Looking up from your computer screen to wander for an evening in the dreamlike imaginary world of Niki de Saint Phalle and her Nanas stimulates your creativity.
Is France a blessed land for cultural incentive operations? With the country's wealth of history, it's a no-brainer. There are over 40,000 protected monuments and sites, around thirty UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 8,000 museums - including several new-generation spaces - and a multitude of remarkable parks and gardens.
Add to that almost 500 festivals, endless theatre seasons, concerts and dance performances, and the choice for companies is vast. Paris, in particular, is full of cultural venues and events that companies can use to mount an incentive operation. "We organised a dinner at the Harcourt studio for Google Enterprise and, for Essilor - Varilux, a prestigious evening for 600 people to mark the reopening of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs."It could be a visit to the backstage of a famous theatre such as the Rond-Point or the Maison de la Radio. But it could just as easily be a visit backstage at a renowned theatre such as the Rond-Point, or at the Maison de la Radio, with the added privilege of watching a programme being recorded.
Whatever the case, there is one constant when it comes to cultural incentives: the venue should not be chosen at random; the operation should fit in with the message that the companies want to get across. For example, a Spanish company currently prefers the Velasquez exhibition at the Grand Palais to the Tudors exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg. "We don't offer just any event to our customers. We try to work in correlation with the company's identity, its communication policy and its issues."Tania Zana-Turini cites the example of the environmental and water management policies of the Sopra-Steria group, which specialises in IT systems.
Hokusai and the theme of water
For this client, Senzeô Art privatised the South-East Gallery of the Grand Palais in October 2014 for the exhibition on the Japanese master Hokusai, one of whose masterpieces was the celebrated Great Wave. "We organised a conference on the theme of water issues, with navigator Maud Fontenoy as guest speaker. The entire space was designed by architect Nicolas Martin. The event, which brought together 300 people, ended with a cocktail reception and a private tour of the exhibition."says Tania Zana-Turini. The results of the operation went well beyond expectations, with Sopra-Steria extending the experiment through a sponsorship and getting young artists to work on the theme of water.
Senzeô Art's dream is for companies to embrace art and culture, two highly effective means of conveying their image and message. Through art and culture, companies can reach out to the whole world and strengthen their identity, not only in the eyes of their customers, partners and prospective customers, but also in the eyes of their employees. Human resources (HR) appreciate the open-mindedness that art and culture offer, and the way they can boost employees' creativity.
This can go as far as creating a turnkey event, such as the one organised for Cegos, which specialises in professional training. For the past three years, Senzeô Art has been organising the Rendez-Vous Art et Business for this client, aimed at the HR departments of Cegos's key accounts. A different venue is chosen each year, such as the Grand Palais in 2014 for the Monumenta 2014 exhibition, where artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov invited the public to get lost in the maze of a utopian city, The Strange City.
Another example of a tailor-made event is the Economic and Cultural Encounters created for the Caisse d'Épargne d'Ile-de-France. This involves a lecture on an economic or geopolitical theme, given in a museographic space and combined with the discovery of a permanent collection or an exhibition in line with the subject. Speakers include economic experts, philosophers, writers and art historians. In June 2013, a private evening on emerging Asian markets was held at the Musée Guimet in the presence of geopolitician Alexandre Adler and sinologist Hervé Beaumont.
According to Émilie Dumarest, from the De l'Art agency, "Companies that enjoy cultural events are similar to those that use sport as part of their incentive strategy. Only the targets are different!"Because, let's face it, inviting someone to attend a prestigious event without queuing, with commentary by a top-quality speaker, before finishing with a gala dinner takes the participant out of their everyday life. In terms of organisation, the most popular format these days is a group of around thirty people, with a private or guided tour at the end of the day, or even at night, followed by dinner. But above all, nothing ostentatious! Isabelle Genri, head of the French market at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, notes that ".clients are not necessarily looking for privatisation, but rather a theme with a cultural connotation. The venues usually chosen are those hosting a major exhibition, as is often the case at the Grand Palais.".
To meet these new needs, cultural venues have organised themselves, or are in the process of doing so. The Bastille and Versailles operas, for example, have set up corporate modules, while the Centre des Monuments Nationaux lists the listed sites that can be privatised. The most beautiful châteaux are also attracting incentive organisers. The Chantilly estate, although not listed as a national monument, is one of the most popular with companies.
Just fifty kilometres from Paris, Chantilly takes full advantage of its geographical location, and establishments organise themselves accordingly. This is the case at Dolce Chantilly, which has set up team-building activities in collaboration with external service providers. These are suitable for groups of between 10 and 500 participants and take place on the Chantilly estate, particularly in the gardens designed by Lenôtre. Quizzes with questions about the monuments are designed to help participants discover the history of the site. Gourmet lunches and dinners complete the programme, as do open-air shows.
Contemporary art makes the buzz
In the field of art, three trends are emerging in terms of the content of events: photography, contemporary art and fashion. In recent months, the Jackie Kennedy exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and the Yves St Laurent exhibition at the Grand Palais have proved highly popular with corporate clients. According to Alain Pascail, consultant and founder of Pelios Coaching, contemporary art also has real attractions for incentives: "We are all inhabited by collective representations and unconscious projections. Contemporary art allows us to project our imaginations onto a work of art.".
Alain Pascail believes that companies tend to be too rational and use only the left side of their brain. However, by also using the right side of the brain, that of sensations and emotions, we inevitably open up other fields. This coach has developed an exclusive method aimed at companies and managers of small and medium-sized businesses. He takes incentive groups to the museum and brings the participants together in pairs. And that's when the real challenge begins. Each pair has to select their two favourite works, then explain their choice to the whole group. During these 'performances', the emotions come out, the individuals reveal themselves to each other, and above all to themselves. "We try to encourage companies to be more creative and daring, so that they can adapt proactively or reactively to the constant changes in their environment, adds Alain Pascail. When a symbiosis takes place with a work of art, a completely different reading of reality emerges. In fact, it acts as a kind of rear-view mirror that allows us to see the blind spots: the problems and the solutions."
Theatre is also part of this theory. "By booking an evening or a workshop, guests are transported into another world."says Véronique Sternberg, director of Paroles en Scène. The agency offers a number of modules based around the world of theatre, with evenings organised as follows: first, an introductory lecture to get to know the author better, then the show, followed by a glass of champagne and a cocktail reception with the artistic team. Another option: a conference dinner on a theatre-related issue in a convivial setting, hosted by a theatre historian or well-known director. At the end of the debate, participants receive a ticket for a performance that echoes what was said. "We really bring the customer into the creative life of the theatre"Véronique Sternberg.
Revising the classics
Workshops can also be organised by recognised theatre schools, such as Le Soleil or Rue Blanche. So the groups don't work on a play related to the life of their company, but rather on the great classics of the Comédie française. "From the outset, they share aesthetic emotions, discover what is beautiful and ultimately take ownership of a world that is totally unknown to most of them."Véronique Sternberg continues. By working on great texts, the participants feel a certain pride and, above all, discover their own potential. And that's all positive spin-offs for the organising company! Thanks to this experience, most of them also enjoy going to the theatre again.
In another field, this is more or less what happens to the privileged few who take part in one of the Dîners insolites du patrimoine (unusual heritage dinners). Once a year, a large number of dinners are held in partnership with the Fondation du patrimoine, with the aim of helping to safeguard the vernacular heritage of the Grand Est region (Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté). In all, 120 events are organised as follows: a guided tour of a listed site, an aperitif, a gastronomic dinner consisting of five courses concocted by a renowned chef and served in a space decorated by emblematic tableware companies. All of this in a musical atmosphere, with the added bonus of discovering the work of a painter, graphic artist or photographer. These exceptional evenings, which are open to everyone and of course to companies looking for an opportunity to communicate, must be booked in advance.
Of course, the culmination of all these corporate actions steeped in culture leads to sponsorship. According to a study carried out in February 2014 by CSA and published by Admical, "According to the sponsors themselves, corporate philanthropy offers an original way of embodying an identity, developing relationships with local players and mobilising employees. In the case of local philanthropy, which is often implemented by SMEs and VSEs, budgets are mainly allocated to the social, health and cultural sectors. Cultural and environmental philanthropy is mainly carried out by medium-sized and large companies.". It appears that 79 % of corporate sponsors, including 82 % of SMEs, support organisations operating at local level. For their part, large companies sponsor between 11 and 50 projects a year, with the average budget per project exceeding €10,000. Through these initiatives, corporate sponsors aim to unite their employees, give meaning to their work and build relationships with local players and stakeholders in their business.
Émilie Dumarest notes that corporate philanthropy is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the cultural field. She cites the example of one of her clients, the Vinci group, which took part in the renovation of the Hall of Mirrors at the Château de Versailles. Throughout the works, the company invited its employees to visit the site. The initiative was a great success, giving them a real sense of pride in belonging to a company that supports such a prestigious site. Once the renovation was complete, many of them spontaneously returned to the Château de Versailles. An attitude that confirms Émile Henriot's thoughts: "culture is what remains in man when he has forgotten everything". Obvious reason for a company to associate its name with all this.
The major exhibitions and events in Paris in 2015-2016
> The keys to a passion
Until 6 July 2015, Fondation Louis Vuitton.
> Velázquez and the triumph of Spanish painting
Until 13 July 2015, Grand Palais.
> The Tudors
Until 19 July 2015, Musée du Luxembourg.
> Jean-Paul Gautier, from the street to the stars
Until 3 August 2015, Grand Palais.
> Dolce Vita ? Italian decorative art 1900- 1940,
until 13 September 2015, at the Musée d'Orsay.
> Edith Piaf
until 23 August 2015, BnF Mitterrand.
> Osiris, the sunken mysteries of Egypt
from 8 September 2015 to 31 January 2016, Institut du Monde Arabe.
> The splendour of portraiture at the Medici court,
from 11 September 2015 to 25 January 2016, Musée Jacquemart André.
> Andy Warhol: Shadows
2 October 2015 to 7 February 2016, Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de Paris.
> Opening of the Musée de l'Homme on 17 October 2015.
> From Utrillo to Picasso
October 2015 to mid-2016, Musée de Montmartre.
> Martin Scorsese,
from 7 October 2015 to 24 January 2016, Cinémathèque française.
> Picasso and contemporary art
From 7 October 2015 to 29 February 2016, Grand Palais.
> Fragonard in love
from October 2015 to January 2016, Musée du Luxembourg.
> Who's afraid of women photographers (1839-1945),
from 13 October 2015 to 24 January 2016, Musée d'Orsay.
> 42nd FIAC
from 22 to 25 October 2015, Grand Palais.
> Chagall and music
October 2015 to January 2016, Philharmonie de Paris.
> The King is dead
from 26 October 2015 to 21 February 2016, Château de Versailles.
> 7th Monumenta: Huang Yong Ping (China),
in May-June 2016, Grand Palais.
> Vermeer,
Spring 2017, Musée du Louvre.
In the regions...
> American icons: masterpieces from the San Francisco Moma and the great Fisher collection, from 11 July to 18 October 2015 at the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence.
> Leiris & Co, Picasso, Masson, Miro, Giacometti, Lam, Bacon... until 14 September 2015 at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Metz.
> Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael: the giants of the Renaissance, until 3 January 2016 at the Carrières de Lumière in Les Baux-de-Provence.
> Joie de Vivre, 26 September 2015 to 29 February 2016, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille.
