![\"PARIS](\"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/PV-AERIEN-Viparis.jpg\" "\\"PARIS")
<\/a>The sector therefore remains one of the strong points of Paris tourism, with economic spin-offs for the city and its region estimated at \u20ac1.19 billion in 2015, an increase of +7.5 %. This windfall is not about to dry up, especially as \"the attacks did not affect contract signatures<\/em>It's a great time to be in Paris,\" says C\u00e9cile Mairaville, Convention Director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau (OTCP). Among the highlights, the Professional Lighting Design Association will be meeting in Paris in October 2017 - with 1,700 registered participants - and in September 2018 the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology) congress will be held, bringing together nearly 8,000 people. \"Of course, after the events, we received calls from international clients asking about the security measures in place... For some bids, we offer organisers a visit to our security centre to reassure them. But Paris is still the stuff of dreams, and the conference market is doing well.<\/em>\". A trend confirmed by Pablo Nakhle-Cerruti, Deputy Director of Viparis. \"We haven't felt any impact on the holding of events. In terms of security, we are in constant contact with the government and the Prefecture de Police, especially when it comes to large-scale events.<\/p>\n Additional measures have also been introduced at all Viparis group sites (Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Le Bourget, Paris Nord Villepinte, Espace Champeret, Palais des congr\u00e8s d'Issy, Carrousel du Louvre, Espace Grande Arche and H\u00f4tel Salomon de Rothschild). These measures include the opening of entrances only where necessary to properly welcome participants, tighter vehicle controls - traffic on the sites is strictly reserved for authorised vehicles - and compulsory metal-detector checks and body searches for pedestrians....<\/p>\n The Comexposium group, one of the world's leading event organisers, has also tightened security controls. From now on, all persons entering or leaving a site during the assembly and dismantling of an event must be accredited and have a photo badge. In addition, during the event, security officers are stationed at the entrances and inside the halls. Finally, everyone entering the event is systematically searched and bags, which must not exceed the size of hand luggage, are inspected. \"Our expertise enabled us to be hyper-reactive from the day after the attacks, as we had two major events scheduled<\/em>\"Comexposium organises over 170 events worldwide, including 87 in France. Its track record includes events such as the Salon de l'Agriculture, Sial (the international food fair), the Paris Fair and the World Tourism Fair.<\/p>\n Despite the gloom and doom of world geopolitics and the gloom of the economy, there is no let-up in the dynamism of the French capital. Especially since April 2018 will see the opening of Europe's largest convention centre, the Paris Convention Center, the future new convention centre at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre. \"This is the tool Paris has been missing for hosting large-scale conferences! It will feature a 5,200-seat plenary hall, around fifty meeting rooms and 50,000 m2 of exhibition space. This centre meets the expectations of organisers, i.e. to have a single site for meetings and exhibitions, as well as catering and accommodation for participants. As such, the Paris Convention Center is a 20-minute walk from nearly 12,000 rooms.<\/em>\"says Pablo Nakhle-Cerruti. The European Association for the Study of the Liver will have the honour of inaugurating the venue, bringing together 11,000 hepatologists and medical professionals from all over the world for five days. Then, in June of the same year, it will be the turn of the annual meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).<\/p>\n In the same way as Porte de Versailles, the Paris region's theme parks are also playing the all-in-one card, particularly Disneyland Resort Paris, which is currently the largest convention centre in Europe, with two centres offering 19,300 m2 of modular space, 95 meeting rooms for 10 to 4,000 people, a 570-seat amphitheatre, 8,200 rooms, 58 restaurants and, of course, two theme parks! In the same vein, Parc Ast\u00e9rix also offers a great range of facilities, with a modular structure covering 2,100 m2, two amphitheatres seating 375 and 550, a restaurant with a capacity of 500 covers, an amusement park in the heart of nature that can be partially or fully privatised, plus a three-star hotel with 100 rooms and four meeting rooms.<\/p>\n Paris and the surrounding region already have a high-quality offer, but they have signed a charter with the various players in the sector - 17 hotel groups, the city of Paris, the CCIP, the OTCP and the UNIMEV - to be even more competitive and support the hosting of major conferences, those with a capacity of over 1,000 delegates. Aimed at event organisers, this document commits the signatory hotel groups to predictable rates and fixed conditions for the sale and release of rooms,<\/p>\n in addition to quality commitments. For its part, the City of Paris is offering organisers a personalised service, with welcome messages, the paving of certain avenues, etc. For their part, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the OTCP promise to ensure that the event runs smoothly, from the application phase right through to welcoming participants. The OTCP is also responsible for French and international bids, and supports associations at every stage of their congresses.<\/p>\n While Paris is working to further enhance its appeal, other French cities are also working hard to attract convention-goers. This is the case in Lyon, which has launched the Lyon Welcome Attitude, a service that mobilises all the city's energies. \"We support delegates from A to Z<\/em>says Val\u00e9rie Ducaud, Director of the Convention Bureau. For example, we place signage in the city in the colours of the event. A red carpet can be installed, leading from the train stop to the tram stop linking the congress centre. Welcome hostesses are also on hand to meet participants at the station or airport.<\/em>\"<\/p>\n Efforts to make the city of Lyon ever more attractive are bearing fruit. In 2015, the number of delegate days almost doubled compared to 2014. \"We have developed a whole range of services, particularly in the summer when we have more and more congresses, with shuttles in circulation, taxi ranks close to the event, discovery packs for the city...<\/em>\"says Val\u00e9rie Ducaud. At the end of 2017, the opening of the convention centre at the future Cit\u00e9 de la Gastronomie will help to boost Lyon's dynamism, as did the opening of the Mus\u00e9e des Confluences in 2014.<\/p>\n Lille is another example of this desire to develop a buoyant sector. Ranked eighth in France by the ICCA, the city has set up its own convention department, Lille's Convention Bureau. The Bureau is entirely at the disposal of meeting planners, offering them free help in organising their event and, above all, advice. In the case of a convention, the Bureau is responsible for putting together the bid, presenting it and supporting it. It's true that the city has some solid assets: an ideal geographical location, at the heart of Europe and just an hour from Paris by train, with good air, rail and road links, as well as 8,200 hotel rooms, 50 of which are within walking distance of the Palais des Congr\u00e8s. At the 2016 general meeting of the Nord France Convention Bureau, Luc Doublet, the chairman, pointed out that \"For just over five years, the team has been working to structure, federate and raise the profile of this congress and professional meeting sector, with the aim of establishing the Hauts-de-France region as a recognised destination for business tourism.<\/em>\". 80 % of the conferences held in the region are linked to its economic and scientific expertise and its competitiveness clusters.<\/p>\n The same is true of Bordeaux, which in September 2015 launched Bordeaux Events, a brand dedicated to its event-hosting activities. In doing so, the city is demonstrating its determination to position itself as a key conference destination. The launch was accompanied by the introduction of a new commercial offering, aggressive communication and a strengthening of the teams. Major projects such as the Matmut Atlantique stadium, the opening in 2017 of a high-speed rail link taking the city to within two hours of Paris, and the inauguration of the Cit\u00e9 du Vin have only served to increase the city's appeal. The result was an exceptional 2015, with 361 events and more than a million visitors, generating sales of over \u20ac29 million, up 6.2 % on 2014. Among the major events, the 22nd ITS World Congress brought together 13,000 participants from all over the world. Ranked fourth in France by the ICCA for hosting international congresses, Bordeaux plans to take another step forward thanks to the modernisation of the Bordeaux-Lac exhibition centre. The end of 2018 will see the opening of a new exhibition and conference hall with a capacity of up to 6,000 people.<\/p>\n This drive to attract business customers is not exclusive to major cities. In Poitiers, the Vienne tourism agency set up the Club Tourisme d'Affaires au Pays du Futuroscope in 2014. Its mission is to bring together players in the sector in order to increase the destination's visibility through a dedicated website and various communication initiatives. \"Companies rarely come to Poitiers for the Futuroscope, but for its central geographical location: Paris-Bordeaux axis and North-West-Brittany axis.<\/em>\"says Yann Decker, President of the Club. In Nantes, another destination in the Grand Ouest region, the La Cit\u00e9 convention centre has invested in new technologies: LED projectors, a new top-of-the-range sound system, and more.We regularly invest in modernising our equipment to remain competitive.<\/em>says \u00c9ric Montant, Development Director. For example, two years ago we redesigned our auditorium and this year we doubled our WiFi capacity... In addition, we are working with a design agency on everything to do with reception and the way we welcome our customers, with areas where they can relax and socialise...<\/em>\"Ideally located, just a stone's throw from the station, the convention centre can accommodate up to 4,000 people. Here too, partnerships have been forged with players in the sector to ensure that events are well catered for. The city also relies on its competitive clusters - veterinary, digital and sustainable development - to attract delegates.<\/p>\n The wind of business tourism is also blowing through the towns of the South of France. Avignon, for example, has completely renovated its Parc Expo, which now boasts 12 modular spaces on one level, including a 920-seat conference hall. Another example is Montpellier, where the CCI has joined the Convention Bureau set up by the Montpellier M\u00e9diterran\u00e9e M\u00e9tropole tourist office. This partnership has resulted in the launch of a new online tool - the \"Convention Bureau\". congres.montpellier.fr<\/a> - including a geolocation system dedicated to retailers and tourism professionals. This means that partners are aware of the calendar of events. This service is part of the Pack Accueil Congr\u00e8s concept launched three years ago, which involves a number of players including Montpellier airport, Air France and H\u00e9rault Tourisme. Jean-Marie Sevestre, senior vice-president in charge of urban tourism at the CCI, does not rule out \"in the medium term, offers will diversify with original packages such as 'dinner and a show<\/em>'...\"<\/p>\n With a view to attracting new congresses, Montpellier has gone one step further. In 2015, the city's tourist office joined forces with Toulouse's SO Toulouse Convention Bureau to develop synergies between neighbouring regions. Toulouse, for its part, stepped up its marketing initiatives, not only through partnerships, but also by strengthening its presence at trade events in France and abroad. In 2015, the So Toulouse Convention Bureau handled a total of 645 projects, including 221 conventions. What's more, it was the founding partner of a major event, the first French edition of the EmTech France conference, devoted to emerging technologies, which was held in December 2015. To bring this project to fruition, the convention bureau brought together a number of players, including the Midi-Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es region and Toulouse M\u00e9tropole, as well as companies such as EDF, Orange, V\u00e9olia and Airbus.<\/p>\n Similarly, medium-sized towns are increasingly relying on events to boost their economies. Opened in 2014 and offering 1,000 m2 of modular space and 10 meeting rooms seating 18 to 106 people, the Troyes Convention Centre is fully in line with the Aube department's overall development strategy, alongside research and higher education. A wood, glass and aluminium extension of the H\u00f4tel du D\u00e9partement, the centre has an 800-seat auditorium with ideal acoustics, as it is also home to the Aube Philharmonic Orchestra. Another little extra: free champagne for all events organised at the conference centre, as the Champagne cellars are partners of the venue. A prestigious selling point to round off any event in style.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a>
Disney Business Solutions, and a signature full of promise: \"turn your events into emotion\".<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>
ideally located in the heart of Europe, a key destination for conferences in France and beyond.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBoosting attractiveness<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a>High-tech investments<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Complimentary aperitif<\/h3>\n
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