MICE

The year 2025 is undoubtedly a very special one for UFI: the global association of the exhibition industry is celebrating its centenary. And what better way to start this anniversary than with a growth outlook? The global barometer published by UFI on 11 February forecasts an overall increase in revenues of...

A major reopening in Berlin and a new hotel in the Paris region: this February offers the Radisson group the opportunity to offer business travellers two addresses that are ideal for business trips and corporate events. Easily accessible from the centre of Paris as well as from La Défense, the Relais de la Malmaison has just entered the Radisson...

The major international groups do not have a monopoly on business customers. The results presented by two leading representatives of the independent French hotel industry bear this out. Logis Hotels has outstripped Accor in terms of the number of establishments in France - almost 2,000 in total - and has recorded very significant growth in its revenue...

On October 27, easyJet opened a route between Paris-CDG and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, giving passengers the chance to (re)discover this city of 280,000 inhabitants in the North-East of England, situated on the border with Scotland. A destination steeped in history, thanks to its strategic position, and one that is a pleasure to tell business groups visiting one of the world's most...

"The year of the Meetings Maximizer. The Hilton Group predicts another productive year for meetings and corporate events in its latest report on travel trends in 2025. This prediction was made at the same time as the publication of the study "World's Most Welcoming Events". Conducted in partnership with Jason Dorsey, President of the Center...

Business travellers on the recently taken over Pakistan Airlines routes between Paris and Islamabad will find a new Mövenpick business hotel at their destination, the first opened by the Accor group in the Pakistani capital. Housed in one of the country's tallest towers, next to the Centaurus Mall shopping centre, the hotel boasts a prime location...

As 2024 draws to a close, the Vienna Tourist Board is particularly satisfied with the past year. The Austrian capital broke all visitor records, with 8.2 million arrivals and 18.9 million overnight stays. This represents an increase of 11% and 9% respectively. Undeniable proof of Vienna's appeal: last year, the airport...

"It's a major issue for all our customers". Julie Troussicot, Managing Director of AirPlus France, made this point in an interview last year: controlling the MICE budget is as much a complex issue as it is a desire on the part of companies. Suppliers of all kinds and multiple invoices, deposits to be paid on time - which does not always coincide with the...

The Olympic legacy. While Paris hopes to see its appeal boosted after last summer, Barcelona is still reaping the benefits of the dynamism generated in 1992 by hosting the Olympic Games. A key event for a city that has always been a magnet for major sporting events. Last October it hosted the most prestigious of all nautical competitions, the America's Cup, and every...

Within a few months of each other, two flagship hotels on the Monegasque coastline have seen their captains change faces within the Marriott group. Starting with Le Méridien Beach Plaza, which Vincent Clinckemaillié took the helm of in March 2023 with formidable energy. The hyperactive General Manager of this prestigious establishment wasted no time in putting his...

It is one of the leading trade events held in Monaco every year, and has been for almost four decades. Luxe Pack, the world's leading packaging show, attracted 10,300 visitors last October, including 52% international visitors from over 80 countries. This was an opportunity for us to talk to some of the participants about...

The Côte d'Azur has no shortage of prestigious names and renowned establishments, many of which play the MICE card in the sun. However, some names resonate more than others with event organisers. The Fairmont Monte Carlo is undeniably one of these. Its location is no stranger to this. Not only for fans...

Monaco is going into 2025 with its sights firmly set on maintaining its position as one of the world's leading MICE centres. And to gain even more ground on the international stage, the Principality has been making inroads on the Mediterranean with the inauguration of Mareterra in December. This new district is defined as an extension of the Monegasque coastline from the Grimaldi Forum...

Hilton is strengthening its offering in Lyon with the announced arrival of four new hotels under a franchise agreement with Lyon-based Arteloge Hôtels & Restaurants, owner of one of Lyon's iconic five-star hotels, the Villa Florentine. This partnership will see the launch in France of one of Hilton's latest brands, Spark, which is positioned in the...

Hidden among the pine trees on a beach stretching 9km between Pornichet and Le Pouliguen, the resort of La Baule-Escoublac has flourished since the 19th century thanks to seaside tourism. The Barrière group has played a major role in this success, owning a beach facing the Atlantic Ocean and one of the most beautiful...

After three years of renovation work, Finlandia Hall celebrated its reopening on 4 January in Helsinki city centre. The building, designed by architect Alvar Aalto and inaugurated in the early 1970s, has undergone a complete makeover. The aim of the renovation plan is to double visitor numbers, which until now have hovered around...

Châteauform' will get off to a good start in 2025 with the start of operations in January at 3 Mazarium, the Institut de France's events venue. What prospects does this award offer you? Benjamin Abittan - We have a lot of faith in it. It's a venue with the kind of character we like at Châteauform', even more steeped in history than usual. If we have...

How would you sum up 2024 in the MICE sector? Véronique Holveck - On a global level, if we look at the latest quarterly consolidation of MPI's "Meetings Outlook" barometer, a large majority of our 15,000 members worldwide (70%) tell us that there is a feeling of stability in terms of the number of meetings...

New York's appeal as a tourist destination is well established, as is its key role in the business world. Has the sector fully recovered from the pandemic? Nancy Mammana - Not yet at 100%. In 2024, New York welcomed 64.3 million tourists, or 97% of the record number reached in 2019....

"Que c'est triste Venise", sang Charles Aznavour. If the singer saw it as a sign of romance, his song is more topical than ever. It's the fault of over-tourism, which the authorities are now trying to curb... and which is denaturing many destinations. In the wake of Covid, the 'wanderlust' has revived tourism in a more...