Starting with a reminder of the objectives assigned to this new entity, which was created by the merger of the activities of Unibail-Rodamco and the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), and which now presides over the destiny of the ten main convention-exhibition centres in the Ile-de-France region: "To strengthen Paris's position in the convention and exhibition market" and to give a single face to "a sector that is now worth €4 billion".
Synergy effect
The first positive observation is that the synergy is working. "We have made significant progress in coordinating schedules and investments for our various centres", observes Pierre Simon, Chairman of the CCIP. The relationship with customers and the use of new technologies have also improved, but the creation of a single point of contact has above all streamlined lobbying of public authorities. "The work of raising awareness is bearing fruit", noted all the participants, who nonetheless regretted that France, "like Germany", does not have institutional mechanisms that can come to the aid of trade shows experiencing temporary difficulties in difficult times. During the conference, other shortcomings were noted in the Parisian offer. Regretting the absence of a "major centre", the CCIP insisted on the need to "expand one of the parks to 300,000 m2, as is the case in Frankfurt and Milan". The inauguration of Hall 7 at Villepinte, scheduled for autumn 2010, should go some way to making up for this lack of large spaces.
Another concern is access. "In a world where participation in a trade show is decided by the number of contacts made, transport problems are a major handicap, and Paris risks being sidelined in relation to competing shows deemed to be more productive", warns Renaud Hamaide, Managing Director of Viparis. Despite the arrival of the tramway at Porte de Versailles at the end of 2009, there is no doubt that transport will remain a key issue for Viparis in the years to come.
