportunity to meet with 10 to 12 potential Montreal or Quebec buyers who will have been very carefully targeted by Clientis, according to the your instructions. Depending on your needs, they could be wholesalers, retailers, distributors, exporters or others.”

REIMBURSEMENT

The sales mission program pays for training and matchmaking services. In addition, it reimburses participants 40 percent of their Montreal transportation, lodging, meal and cab expenses. Hotel reservations will be made for entrepreneurs, and transportation to and from business meetings in Montreal will be arranged.

A typical participant ends up investing $800 to $1000 in expenses, in addition to his or her time. “That’s still a pretty small investment when you consider that the typical participant achieves sales of $10,000 to $100,000 in the medium term as a result of participating in our mission. Some of our biggest sellers have even sold for close to $1 million,” points out Maddix. “This also doesn’t take into account any sales that are made after the mission or that will be made in later years, since we can only tabulate the sales that result directly from each mission.”

The coordinator finds it an excellent and comparatively inexpensive way to explore new export markets, especially in these times when the U.S. market has become practically impenetrable due to the new tariffs that have been imposed. There’s literally no limit to the kind of Island products or services Island businesses can try to sell on these missions.

Some 135 companies took part in the RDÉE’s first 16 sales missions. Some had to hire additional employees to increase their production capacity following their mission; others were forced to expand their production plants. A few have hired Quebec salespeople. Several have established excellent relationships that have led to ongoing renewal of sales contracts.

All interested parties are asked to contact Maddix as soon as possible at robert@rdeeipe.org.

These missions are organized in partnership with Innovation PEI, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada.

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PHOTO: Linda Lowther, right, of Cavendish’s Deker Hockey met with several potential buyers and made some important contacts, including Kathy Tremblay, head of tournaments for the Joliette Minor Hockey Association, last fall.

For further information, please contact
Robert Maddix
Sales mission coordinator
RDÉE Prince Edward Island
(902) 314-1714
robert@rdeeipe.org