By inviting a group of journalists last September to visit the Palais des FestivalsAs part of a series of events organised by the French MICE Association, the people in charge of Cannes' MICE sector were keen to send out a clear message: the destination is ready for the return of events. What's more, the pause and reflection period imposed by the crisis has enabled us to improve our offering, so that we can come back even stronger. " Since the summer of 2020, we have been developing a recovery plan to emerge from this crisis better and more competitive "says Jean-Michel Arnaud, President of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes. " We've suffered a lot in recent months, but Cannes has bounced back, as always. "confirms Managing Director Didier Baudoin. " There's a big schedule of activity for the end of the year and for 2022. We're not yet sure of the gauges, and we don't know if everyone will come back. It's up to us to be intelligent, creative and better than before the crisis. "he continues. This improvement will involve a new infrastructure, the Hi5 Studiowhich marks the famous palace's entry into the hybrid era. Located on the fifth floor, with a 120 m²the newcomer boasts a capacity of 350 people.
The Palais des Festivals, which has also been given a new medical concierge serviceis also preparing for the future with new appointments. Two new events will be launched early next year: the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF) will be held from 10 to 12 February coming up. Then from 6 to 9 March the Cannes International Resilience Forum will deal with the management of major risks, whether climatic, nuclear, health, security or IT-related.
Competition is fierce between all destinations, and we all need to find events that are right for us.
" Competition is fierce between all destinations, and we all need to find events that are right for us. "explains Régis Faure. He continues: " The major organisers are in the process of reviewing their portfolios, which means that some trade fairs are likely to disappear. So we've decided to co-produce two events ".
The Marriott gets a makeover
The Palais des Festivals is not the only player in Cannes' MICE sector to have invested to prepare for the future. The Marriott has undergone a major makeover, which involved 18 months of work and no less than 65 million euros investment programme. This has resulted in the reorganisation of the entrance hall, now with a new staircase and a bridge to accommodate reception. The rooms, initially excluded from the renovation plan, also benefited in the end, given the health and tourism context... As for the mythical theatre, a vestige of the time when the Palais des Festivals occupied the hotel site, it has been preserved in its original state to retain all its former lustre: an essential facility for plenary sessions at the major seminars that the Marriott hotel regularly hosts.
