A series of conferences dedicated to MICE, a major concert by the 1era Mahler's symphony and a Saturday opening to the public, that Strasbourg's Palais de la Musique et des Congrès (PMC) celebrated its 50th anniversary this weekend. Inaugurated in 1975 as the home of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra and a conference venue, the building has been renovated and extended twice, in 1989 and again in 2013-2016, to bring it up to date both inside and out, and to make it more versatile and adaptable. Now a key part of the Alsace capital's economic landscape, the facility has been managed since 2015 by Strasbourg Events, a semi-public company (Sem) bringing together the GL Events group, the Eurometropole and the city of Strasbourg, which produces events and hosts MICE operations, shows and concerts.
Strasbourg 5th conference city in France
With the exception of the areas given over to the philharmonic orchestra, Strasbourg Events rents out the foyers, an exhibition hall, ten meeting rooms and three amphitheatres named Erasme (1860 seats), Schweitzer (1248 seats) and Cassin (530). Some 240 events were held here last year (attracting 675,616 visitors), two-thirds of which were MICE events, including some fifty conferences. Between 2019 and 2024, Strasbourg will have risen from 9th at 5th of conference cities in France in the CICA classification. " We have increased our activity by 30% since 2022, bearing in mind that Strasbourg Events is also an event producer.says a delighted Christophe Caillaud-Joos, Managing Director. MICE accounts for half of these, ranging from small corporate events to congresses with 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 participants. Above all, 35% of these congresses are international, helping to raise the profile of the region and generating significant economic spin-offs, estimated at €192m in 2024. ". In fact, a foreign delegate spends around €1,200 for their entire stay, including accommodation, compared with €440 for a French visitor. " We account for more than 122,000 overnight stays in Strasbourg, and business tourism accounts for 60 or even 70 % of the city's hotel activity. "he adds.
Complementing the Parc Expo
As part of its offer, Strasbourg Events will benefit from the complementary nature of the PMC and the new Parc des Expositions, which will open across the road in September 2022. The sleek new building by architect Kengo Kuma covers 24,000 m², with 4 halls, three of which are interconnected. " This project represented an investment of €120 million, in addition to the €80 million spent on renovating the PMC in 2013-2016. The management of these two facilities gives us a wide range of venues and possibilities, such as the European Fair, which attracts 135,000 visitors and covers 90,000 m2 including the Parc Expo forecourt "says Christophe Caillaud-Joos.
Conference bookings until 2028
As congresses are planned with a great deal of foresight, Strasbourg Events has escaped the current gloom. Several major congresses are already on the agenda for 2026 and beyond, including conferences on Polymer materials next year, and congresses for midwives, the ARS and chartered accountants, with 7,000 participants in 2027. The following year, Ramona Fischer, Strasbourg Events' Director of Marketing Strategy and Business Development, and Philippe Liverneaux, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, signed up to host the congress of the FESSH, the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand, which will bring together more than 2,000 professionals. " This is the 3th time it will be held in France and the 1stera time in the provinces. It's a great success, because this conference won't be returning to France for another fifteen years. "Professor Philippe Liverneaux is delighted. This success is the result of the close collaboration between Strasbourg Events and the local university to attract conferences and congresses in the 7 areas of excellence defined by the Eurometropole, including health, medical technologies, mobility, the circular and solidarity economy, etc.
CSR as the DNA of MICE operations
To stand out from the crowd in an ultra-competitive international conference market, the PMC is first and foremost "Made in Alsace", a guarantee of seriousness and excellence according to its teams. The city's history, beauty, European culture and central location at the heart of the Old Continent are also undeniable assets. Strasbourg is easily accessible, with a train journey of 1 hour 45 minutes from Paris-Est station. And, for foreign delegates, by plane to Paris-CDG, Frankfurt and Basel-Mulhouse airports. " The city also has 11,000 hotel rooms offering good value for money. "says Ramona Fischer.
The subject of social and environmental responsibility (SER) has not been forgotten. " Since Covid, CSR has become the backbone of every project. It's a real DNA and not just a green colouring. Strasbourg Events achieved its 3th a carbon balance marked by a further reduction in our emissions of 11% between 2002 and 2023 "she adds. In particular, Sem is committed to reducing energy consumption, designing stands in a more environmentally-friendly way, using less carpet and recycling it, managing waste and combating food waste. " Thanks to these assets, our strategy of working together and our dynamism, our ambition today is to attract larger conferences and events with high added value. Each conference must leave a positive mark, a legacy for the region. "concluded Christophe Caillaud-Joos when we met on Friday.
