According to the Atout France national tourism agency, MICE inbound travellers account for 35 per cent of tourist spend in France.
France is a European leader for agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals and aeronautics industries, and with its chemicals ranked second and ICT third, there are plenty of key economic sectors driving conference business.
The direct impact of the conference and events industry each year in France is put at €7.4bn by Atout France. Indirect spending is €30bn.
Global eye-catching events include the Paris Motor Show, the Paris International Agricultural Show, as well as Vinexpo in Bordeaux-Lac Parco Expo.
Bordeaux will host the ITS World Congress in 2015 for intelligent transport systems and services (worth €6m). While Batimat in Paris is the world’s largest construction event and MIPIM in Cannes the place for the world’s real estate top players to meet.
Strasbourg is a seat of important political meetings and 1,881km of high-speed rail lines and 157 airports, mean France can offer good connections to its hinterland of host cities and venues.
Eight French venues were awarded ‘Palace’ status in May 2011 by the Ministry of Tourism, a category created from among five-star hotels that were judged to have ‘exceptional characteristics embodying French excellence’. They include the Hotel du Palais Biarritz, Le Cheval Blanc Courchevel and Le Bristol Paris. Of course, the ‘real’ Palace of Versailles has quite a conference heritage.
Quality control
A Quality and Sustainable Development charter was launched by France Congres at the start of 2011, intended to apply to all conference venues and raise environmental responsibility all round.
France has 120 major conference centres and 2,000 structures capable of hosting at least 200 people. Fifteen convention centres have capacity in excess of 4,000.
Paris
Paris is number three city in the world in terms of the number of headquarters for the global top 500 companies. It is also No.3 in the latest International Congress and Convention Association city rankings, after Vienna and Barcelona, hosting 147 qualifying association meetings.
Paris hosts 80 conferences a month and its meetings firepower is illustrated by The European Society of Cardiology Congress which drew 30,000 participants in August 2011, an event that brought in €90m.
Viparis is the leading venue conglomerate in Paris, embracing 10 major centres: Le Palais des Congrès de Paris, Espace Grande Arche, Le Palais des Congrès d’Issy, Espace Champerret, Paris Le Bourget, Palais des Congrès de Versailles, Cnit Paris La Défense, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Carrousel du Louvre and Paris Nord Villepinte (where there has been a recent upgrade to the RER rail service).
Viparis welcomes 125 conferences and 500 corporate events each year. International conferences represent 30 per cent of the business.
Viparis Sales Director Laurent Chiron says 2011 was a record year, with highlights including the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, with 5,000 delegates at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, and the European Society of Cardiology Congress at Paris Nord Villepinte with 32,000 delegates.
“International corporate events exceeded our 2008 results (before the downturn), although we noticed enquiries becoming very short-term. There might be a turn back to basics with organisers offering fewer frills,” says Chiron.
Viparis installed the ‘Amphi 8000’ at Paris Le Bourget from November 2011 up to February 2012: a ready-to-use theatre with a seating capacity for 8,200 delegates.
Of the capital’s numerous hotels, The InterContinental Paris Le Grand marks its 150th birthday this year. The building was Napoleon III’s showpiece hotel to impress visitors to Expo 1867 and, to mark the anniversary, there is a temporary daily delegate rate of €150.
Paris is famed for its food and shopping, always a delegate draw. The Galeries Lafayette store offers delegates VIP shopping experiences and wine tasting.
Meeting Mickey
Disneyland Paris offers several meetings spaces on its territory and 8,200 rooms in 14 hotels.
There are two convention centres with three plenary rooms each seating over 2,100 people. There is also an amphitheatre with 570 seats and 95 meeting rooms seating up to 600.
Disneyland Paris Business Solutions’ Yann Vilair identifies shorter lead times and fewer participants at events as key trends in 2011. “Yet revenue per room increased. Events have become more meeting centric, with fewer evening functions and incentives. We have understood that flexibility is the key,” Vilair says.
“France remains our main market, although the UK is important. With the Eurostar train station on site, we are often considered a ‘home’ destination by UK event planners.
“Productive sectors for meetings for us are pharmaceuticals and the car industry. The franchise/direct sales and retail markets are also very interesting,” adds Vilair, who says recent Weightlifting Championships and a cheerleading competition testify to the site’s flexibility for events.
Car manufacturer KIA brought 3,500 delegates from 36 countries for a four-day event at the Disney Events Arena, while Amway brought 600 delegates and Rockwell 550 to their Automation University. Engineering association IEEE brought 1,200 engineers to the park’s ‘New York’ Convention Centre.
Vilair reports 2011 saw a 10 per cent increase in the number of events and 100,000 room nights, while turnover of €50m represents a 15 per cent boost over 2010. Business Solutions has also developed 30 new evening products.
So Toulouse
Toulouse Convention Bureau’s latest campaign brand, So Toulouse, groups 150 local industry players.
The bureau offers delegates a ‘Pack accueil’ guide and pass offering discounts on many activities in the city (museums, shopping, restaurants, etc) and its Pass Congrès offers delegates free public transport.
The new Parc des Expositions de Toulouse will open in 2015 and have congress capacity for 5,000. The facility will back up the city’s existing two centres: The Centre de Congrès Pierre Baudis is five minutes from the city centre and 20 minutes from the airport and can accommodate 1,200, while at the heart of the space industry area in south-west Toulouse lies Diagora, which has an amphitheatre with 500 seats and a 2,200sqm hall able to accommodate up to 2.000.
In 2011, the city opened representation in Minneapolis, USA, which has resulted in 120 requests
for proposals from the American continent for conferences.
In 2012 Toulouse will join The Global Science and Convention Alliance, alongside Adelaide Convention Bureau, Daejeon CVB, and Hyderabad CVB.
Toulouse’s Aerospace Valley is home to 1,200 organisations providing 95,000 jobs. When it comes to education, Toulouse is second only to Paris in France, with four universities and 110,000 students.
Global scientific conference ECVP 2011 brought a record 900 delegates to Toulouse in September 2011 and Chairman of the ECVP organising committee, Simon Thorpe, said: “The opening of Hall D at Toulouse-Blagnac airport increased direct flights and delegate travel options.”
Montpellier
Montpellier offers meetings with a twist of Mediterranean dolce vita.
A city of 250,000 inhabitants, under-25s account for 36 per cent of the population. It is the eighth largest city in France and its Arena is the second-largest events hall in France with its 13,500sqm capacity.
Unusual teambuilding angles in Montpellier include violin making and riding with camargues horses. The city has also become a permanent fixture for the Tour de France, which has made a stopover in the city every two years since 2005. Montpellier’s Corum Congress Centre hosted the AIPC Congress in 2006 and in September 2011, the venue hosted 2,500 Euromat congress delegates.
Lyon
The Cite Internationale business park site in Lyon is home to the futuristic Lyon Palais des Congres, with its 3,000-seat auditorium.
The centre is a subsidiary of the GL Events group which manages 30 sites worldwide. GL Events has organised 5,000 events since opening in Lyon, hosting four million participants.
The city venue marketing bureau ‘Only Lyon’ label incorporates 200 partner venues and companies.
Other regional centres to consider for conferencing include La Cite Nantes Events Centre and Marseilles, which will host 30,000 visitors for the Sixth World Water Forum in 2012.
Any comments? Email cmw@mashmedia.net
