Frequently asked questions
Learn more about what Petit Duc currently offers, how participant travel data is collected and analyzed, and what to expect when using the platform for your event.
Learn About Petit Duc
Understand what Petit Duc does, which environmental impacts it currently measures, and the types of events and organizations it is designed to support.
What is Petit Duc?
Petit Duc is a digital platform that helps event organizers collect participant travel data, calculate the related greenhouse gas emissions and better understand how people travel to their events. The results can then support reporting, communication and planning for future editions.
What does Petit Duc currently measure?
Petit Duc currently calculates greenhouse gas emissions associated with participant travel. It can account for different transportation modes, multimodal journeys, outbound and return trips, and carpooling. The platform also provides insights into travelled distances, transportation choices and the relative impact of each mode.
Does Petit Duc measure emissions beyond participant travel?
Not yet. Petit Duc currently focuses on participant travel, which can represent a significant portion of an event's greenhouse gas emissions. We plan to progressively expand the platform to cover additional environmental impacts. Have a specific need? Contact us and tell us what you would like to measure—your feedback can help shape future features.
Why does Petit Duc focus on participant travel?
Participant travel is often one of the largest and least visible sources of emissions associated with an event. Organizers usually have limited information about where participants are coming from, which transportation modes they use and which actions could have the greatest impact. Petit Duc makes this information easier to collect, understand and act upon.
What types of events can use Petit Duc?
Petit Duc can be used for events of all types and sizes, including conferences, festivals, sports events, municipal activities and community gatherings. The platform is currently designed primarily around the realities of business events, such as conventions, professional conferences, corporate meetings and trade shows.
Who is Petit Duc designed for?
Petit Duc is designed for event organizers, associations, event agencies, venues, municipalities, destinations and sustainability teams that want to better understand and reduce the environmental impact of their events. No specialized carbon-accounting expertise is required to use the platform.
Collecting Participant Travel Data
Discover how participants share their travel information, what they are asked to provide, and the resources available to help you collect representative data.
How does Petit Duc collect participant travel data?
Participants complete a short, event-specific questionnaire describing how they travelled to and from the event. Their responses are centralized and analyzed by Petit Duc, reducing the need for organizers to manually collect, combine and calculate travel information.
What information are participants asked to provide?
Participants are asked for the information needed to understand their journey, such as their point of departure, transportation modes, different travel segments and whether they shared a vehicle with other people. The questionnaire is designed to collect enough detail for meaningful calculations without becoming unnecessarily complicated.
What materials will I receive to promote the questionnaire?
You will receive a QR code, a presentation-ready image, a direct link to the travel questionnaire and a link to the participant-facing experience. These materials can be shared through registration emails, event applications, presentation slides, signage and post-event communications.
What support will I receive to maximize the response rate?
Petit Duc provides practical recommendations on when, where and how to promote the questionnaire. This can include guidance for pre-event emails, reminders, presentation slides, on-site signage and post-event follow-ups. The goal is to make the questionnaire visible at several moments without overwhelming participants.
Can participants enter multimodal journeys?
Yes. Participants can enter journeys involving multiple transportation modes, such as driving to a train station, taking the train and then walking to the venue. Each segment is analyzed separately to provide a more representative estimate of the complete journey.
How does Petit Duc account for carpooling?
When participants travel by car, they can indicate how many people shared the vehicle. Petit Duc uses this information to distribute the vehicle's emissions among its occupants, providing a more accurate estimate than treating every participant as a separate driver.
What happens if only some participants complete the questionnaire?
Petit Duc clearly distinguishes between the responses received and any estimates calculated for the event's full attendance. Results may be extrapolated when appropriate, but their representativeness depends on the number and diversity of responses. Increasing the response rate generally produces a more reliable picture of participant travel.
Results and Reporting
Learn what insights Petit Duc can provide and how the results can support your reporting, communications and planning for future events.
What results will I receive after my event?
Depending on the selected service, you may receive information such as the number of responses, total distance travelled, transportation mode distribution, estimated greenhouse gas emissions and emissions by mode. These results are presented in a clear format to help your team understand the event's mobility patterns and environmental impact.
Can I use the results in reports for partners, sponsors or funders?
Yes. Petit Duc's results can support internal reports, sustainability assessments, funding applications and communications with partners or sponsors. We encourage organizers to communicate both the results and their limitations so that the information remains transparent and does not overstate what was measured.
Can Petit Duc's materials be customized with our branding?
Not yet. The materials currently provided use Petit Duc's visual identity. Customization options are planned for a future version of the platform so that selected reports, questionnaires and promotional assets can better reflect the branding of an organization or event.
Calculation and Methodology
Find out how travel-related greenhouse gas emissions are estimated, which information is used in the calculations, and how to interpret the results.
How does Petit Duc calculate travel-related emissions?
Petit Duc calculates the distance associated with each journey segment and applies an emission factor appropriate to the selected transportation mode. Adjustments can also be made for factors such as carpooling. The emissions from all segments are then combined to estimate the impact of each journey and the event as a whole.
How accurate are Petit Duc's results?
Petit Duc provides a structured estimate based on the information submitted by participants, calculated distances and recognized emission factors. Results are not an exact physical measurement and may be influenced by incomplete responses, approximated locations and the overall response rate. We aim to clearly communicate these assumptions and limitations alongside the results.
Privacy and Data Handling
Learn how participant and event information is handled, how privacy is protected, and how the collected data is used.
Are participant responses anonymous?
The questionnaire is designed to minimize the collection of personal information and does not require participants to create an account. Results are primarily analyzed and presented in aggregate so organizers can understand overall travel patterns rather than track individual participants.
Is my event data shared with third parties?
Event and participant data is used to operate the service and produce the requested analyses. Petit Duc does not sell collected data for advertising purposes. Any processing by technical service providers or broader use of aggregated information is governed by the applicable privacy terms and communicated transparently.
Getting started with Petit Duc
Find out what information is needed to configure your event and what support is available to help you get started.
What do I need to provide to get started?
We generally need basic information about your event, including its name, dates, locations, expected attendance and the main contact responsible for the project. We will then configure the experience, prepare the collection materials and help you determine the best moments to engage participants.
How much does Petit Duc cost?
Our plans and rates are presented on our pricing page. For details on credits, plans, and billing, see the Pricing, Plans and Credits section of this FAQ.
Pricing, Plans and Credits
Understand one-time event offers and annual plans, how credits work, rollover, adjustments at the final report, billing, and refunds.
What's the difference between a one-time event and an annual plan?
The one-time event offer lets you use Petit Duc for a single event, with no subscription or periodic renewal — purchased credits are reserved for that event and cannot be carried over. An annual plan lets you create an unlimited number of events based on your available credit balance, carry over unused credits indefinitely as long as the plan stays active, and get better rates on additional credits.
Why choose an annual plan?
An annual plan is generally more advantageous for an organization that holds multiple events or wants to measure its results on an ongoing basis: credits can be split across several events, unused credits are kept at renewal, and higher-tier plans unlock additional features, discounts, and support.
How do I choose the plan that fits my needs?
Estimate the total number of participants you expect to cover over the next 12 months, taking into account the number and size of your events, the features you want, your customization needs, and the level of support you're looking for. The simulator on our pricing page can help you estimate your needs, or you can contact our team for a recommendation.
How do credits work?
Credits are mainly used to cover the participants at your events: when you set up an event, you enter the approximate number of participants expected, which determines the number of credits initially consumed. When a range is provided, Petit Duc uses the highest estimate. Some automated features may also use credits, and their cost will always be shown before activation.
When are credits consumed?
Credits are consumed when you enter the approximate number of participants expected for your event; for example, an estimate of 400 to 500 participants initially consumes 500 credits. An adjustment is then applied when the final report is produced, based on the actual number of participants or a more precise estimate.
What happens if the final number of participants differs from my estimate?
When the final report is produced, you provide the actual number of participants or a more precise estimate, and Petit Duc automatically adjusts the credits consumed: if the final number is higher, the additional credits required are consumed; if it's lower, the difference is returned to your balance. For example, if 500 credits were initially consumed but the event ultimately has 450 participants, 50 credits are returned to your balance.
Can I use my credits for multiple events?
Yes: with an annual plan, your credits are pooled into a single balance and can be split across as many events as needed — for example, to cover four events of 500 participants each, or any other split that fits your needs. The one-time event offer, however, is limited to the event it was purchased for.
Is the number of events limited?
Annual plans let you create an unlimited number of events, as long as your balance has enough credits to cover the expected participants. The one-time event offer is limited to a single event.
What happens if I run out of credits?
You can purchase additional credits at any time; no overage or additional purchase is billed automatically without the applicable terms being clearly presented first. Depending on your annual plan, a discount may apply to the rate for additional credits.
Can I buy additional credits without changing my plan?
Yes, you can keep your current plan and add only the credits you need. If your needs increase on a regular basis, moving to a higher-tier plan could become more advantageous.
Do unused credits expire?
Unused credits on an annual plan are carried over indefinitely as long as your plan stays active and is renewed without interruption — they are not limited to a single year of rollover. Credits purchased for a one-time event, on the other hand, cannot be carried over.
What happens to my credits if I don't renew my plan?
Your plan and credits remain available until the end date of the period already paid for. If the plan is not renewed, unused credits expire on that date and can no longer be used.
Can I change plans during the year?
Yes, you can move to a higher-tier plan when your needs increase: credits already in your balance are kept, and the credits included in the new plan are added under the applicable terms. Moving to a lower-tier plan takes effect at the next renewal.
Can I switch from a one-time event to an annual plan?
Yes, if you'd like to use Petit Duc for other events, you can subscribe to an annual plan. Contact our team to review your situation, particularly regarding any unused credits from your one-time offer.
Do the displayed prices include taxes?
No, prices are shown in Canadian dollars and do not include applicable taxes.
Do you offer refunds?
Purchases, subscriptions, and credits are generally non-refundable once the service is activated. If a specific situation or an issue genuinely prevents you from using Petit Duc, contact our team — we'll review your situation, without guaranteeing that a refund will be granted.
Is it possible to get custom features?
Yes, we can evaluate developing features, integrations, or adaptations specific to your organization. Additional fees may apply depending on the project's scope, complexity, and timeline — contact our team so we can review your request and prepare a tailored proposal.
Is it possible to get an offer tailored to my organization?
Yes: if the plans shown don't match your reality — associations, tourism destinations, agencies, event venues, organizations managing multiple entities, or very large-scale events — contact our team. A custom proposal can be prepared based on your volume, structure, and needs.
Still have questions?
We'll be happy to answer your questions and explore how we can support your needs.