MICE: Promosalons and French events conquer international markets

More than 55 years old that Trade fairs is working to raise the profile of French trade shows to an international audience, to attract visitors and exhibitors from abroad on major events made in France. " Promosalons was created by and for the organisers themselveswith the CCI of Paris, Unimev - which wasn't even called that at the time - and the CFCE (Centre Français du Commerce Extérieur), the forerunner of Business France "says Corinne Moreau, Managing Director of Promosalons. " At the time, networks already existed, via the commercial departments of embassies, economic expansion posts, the CFCE, etc. However, these players decided to create a specific network entirely dedicated to this sector. Back then, the trade show organising landscape wasn't as concentrated as it is today. Organisers were smaller, often family-run structures... Then there was a lot of concentration in the 90s. When Promosalons was set up, the idea was that rather than each organiser setting up an office in Germany, Japan or the UK to develop their international business, we should create a shared network to pool our resources and accelerate the international development of French trade fairs like SIAL or the aerospace industry... And then it all grew... ".

Grown to the point where it now totals 50 officesfor a coverage of 80 countries. Of these 50 delegations, 16 are subsidiaries of Promosalons100% has its own offices dedicated to its business. Visit 34 other offices have the status of partners. However, the vast majority of business (85 to 90%) is carried out by subsidiaries.

Thanks to this vast geographical coverage, Promosalons is now able to identify 61 memberswith emblematic new memberships that are diversifying its business, such as the Paris Fair or theIftm Top Résa which the association is now helping to prospect in certain countries and for international pavilions. The network's activities are varied. Its objectives and targets have evolved over time, as Corinne Moreau points out: " When it was first set up, Promosalons was mainly focused on visitors, and the idea was to go out and find the people who would be interested in exhibiting. buyers from all over the world to attract them to France. But it soon became clear that a show that wanted to be international would have to include an international offering, and therefore international exhibitors. foreign exhibitors. Promosalons has also taken on this task ". Over the last twenty years or so, this task has been joined by the task of geo-duplicationThis year, the major French international trade fairs are launching events abroad while retaining their own brands. SIAL, for example, has launched events in China, Canada and Indonesia.

The Promosalons network, entirely FrenchThis led us to adopt a case-by-case approach. " We have to make made-to-measure : every time it's a trade fair-country pairing "Corinne Moreau sums up. " When I respond to the composite materials show for Japan, looking for exhibitors, it's not the same thing as when I respond to the Carrefour du bois for Belgium, looking for visitors. So each time you have to think in terms of the sector and the country. So there's the advice side, and then there's the action side. So the Promosalons network is both the head and the legs! "says Corinne Moreau.