La Burgundy-Franche Comté occupies a prime position in terms of business tourism in France. This success is based on its accessibility, state-of-the-art meetings and congress The Burgundy region has a wealth of attractions to offer, including modern facilities, historical and cultural sites, undeniable hospitality, not to mention outstanding wine-growing areas and renowned gastronomy. However, because of their long experience of the MICE market, there are more Burgundy professionals than their neighbours from the Franche-Comté region among the hundred or so members of the club Seminars & EventsThese partners are presented on a dedicated website. Presented on a dedicated website, these accredited partners are just as dynamic in Franche-Comté as those met by Voyages d'Affaires at the end of 2022.
Events in lion country
2h20 from Paris by TGV (1h30 from Strasbourg and 45 minutes fromBasel-Mulhouse airport), Belfort is the capital of the eponymous Territoire, France's smallest department, which celebrated its centenary in 2022 with great pomp. Symbolised by its Bartholdi Lion standing proudly at the foot of the Vauban citadel, the town is well-equipped for business tourism to meet the demand from its industrial area, the birthplace of Alstom, at the forefront of innovation in new sectors such as hydrogen. There are more than 1,800 hotel beds (including 200 4-star rooms), theAtraxiona 3,200 m² exhibition centre, and the Atria which combines a 79-room, 4-star Novotel hotel and a 3,500 m² conference centre in a single contemporary building. This is where the next Forum Hydrogène will be held on 3 and 4 October. " With 350 4* rooms in Belfort, we obviously work for this type of congress in perfect harmony with other establishments such as the Mercure, the Brit Hotel, the Grand Hôtel du Tonneau d'Or and the Best Western Plus, as well as 3* establishments because Accor also manages the congress centre", says Vincent Guichard, manager of the Novotel Belfort Centre Atria.. "Inaugurated in 1995, but constantly upgraded to stay at the top of its game, this facility is characterised by its versatility, capable of hosting up to four or five events simultaneously on the same day." adds Lucas Nanino, the events manager. The modular facility can accommodate up to 14 rooms, including an auditorium (384 people), a 756 m² exhibition space (with 18 metre ceilings!), several foyers (for receptions of up to 1,500 people) and a vast terrace. A venue particularly well-suited to vehicle launches.
But another lion roared not far away. Sochauxat Peugeot Adventure Museum which traces the history of the brand created in 1810. More than 250 professional operations are held here every year, from cocktail parties in the midst of 130 vintage and historic vehicles (for up to 800 people), to dinners in the brasserie, on the mezzanine or in one of the museum's rooms (for up to 500 covers for all 3), to meetings in its many private rooms (from 8 people in a boardroom to 300 people in a plenary session). And to strengthen team cohesion during an original team-building event, you can discover this automotive heritage via a fun, one-hour exploration game devised by the events agency Daudey Organisation. Or opt for a discovery tour in the museum's cars from another age.
Combining work and pleasure in Besançon
A pioneer in its field, the Tourist Office of Besançon has a Convention Bureau in charge of the MICE business. It's true that the City of Art and History is not short of assets, accessible in 2 hours by TGV from Paris, Strasbourg and Lyon (1h30 from Lausanne). It highlights the beauty of its historic centre, its hotels (nearly 1,900 rooms) and its quality of life, with its beautiful natural surroundings. " Although we can welcome up to 2,200 people, Besançon mainly attracts events with between 50 and 400 participants, particularly medical and university conferences, stresses Pascal Schultz, Head of the Attractiveness and Radiation project at Greater Besançon.. Our largest hotel, the Ibis La City, has 119 rooms, so larger events have to be shared between several establishments." . Besançon boasts a number of 4-star hotels with seminar rooms, including the Victor Hugo and Spa (80 rooms) and the beautiful Château de la Dame blanche (35 rooms). Also worth mentioning is Le Sauvage, whose 24 rooms and suites have been stylishly converted in a former convent in the upper town. This boutique hotel, soon to be upgraded to 4*, offers a boardroom, a fully-equipped meeting room (40 people) and a winter garden for cocktails (70 people). Not to mention a renowned gourmet restaurant that young chef Hugo Mathieu is happy to reserve for companies (up to 60 covers). Still on the culinary front, in 2023 the Loiseau family will move into a listed historic building, formerly a watchmaking workshop and now a regional conservatory. A chic bistro, "Loiseau du temps", a nod to Besançon's nickname, the Cité du temps, will also have around sixty covers.
Events take to the skies at the Citadelle in Besançon
For major events, the spearhead remains Micropolis which is home to some 250 events per year, including, in March 2022, the FNSEA congress, which brought together 1,700 participants over 4 days. This palais des congrès-parc Expo has a 670-seat amphitheatre, 6 modular rooms (for up to 300 people) and 2,000 m² of exhibition space. Close to the station and the city centre, the very modern House of EconomyThe Saône-Doubs Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has three amphitheatres (seating 61 to 200 people), three meeting rooms (seating 15 to 165 people) and several halls for exhibitions, meals and cocktails. But to be original, the Vauban Citadel which towers over the town by more than 100 metres, is a must-see. Listed by theUnesco In 2008, the fortress made available its delicate Saint-Etienne chapel (100 people for meetings / 195 for cocktails), the Hangar aux Manœuvres, which will be renovated in 2024 (200 people), several rooms with different capacities (from 14 to 90 people) and its many terraces with views over the city. With the possibility of visiting the various museums of the site (the Musée Comtois, the Muséum and the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, which is currently being restructured), to organise activities there such as a escape game and a theatrical welcome by two actors in costume playing Vauban and the governor of this stronghold conquered by Louis XIV. However, there are other places in the city where you can play the originality card. The City of Arts designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to house the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (Frac). Located at the foot of the citadel, on the banks of the Doubs, this magnificent building rents out its hall (175 people for cocktails) and a conference room (80 people) to companies, with the option of including a guided tour of its art collections. Cultural visits can also be organised at Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology which has reopened its doors after four years of major renovation. This beautiful setting has been opened up to events by privatising its majestic reception hall.
Thinking about the future at the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans
The Franche-Comté region is also home to another masterpiece listed on the World Heritage List Unesco World Heritage the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans. Dedicated to salt production, this incredible factory built by architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux under the reign of Louis XVI now houses a 3-star hotel with 31 rooms (plus 97 beds in dormitories) and a conference centre. The Director's House, the central building recognisable by its high colonnade, and its semi-circular bernes house no fewer than ten rooms with capacities ranging from 6 to 500 seated people (1,000 for cocktails). " Situated at the crossroads between the Paris basin, the Lyon region and the eastern part of France, this unique venue welcomes in good years up to 300 eventswith the largest bringing together 700 to 900 participants, says Julie de Sloover, director of the Corporate Events and Breaks Division. Recording studios are scheduled for the 2nd quarter of 2023 to complete the technological offering." . Here too, groups can take advantage of the concerts and cultural exhibitions programmed by the Saltworks and, above all, use its 8-hectare park - part of which now forms the complete circle dreamed of by Ledoux - for team-building activities (land art, escape games, games on world heritage, etc.), hot-air balloon rides and participatory workshops such as the fascinating ones organised by Claire Perrot on the subject of taste and, of course, salt.
Yoan Jeudy Sosuite photographie
Team-building in the fresh air of the Vosges and Jura mountains
Territoire 100% nature, the Franche-Comté The Vosges region lends itself to team-building activities to discover its magnificent landscapes, whether it's an outing lasting a few hours or a trip lasting several days in the heart of the awe-inspiring Vosges or Jura mountains. The Otentik agency was set up in response to the post-Covid desire for nature, and offers activities in this region stretching right up to the Swiss border, and more specifically in the gentle Jura mountains. " The aim is to combine raising participants' ecological awareness with a presentation of the flora and fauna, an activity such as electric mountain biking, an outing on foot, cross-country skiing, snowshoes or dog sledding, canoeing or canyoning, and a meeting with local craftspeople or small producers in an inn or farm in the mountain pastures, explains its director Hervé Hanrio-Colin. Of course, this means adapting to the level of the group so that the activity remains a pleasure and having a plan B in case of bad weather." . For these reasons, the experience should not exceed a hundred participants, or even a dozen for caving. Less sporty but just as convivial are the visits to regional gastronomic institutions, typical Jura wine cellars, breweries, cheese producers, etc. For example, the visit to the fort de Saint-AntoineA military complex built after the 1870 war near Malbuisson. Turned into a maturing cellar by the Marcel Petite cheese dairy in the late 1960s, more than 100,000 wheels of Comté cheese sleep for at least ten months in this maze of underground passages. It's a great opportunity to find out all you need to know about how Comté cheese is made and its PDO status, and to taste this firm cheese full of aromas. And to take home a few generous pieces as a souvenir of any Franc-Comtois event.
