The election of Eric Ciotti as mayor of Nice and its Metropolitan area has led to a reassessment of the city's business tourism projects, with some projects by former mayor Christian Estrosi not being favoured by his successor. However, the mayor has ultimately decided to approve the project aimed at creating a large MICE hub on the MIM (Marché d’intérêt national) site. This will house both an exhibition centre and a new convention centre.
Eric Ciotti assures that the business tourism experts consulted have convinced him to “ the appropriateness of bringing the two structures together as they work in synergy And to announce that four groups have put themselves forward as candidates to oversee the design, construction work, and interior fit-out of the spaces, before managing them under contract for several years. The name of the winning dealership will be unveiled on 30 June 2026 "he adds.
With the relocation of MIM to La Baronne in the municipality of La Gaude, the mayor plans work to commence within 18 months to two years then two years of work for an inauguration in 2030 or even 2031. The initial schedule under Christian Estrosi, which planned for delivery at the end of 2029, is no longer viable, as Nice has decided no longer to host events related to the 2030 Alpine Olympic Games for which this new facility was to be requisitioned.
A facility located in a strategic area
Located to the west of Nice, within the Nice Ecovallée business district, the exhibition centre will feature, among other things, a large hall of 13,000 m².2Accessible by tram from the city centre, this facility, along with its convention centre, will benefit from their proximity to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport and the future Nice Airport SNCF train station. The area already has several hotels (Radisson, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton, Novotel, Okko...) and several major ones have been inaugurated in recent years in anticipation of the creation of this business centre. Even though the opening announced for 2030-2031 is still some way off, the managers of these establishments must be reassured today, as this business tourism hub is a guarantee of better occupancy of their rooms during the off-season. In the longer term, Eric Ciotti intends to make the Arenas hub a major business centre, similar to the La Défense district in Paris.
OcéaNice saved until the inauguration of the new MICE complex?
Until then, Éric Ciotti could grant a reprieve to OcéaNice that he only criticised during his election campaign, even announcing after his election " its next destruction Indeed, Nice no longer has a convention centre since the destruction of the Palais Acropolis in 2023-2024 to extend the Paillon promenade. Built last year by GL Events on the Old Port to host the United Nations Ocean Summit, OcéaNice comprises two buildings, a 3,500 m² exhibition hall.2 and a 1,200 m² conference and seminar space2 over two levels, the management of which was taken over in September 2025 by the Nice Tourist and Convention Bureau.
" This eco-friendly structure is modular and very versatile, particularly well-suited for MICE events of 500 to 2,000 participants. we were informed last April by Philippe Blond, the director of OcéaNice. He congratulated himself on having already secured bookings up to 2028. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to begin dismantling the building before the opening of the future Exhibition Centre-Congress Centre duo, at the risk of these events moving to neighbouring Cannes or other French cities. New announcements, this time more specifically concerning the centre of Nice but also the cultural sector, are expected at the end of June.
