Incentives and meetings

Amélie Déchénais, Director of the Bordeaux Convention Bureau, looks back over the past few months and presents the strengths of Bordeaux as a destination that is increasingly committed to eco-responsibility.

While La Rochelle, like many other destinations, is experiencing a wave of event cancellations this January, the MICE destination is highlighting its proximity and eco-responsible approach to attract organisers.

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, the French Minister for Tourism and SMEs, announced on RMC that trade fairs and exhibitions, which are not static gatherings, would not be subject to the capacity limits set by the government for events.

UNIMEV takes a very negative view of the restoration of gauges in the events sector and calls on the government to take new measures to support the sector.

Cancellations, requests for postponements, the switch to digital: the end of the year looks bleak for those involved in corporate events. And the start of next year is still up in the air, putting the brakes on the momentum of recent months.

Mubarak Al Shamisi, Director of the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, takes stock of the MICE situation in Abu Dhabi. And he is ambitious about the role Abu Dhabi should play in the new geopolitics of meetings and events.

An economy focused on sustainable solutions, an international crossroads for innovation, easily accessible players: organising a corporate event in Luxembourg guarantees its impact.

Héliéna Brégand, head of 4EVENT at Provence Côte d'Azur Events, talks about the ambitions of the TravelCampSud Challenge and the region's plans for innovation in the events sector over the coming months.

High-performance research centres, communication networks at the cutting edge of innovation, forward-looking companies: Luxembourg is focusing its strategy on digital technology. An R&D spirit that infuses the corporate meetings organised in the country.

French Event Booster is heading towards 2022 with a host of projects designed to breathe new life into the events industry and help shape its future with start-ups and major players in the sector and beyond. Jeanne Choffé, Head of the Accelerator, gives us an overview.

Work has just begun on the Wisconsin Center as part of an expansion plan that will double the size of the Milwaukee convention centre.

The cities of Strasbourg, Mulhouse and Colmar have come together in this structure to promote business tourism, and are banking on their strengths and innovations to revive this activity at a time when companies are increasing the number of events they organise to forge links with their employees and experiment with new hybrid meeting formats.

With its first-rate infrastructure, the Valencia region is particularly well-suited to French organisers. From Valencia to Elche, via Alicante and Benidorm, the destination stands out for MICE operations that combine authenticity, modernity and proximity. Juan Antonio Muñoz Ferrando, Director of Promotion at Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, takes a closer look.

The "2022 Global Meetings and Events Forecast" report published on Tuesday by American Express Meetings & Events forecasts a return to pre-pandemic levels in one to two years' time. But the optimism of professionals varies from region to region...

In Cannes, another flagship destination on the Côte d'Azur, MICE-related investment focused mainly on renovating the Marriott hotel and the Palais des Festivals.

The new Nice Exhibition and Convention Centre project is taking shape on the MIN site. Confirming the westward thrust of Nice's urban fabric, and incorporating the new post-crisis challenges...

It's not easy to compete with neighbours with such prestigious reputations as Nice and Cannes. But Mandelieu-la-Napoule has opted for a different positioning, with green events, while at the same time improving its hotel offer for conference-goers.

Over time, the hype surrounding the hybrid or even 100% digital event - and the investment that goes with it - has not gone down well with everyone. On the Côte d'Azur, not all MICE players are convinced that the concept is sustainable. Nor its business model.

Already one of France's leading destinations in the MICE market, the Côte d'Azur is investing to extend its aura even further. Nice is playing a key role in this process, with an increasing number of investments being made in the congress and hotel sectors, as part of a vast metamorphosis of the city.

Know-how and know-how, a culture of innovation and benevolence, technological expertise and ecological commitment: François Lafont, CEO of Business Events Luxembourg, explains what underpins the many assets of Luxembourg as a destination.