Incentives and meetings

With no clear sign of an upturn in business, an unprecedented fall in sales and health measures, Philippe Augier, President of France Congrès and also Mayor of Deauville and President of the Centre International de Deauville, paints a picture that is still very hazy for the events industry in 2021.

Open letter to the President of the Republic, manifesto: representatives of the events industry are highlighting the economic importance of the sector and pleading for its survival.

Playing the domestic tourism card, the French regions are mobilising to welcome MICE groups. This is an opportunity for many of them to make the most of it.

Lionel Malard, consultant and founder of the Arthémuse consultancy, believes that "we need to reinvent events and be inventive", while at the same time "humanising and 'event-ising' digital". Read more.

Cancellations or postponements, resumption in the first or second half of 2021, hybrid or local events: a study by Atout France and EY shows the impact of the pandemic on key markets for the French events sector.

A volcanic rock lost in the Atlantic, flowers galore, a primary forest listed as a World Heritage Site, small ports, an endearing capital and a touch of the vague à l'âme. A tropical destination, but intra-European, so in tune with the times, Madeira derives most of its income from tourism, and not for nothing.

Hotels, restaurants, accessibility from the main French airports: practical information you need to know about business tourism in Madeira.

In response to the need for events organisers to go digital, Châteauform' is inaugurating three new recording studios in Paris.

Mountains, seaside resorts, activities to keep you busy, culture, history, heritage, exceptional gastronomy and wonderful wines. In short, Corsica is an ideal destination for a successful corporate tourism holiday.

In response to changing demand, Bird Office is rethinking its positioning, targeting coworking and other third-party premises more specifically, to offer companies an alternative to the home office.

Faced with a spate of event cancellations, Bordeaux is supporting the organisation of professional events by providing reassurance to organisers.

The Grand Quartier is adapting its hotel, meeting and coworking facilities to meet changing demand.

Futuroscope has unveiled an ambitious development plan for the period up to 2025, including themed hotels and an arena for concerts and seminars.

In response to the flood of cancellations in the corporate events sector, Coach Omnium has published a study estimating the economic impact of the health crisis on convention centres and exhibition centres in the French market.

A ban on trade fairs in Paris, a spate of cancellations, the survival of the events industry, hybrid events: Pierre-Louis Roucaries, Deputy Chairman of UNIMEV and Managing Director of the Mandelieu-La Napoule Convention and Visitors Bureau, talks about the extremely difficult situation facing his sector.

After some difficult times, cruises are slowly returning to the sea with reinforced health protocols.

Nick Dugdale-Moore, Regional Manager Europe for UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, looks at the impact of the crisis on professional events, the trend towards hybrid events and the future of meetings & events.

Entry restrictions in some countries, compulsory quarantines in others: for a few more months, international tourism will be under observation by governments and businesses alike.

Having been deprived of visitors for many months, convention centres have identified "phygital" - a neologism that emphasises the combination of the physical and the digital - as the alternative solution for revitalising the business while complying with health regulations.

With nearly 25,000 MICE events and spending approaching two billion euros in 2019, the conference and events industry in Poland is a major economic sector. However, according to Pawel Rozen, Director of MICE for the Warsaw Tourism Organisation, there is little chance of a solid recovery in the sector before 2022, the most optimistic scenario.