After paying tribute to the famous presenter of the Thalassa show, Georges Pernoud, for renaming its renovated conference center last year, La Rochelle Tourism & Events honors another figure to symbolize the evolution of its MICE offering: Marie-Josèphe Guillou. A local personality who has dedicated her entire life – and her life’s work – to the business of the tide. In particular, at Encan, this historic building that served as a fishing port for 50 years and that, since the late 1990s, has converted to hosting events with 4,600 m² of exhibition space, its 782-seat auditorium and nine meeting rooms.
Undergoing modernization, the Espace Encan has acquired a new space along the extension of the Grande Halle, on the quay facing the Chalutiers basin, following nine months of work costing 4.5 million euros, financed by the La Rochelle Agglomeration Community. Previously little used, the 1,650 m² Halle Marie-Josèphe Guillou can now host events ranging from 100 to more than 1,600 participants, such as trade shows, congresses, conventions, or exhibitions.
Among the developments, the venue saw the creation of a 65 m² reception hall with a dedicated entrance, the provision of a retractable tribune with 219 seats, a catering office, and new restrooms.« This reopening marks an important step in the evolution of the Encan Space, which now offers a more flexible space better suited to the expectations of organizers. »", emphasizes Stéphane Villain, President of La Rochelle Tourism & Events.
To strengthen the city’s appeal in the events and business tourism market, the inauguration of the Halle Marie-Josèphe Guillou is part of a broader project; the Espace Encan will see its Grande Halle close in October, which offered 2,900 m² of exhibition space on one level, to launch a phase of work that should lead to reopening in June 2027. With a new name?
