The Man with Many Hats
*Behind every menu, product and experience, you’ll find passionate people and their stories. Discover these proud Outaouais ambassadors!
“I like teasing people, but I like to be teased too,” he says with a smile. Alex Van Dieren is a kid at heart. He’s one of the co-founders of the Gatineau Beerfest and the idea man behind Interzip Rogers.
The power of events
Alex has lived in the Outaouais since he was 15, when his parents moved to the region. He’s a big fan of his adopted region, and he’s working tirelessly to make the Outaouais a true event hub. Alex has contributed enormously to the development of events in the region, notably through his contribution to founding the Gatineau Beerfest.
That event has grown significantly over the past five years, but the pandemic forced Alex and his team to take another look at the site and the programming. “We didn’t reinvent the Beerfest formula,” he says, but they did decide to update the concept and come back stronger than ever to offer festival-goers a unique experience. “Events are like a sample of a region: they give you a reason to discover a new city.” The Gatineau Beerfest, with its original activities such as the secret bar, attracts people from outside the region and makes them want to come back and spend more time in the Outaouais.
Alex is a dreamer who lets his imagination run wild and dares to think big. He’s constantly planning large-scale projects, driven by his determination to set up unique attractions not found elsewhere in order to give the Outaouais the shine it deserves. For him, an idea is never just an idea if there’s even the slightest possibility of making it happen.
A cross-border project
Alex is involved in many other projects besides the Beerfest, one of which makes him especially proud: “Here we are at Interzip Rogers, the first interprovincial zip line in the world, and it’s right here in our own back yard.”
The zip line is nine stories high and reaches speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. “The safety aspect is super important,” Alex points out. That’s why the Interzip Rogers equipment is checked several times by different people before participants go down the zip line.
Alex likes to meet and talk to his customers and colleagues. For him, maintaining good working relationships and making sure that the people around him enjoy their work is paramount. He knows he needs a team and that he can’t do everything himself!
He encourages you to come and discover local projects. “In the Outaouais, we’re super proud—and it shows!” Plan to attend the next edition of the Gatineau Beerfest and discover your new favourite brew in an enchanting setting. In the meantime, you’re invited to visit Interzip Rogers and take in the 360-degree view!
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