Work on the Triangle Tower is due to start in 2012. What will it bring to Porte de Versailles?
Renaud Hamaide - It will revitalise a neighbourhood whose life is punctuated by the schedule of events held at the exhibition centre. It will be a new centre of economic activity, creating jobs... But that's not all, as it will also be accessible to Parisians and tourists, with restaurant areas and belvederes. The Triangle Tower will bring a new aesthetic to this part of the capital, which is visited by 7 million people every year, many of them from abroad. Its design and construction were entrusted to architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, architects of such iconic buildings as London's Tate Modern.
Are Viparis planning any other projects?
R. H. - Of course we are! We are constantly working to improve our ten venues. The Paris Convention Centre is currently undergoing a major renovation programme, and we're looking at redeveloping its forecourt. The reception areas at Paris Nord Villepinte and Paris Le Bourget have also just been redesigned to enhance visitor comfort.
Does the improvement of your offer also involve new services?
R. H. - Of course we are. We are investing in an ambitious communications programme aimed at the general public to promote the events held at our sites. And this year we launched a smartphone application that brings together all the useful information for visitors to these events. We have also signed a contract with InSiteo to equip our sites with a system allowing organisers to develop applications for geolocating stands. This is innovative and will be a real plus in terms of comfort and optimising visiting time. We're also thinking about a range of specific services dedicated to "major exhibitors.
What are the main obstacles to Paris as a destination for international events?
R. H. - We have to face up to increased competition. Paris hosts a large number of recurring trade fairs that are European - or even world - leaders in their markets, as well as events such as "turning points which never fail to make a stopover here. These include the international aerospace and agri-food trade fairs, Maison et Objet and Eurosatory, as well as major world congresses such as the ESC and the Broadband World Forum, and events such as the Bose convention that we hosted recently.
Nevertheless, we sometimes suffer from a bad image: repeated strikes, lack of warmth from Parisians, taxi service that doesn't measure up... But a number of corrective measures have been launched, such as the Welcome Pack, set up with our partners: Paris airports, the regional development committee, the Paris exhibition committee and also the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. But there is certainly still room for improvement in this welcome policy...
Bio Express
Graduate of the École supérieure de gestion
1986-90 Account manager for the Indosuez Group and then SDR Champex
1990-93 Administrative and Financial Director of the property development company Constructae
1993-98 Property Director of the property development consortium.
1998 Joined Unibail-Rodamco. Development Director in charge of the Group's acquisitions, then Managing Director of the Congress and Exhibition Division (now Viparis). Also Managing Director, since 2010of Comexposium.
