France Meetings

The MICE sector – like so many other business sectors – has begun its transformation to embrace artificial intelligence. And, as is often the case, Kactus intends to be at the forefront of this change. The French specialist becomes the first European MICE player to be integrated into the OpenAI ecosystem, as announced on July 7th. In concrete terms, users…

There have been many upheavals in the events market, and more specifically in team building, notably with the rise of platforms that directly connect clients and service providers. These marketplaces list a large number of activities under the label…

The election of Eric Ciotti as mayor of Nice and its Métropole has led to a re-examination of the city's business tourism projects, with some of the former mayor Christian Estrosi's projects not favoured by his successor. However, the mayor has ultimately decided to approve the one aiming to create a large MICE hub on...

The renovation of the Grand Hôtel Roi René has just been completed. What was the philosophy that guided this project? Elisabeth Mendes - The idea was to restore the nobility to this iconic place. To respect the hotel's architecture, and above all, to showcase Provence. The fresco at the entrance, the crown of King René, the fountains…

What message have you brought to Paris with you? What would you like participants to take away from the Var in terms of business tourism? Guillaume Decard - We are offering an additional service, business tourism, in addition to what we can propose in the Var: agrotourism, outdoor activities, tourism of...

In Nantes, the MICE sector is undergoing a metamorphosis. The Cité des Congrès has embarked on a renovation plan, with two watchwords: performance and sustainability. Among the main innovations for event organisers to look forward to are a completely renovated Grand Auditorium, as well as a new opening onto a garden, allowing for the extension of events outdoors. The performances…

You recently communicated on a trend: historical sites being redeveloped to host corporate events. Is this really new? Laurent Gabard - No, not really. Personally, I used to work for an operator who, in Lyon with the Hôtel-Dieu, or in Marseille, would seek out iconic heritage sites to turn them into hotels, completely...

The MeM in Rennes is getting a new lease of life, and a new dimension. The events centre, which opened its doors in 2019, has moved a few hundred metres to the east, giving itself a more ambitious, more versatile configuration, inaugurated this week. The Magic Mirrors tent, star of the MeM, remains on the bill. But its...

"The most solid year in the city's history": that's an assessment that, as Toulouse Team celebrates its tenth anniversary, has every reason to be satisfied. If the results unveiled by the city's attraction agency are anything to go by, all the lights are green for the pink city, which has climbed to the top of the...

The way of kings. To make its entry into France, the Hyatt Centric brand has followed in the footsteps of Louis the Pious, Charles X, François I and Louis XIV, by coming to Reims to be crowned king. The embodiment of a relaxed, upmarket contemporary hotel experience, the American group's Hyatt Centric...

One year on from the acquisition of OfficeRiders, what are your thoughts? Nathanaël Mathieu - It took us a year to manage the merger of the two entities. We had to resolve a real question of identity - in terms of the teams and the technical side. The aim, when Worklib bought OfficeRiders, was to add an extra layer in terms of experience...

Despite an international profile that grows stronger every year - 20 countries on five continents - GL events has not forgotten its roots: Lyon. A destination whose appeal the events giant continues to nurture, as confirmed by the results of the past year. By 2025, the group's four Lyon-based venues - Eurexpo Lyon,...

The new FairScore Evenementiel has just been unveiled by Kactus and FairMoove Solutions. Its aim is to make responsible commitments more legible and comparable, based - loosely - on the Nutri-Score, which is already well known to the general public. The MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Convention, Events) sector has no shortage of tools, and in particular labels, to promote responsible...

A convention and exhibition centre in the city centre, just a few minutes by metro from the station, in a fast-growing destination - and next door to the Stade Vélodrome - the Parc Chanot has big ambitions for the MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Convention, Events) sector in France and far beyond. The arrival of a new...

Before going into detail, what is the background to today's announcement? Arnaud Katz - To understand this, we need to start from one premise: unlike business travel, prices and availability in the MICE sector are not fixed, determined in advance. They are not "off the shelf". Each event is unique: the date,...

How would you sum up the history of the Sofitel Paris Baltimore, and what makes it an atypical establishment on the Paris hotel scene? Franck Poncey - The Sofitel Paris-Baltimore is first and foremost a building with a real history, which we remind all our guests of. It was built in 1892 by the architect Paul Lorin,...

Just over two years after the first building was laid, the h2 conference centre was inaugurated with great fanfare on 6 December. Nearly 4,000 people flocked to the centre during the open afternoon, a sign of the public's interest in this new cultural and working facility. Why this name...

Follow in the footsteps of Albert Londres, Alfred Dreyfus, "Papillon", Ariane or even Asterix, the first satellite launched by the famous rocket... Wander through Cayenne or Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, discover the mangrove swamps, take a canoe trip along the border with Surinam, sleep in a hammock in a forest hut, literally touch history in the...

When did Ferme François come into being, and how did the project evolve towards business tourism? Jean-Hubert François - Ferme François has been in existence for 12 years, growing crops and raising livestock. The agritourism part was added four years ago. The aim is to welcome the public, in particular business customers such as works councils,...

"We never imagined we'd get so many business travellers": Clément Gohin, General Manager of Les Lumières à Versailles, is almost surprised by his hotel's appeal to corporate clients. In fact, as almost the closest neighbour to the Château, and rivalling the Palais des Congrès on the other side of the...