HQ Supplement - France by Meeting Media Company BVBA

headquarters Published by Meeting Media Company (Europe) www.headquartersmagazine.com - press@headquartersmagazine.com

Destination Report France is a special edition of Headquarters Magazine May 2013

FRANCEVENTS

THINK TO HOST YOUR MAJOR

> France

Creative, energetic, cosmopolitan: who would have thought Nantes had it all? At the crossroads between the Loire Valley, Brittany and Atlantic Ocean, this port city is definitely open to the world.

Lille

Rising like a phoenix from its industrial ashes, the friendly Lille Region has almost been turned upside down in recent years… and for the better! Boasting both a big heart and big facilities, it’s a destination you will return to again and again.

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Nantes

Paris 17

THE 18 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE CLUSTERS IN FRANCE TONS RECOMMANDÉS (4)

MINEFI MIN_11_0000_RdVFrance_Q Date le 22/06/2011

A NOUS RETOURNER SIGNÉE AVEC VOTRE ACCORD OU VOS CORRECTIONS

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CONSULTANT CLIENT + QUALITÉ*

1. Aerospace Valley (aeronautics, space and embedded systems - Toulouse) 2. Alsace BioValley (health and life sciences - Strasbourg) 3. Axelera (chemistry and the environment - Lyon) 4. Cap Digital Paris Région (digital content - Paris) 5. EAU (Ecotechnologies - Montpellier) 6. Finance innovation (finance - Paris) 7. Images et réseaux (information technologies, telecommunications and multimedia - Lannion) 8. Industries et Agro-ressources (biorefinery - Laon) 9. I-Trans (transport - Lille) 10. Lyonbiopôle (health: infectious diseases - Lyon) 11. Medicen Paris Région (health and new treatments - Paris) 12. Minalogic (nanotechnologies - Grenoble) 13. Mov’éo (private cars and public transport - Rouen) 14. Pôle mer Bretagne (activities linked to the sea - Brest) 15. Pôle mer PACA (security and sustainable development in the Mediterranean - Toulon) 16. Solutions Communicantes Sécurisées (ICT - Nice - Sophia Antipolis) 17. System@tic Paris Région (digital systems - Paris) 18. Végépolys (plant specialists - Angers)

CARRÉ NOIR - 82, bd des Batignolles - 75017 Paris - FRANCE / Tél. : +33 (0)1 53 42 35 35 / Fax : +33 (0)1 42 94 06 78 / Web : www.carrenoir.com

At the heart of the Basque Country, aBiarritz is a hustling seaside destin year all s event with ing bustl tion, rounds. Known as Europe’s surfing capital, it’s the perfect blend of French art of living, Basque culture and Spanish influence.

Biarritz

Toulouse Montpellier 1

Toulouse is a visitors’ favourite. Both lively and laid-back, the so-called pink city is also young and hip, sunbaking in the south west of France, where things are happening.

Boasting one of the most pedestrian friendly centres in France, Montpellier, equally innovative, fast-growing and self-confident, basks in the sun of the gorgeous southern coast, where there is always something going on.

> France

Foreword

A Word by Christian Mantei, CEO of Atout France

How to present a city that needs no introduction? With numerous monuments, drop dead gorgeous sites and a unique atmosphere, Paris has been an unmissable destination since as long as we can remember.

Strasbourg 2

12 3

Lyon

With its fascinating combination of German culture and Roman character, Strasbourg, the other European capital, has a special sense of identity, at once mesmerisingly Middle Ages and very modern.

Nicknamed the City of Light, Lyon is a refreshing riverside style capital both spacious and attractive. Its intensely visible legacy of culture, heritage, style and, above all, gastronomy, makes it truly one-of-a-kind.

Dear Congress Planners, This supplement is the opportunity to show you what France has to offer to organise your conferences and conventions. Already top tourist destination in the world, France is rated 5th in the most recent ICCA ratings (International Congress and Convention Association), hosting 400 internaChristian Mantei tional conferences and conventions every year according to ICCA’s statistics.

In France, more than 239,000 researchers and 71 business clusters, including 18 international ones, are working to stimulate innovation and research and promote the development of collaborative projects. In this supplement, we have chosen to showcase 5 of these sectors of Excellence that truly abound with substantial skills and resources helping you to make your congresses a success. During the organisation of your events, this expertise will prove to be a real asset, complemented as it is by France’s ability to organise major events, to invest constantly in infrastructure and to share its way of life. Benefit from our know-how and make your conference or convention a high point in the life of your organisation.

Monaco 15 Nice Marseille 16

We hope to see you very soon in France, A surprisingl y affordable and dynamic plac e, Monaco pl easantly mixes busin ess with plea sure. Its Mediterrane an climate, w alking distance destin ation, easy ac cessibility and, in the en d, utter beau ty, make it a destinatio n of choice.

Christian Mantei, CEO of Atout France

Contents

gnificent natural A magical and ma fascinating history. site. 2600 years of mic city. Quick and na dy d an rn de mo A , the jewel of the ille rse Ma . ess easy acc 2013 European the d an Mediterranean wed with do en is Capital of Culture, qualities. rist tou l na tio ep exc

Dynamic, creative cosmopolitan, young, Nice is bubbling with features worthy of Europe’s greatest capitals. Innovation is everywhere. It’s a city on the move, constantly growing and evolving, always excelling...

Healthcare Sciences Green clusters Mobility New technologies/communication Culture Art de vivre Infrastructure Case Study

4 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 3

> Healthcare

Competitive clusters in France Healthcare in the first row In the past years, France has been strengthening the key elements of its competitiveness including the innovation capacity of companies. To develop this, beginning 2005, 71 dedicated innovative clusters have been created by companies in all the French economic areas of excellence. With the most generous research and development tax credit in Europe, added to the opportunities provided by the clusters and the financing allotted to them, France is an extremely attractive country for companies who wish to develop R&D projects.

A competitiveness clusters is an initiative that brings together companies, research centres and educational institutions in order to develop synergies and cooperative efforts. Other cluster partners may include local and national authorities and services catering to cluster members. Competitiveness clusters have been created to increase the competitiveness between companies and develop employment among expanding markets. They use synergies and innovative joint projects to give their member companies a chance to be national and international leaders in their fields.

as well as the high-tech medical and research equipment dedicated to health innovation, clusters dedicated to healthcare in France are considered of paramount importance.

Considering the amount of companies, the research potential, the scientific excellence

With Lyonbiopôle for instance, a world competitive cluster dedicated to the fight

Thanks to its strong tradition in medicine and biology, Lyon has been contributing to the world’s healthcare heritage for centuries, with pioneers such as Marcel Mérieux, a brilliant student of Pasteur. The Lyon region is today one of the very few regions in the world that can combine excellence in fields such as medicine, pharmaceuticals and biology.

Nantes

against infectious diseases, Lyon, together with Grenoble, is a world centre of excellence in diagnostics and vaccines. Designed as a ‘factory’ for developing multi-partner R&D projects, Lyonbiopôle is an interface between the industrial and academic research spheres, helping to bring them closer together. With 27,000 new cases of cancer treated every year, the Rhône-Alpes region is France’s second-largest cancer research hub with more than 1,700 scien tists and the presence of Cancéropôle Lyon Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (CLARA) in Lyon. This cancer research cluster aims to drive the emergence of innovative research projects and the transfer of the results of this research to industry, for the benefit of patients. Last but not least, the region is one of the few in Europe to cover all of the fields in the neurosciences and cognitive sciences, with an outstanding neuro-imaging potential for research or clinical applications in humans or animals. The Pierre Wertheimer Neurological and Neurosurgery Hospital in Lyon publishes research on neurological diseases.

> Healthcare

Focus Cardiostim, Nice Acropolis Convention Centre As a worldwide scientific congress in the field of electrophysiology and cardiac techniques, Cardiostim gathers more than 5,000 attendees. Held every two years at Nice Acropolis Convention Centre, Cardiostim allows the delegates to find concrete answers for their practices through a quality program. Laurence Gaborieau, Director, Healthcare Division, Reed Exhibitions, explains why Nice and Nice Acropolis are such satisfying destinations.

Laurence Gaborieau

‘The founding father of Cardiostim, Jacques Mujica, has always had a soft spot for the city of Nice. Then the delegates, and mostly the Americans, grew fond of the destination, ideally located on the French Riviera. In time, we have come to fully appreciate the working relationship with all the people in Nice. Recently refurbished, Nice Acropolis, whose teams are highly professional, is the ideal venue for a congress like ours: the exhibition space is so well placed that delegates can’t avoid going through it, the exhibitors have really pride of place there.’

Le Corum, Montpellier

‘To me, Nice Acropolis Convention Centre really adds value to our event. We have had the same project manager for years: she knows our congress inside and out. This makes things easy. In terms of atmosphere, there’s also a certain je ne sais quoi in the venue itself that adds up to the ambience. That may explain the success of the congress - delegates have fallen in love with the destination and want to come back again and again!’

the total turnover generated by the industries present in Monaco, are also all pillars on which the city bases itself to attract medical events of all kinds. In addition, the Principality of Monaco is committed to a well-developed humanitarian action plan – many members of Monaco’s medical sector have a hands-on approach Lyon has a long tradition in medecine and biology which they can even show directly on the ground! Thanks to the prestigious healthcare sector and attractiveness of Monaco in general The healthcare cluster in Monaco is quite (the Principality is easily accessible and reknown, whether for its dedicated scien boasts infrastructures the most demandtists and researchers or its high-quality ing planners will be satisfied with), the equipment in many areas of endeavour city has been the destination of choice of the Monaco Cardio-Thoracic Center (CCM), many medical congresses for many years, which has just celebrated its 25 years, or the whether paramedical, pharmaceutical or Monaco Institute of Sports Medicine and cosmetics-related. All in all, the healthcare Surgery (IM2S) dedicated to surgical osteosector is the main source of revenue when articular treatments, are of international it comes to business tourism in Monaco. fame. The chemistry, pharmacology or cosmetics industries, representing one-third of

In Montpellier today, the healthcare sector represents over 7,000 students, 1,700 full-time researchers in the public sector, and over 3,800 full-time professionals in some 50 pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology companies. Montpellier Agglomération is home to world leaders in the field, with Sanofi-Aventis and Idenix for instance, plus numerous young biotechnology companies and 10 of France’s 14 main research organizations. Eurobiomed for instance, the leading interregional cluster in the health field, covers the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon regions, and is positioned as one of the top clusters in Europe. Among other events, Eurobiomed initiated and organised the Rare and Orphan Diseases Colloquium, bringing together over 300 health professionals, and making it a benchmark event in the fight against rare diseases in Europe at Le Corum Congress Centre.

> Healthcare

With its potential of 600 scientists focusing on oncology, Montpellier Agglomération is a reference for all of France, while it has at the same time been building an international reputation in the neurosciences and neurodegenerative disease sectors. Over 40 academic teams (not counting the CHU university hospital) are also dedicated to infectiology, making Montpellier a reference centre with a high international profile. Last but not least, Montpellier’s CHU university hospital is a major player in the medical diagnostics sector, with 2,800 beds, clinical platforms, and access to renowned medical centres. It’s no surprise ENJOY Montpellier recently won the bid to host the ISTH (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis) World Congress at Le Corum Congress Centre in 2016. There are many healthcare clusters in Nantes and its surrounding region. Although it might seem subjective to randomly choose some, there are definitely three standing out. For pharmaceutical and biotech companies or research laboratories looking for high level partners devoted to healthcare and biotechnologies, Atlanpole Biotherapies, which was created in 2005, draws together a network offering comprehensive and competitive solutions along the entire biotherapeutic value chain, from discovery to patient, within 4 areas of excellence (immunobiotherapies, transplantation, radiopharmaceuticals, oncology, regenerative medicine and innovative technologies for biotherapies). In this field, the invention of Arronax - for Accelerator for Research in Radiochemistry and Oncology at Nantes Atlantic - has been internationally acclaimed. Established in March 2011, the Gérontopôle Pays de la Loire aims to improve the quality of life for old people and to be a catalyst for growth, increasing understanding and for excellence for all players involved in the process of ageing. Then there is the Research Center in Human Nutrition of Nantes (CRNH) regrouping research units, with themes of nutrition research. Currently over 50 full-time equivalent researchers are working in synergy on topics focusing on the genetic neonatal fingerprint and cardio-metabolic risk, enteric or central nervous system, and nutritional pathologies, food allergies, food lipids and chronic pathologies. 6

Focus EULAR Paris 2014 The Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) will be held at the Palais des Congrès de Paris in June 2014. Ernst Isler, Congress Manager of EULAR, explains why team work is the main reason he is bringing his event back to Paris, after a very successful congress in 2008.

Ernst Isler

‘EULAR has grown to become one of the largest medical congresses in Europe, welcoming up to 16,000 delegates from more than 120 countries. With all the history, museums and attractions, Paris offers many advantages for an event like ours. From an organising point of view, it is an easy destination, with flight frequencies and capacities to handle the delegate arrivals within a short time, decent and easy to reach hotels, and the Palais des Congrès: with a great location, a good number of lecture halls, and where we can rely on an experienced and committed project team. More than just a city, it is a ‘product’ that won our business. Having EULAR back in Paris in 2014 is the result of: team work involving Paris as a city offering unparalleled advantages, attractions and solutions; Viparis and the Paris Convention Bureau as preferred partners well-tuned to the congress needs, challenges and momentum; and the local suppliers with whom we shared the success of a great EULAR 2008 congress. After 2008, we all thought “let’s do it again”.’

Place de la Concorde, Paris

Monaco

> Sciences

Auditorium Apollon, Nice Acropolis

the Garonne river, Toulouse

Montpellier

Sciences in France A key for growth

A competitiveness cluster brings together, in a given territory, businesses, training centres and research units engaged in a partnership to develop joint projects with, hopefully, international visibility. In the field of sciences, France is definitely a world-leader. Scientific disciplines are commonly divided into two major groups: natural sciences, which study natural phenomena, and social sciences, which study human behavior and societies. As far as they’re concerned, France has plenty to offer. A land of pioneers and human adventures, Toulouse, France’s fourth largest city, boasts one of the oldest European university and the 3rd largest French campus with 120,000 students, 10,000 researchers and 14 higher education institutes. If the popular saying goes ‘Toulouse is for learning’, it’s no wonder, then, that medicine and pharmacy form together a large science compound, the Paul Sabatier University. The arts and humanities faculties also have the largest student population, while the law and economics faculties, located in the city centre, add a certain vibrancy to the area. In parallel, Toulouse hosts more than a dozen of the so-called Grandes Ecoles, dedicated to training specialists in specific engineering and management areas. Last but not least

is the Southwest Canceropole, dedicated to the battle against cancer, which includes an important program devoted to research, with 2,000 researchers. In Nice, the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis is also renowned, incorporating 9 education and research units, including the Ecole Polytechnique Universitaire, hosting around 30,000 students all in all. Research done there is recognised internationally, with 52 research units, as well as partnerships with bodies such as OCA (mathematics and astrophysics), INRIA (computer science and mathematics), IRD (research and development), ENS (higher education and research) and many French and foreign universities, and 1,351 students in 5 doctoral schools. Let’s also mention Europe’s leading science park, Sophia Antipolis, at the gates of the city, near Nice Côte d’Azur airport, which has been hosting for 40 years the world’s top specialists in the industrial and engineering sectors, as well as researchers in all fields of innovation. The science park

accommodates 8 competitiveness clusters, bringing together a unique range of expertise in Europe, alongside large public research bodies. Boasting a broad base of dynamic companies, a diverse educational offer, and highperformance accompaniment, Montpellier is synonymous with growth. A centre for scientific and technological research well known for its progressive approach, the capital of Languedoc-Roussillon is renowned for its dynamism and for its university faculties, including the oldest Faculty of Medicine still in operation in the western world, with 90,000 students in three universities, engineering and business schools. An outstanding centre for research, in ICT, medicine, pharmaceutical industry and biotechnologies, agronomy and water management, Montpellier is at the cutting edge of innovations of all kinds. These unique features make it a unique congress destination, one that never stands still. As the 5th research city in France, with 7 designated competitiveness clusters based on 5 excellence centres, Montpellier is at the forefront of an economy driven by innovation. 7

> Green

Sustainability The French way Nice

La Cite Nantes Events Center

Lately there has been an on-going suspicion out there in the meetings industry that when destinations and venues claim to be passionate about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it might all just be part of a choreographed publicity stunt. The case of France shows that this couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes to sustainability, the French lead the way. With a distinct record of ground-breaking sustainable initiatives, an environmentfriendly, ISO26000-certified congress centre, La Cité Nantes Events Center, and some world-renowned green clusters, Nantes has been rightly named the European Green Capital 2013. The city has indeed been very successful in the areas of nature and biodiversity, air quality, noise pollution and the reduction and management of waste, and is constantly making efforts to fight climate change at local level. As for one, La Cité Nantes Events Center is also committed to offering environmentally responsible services at each stage of an event, thanks to its teams-eco-friendly behaviour and the optimized management of the facility. Nantes, as a whole, in fact favours Research and Development institutes and programmes focused on new technologies and environmental performance. Among many initiatives, let’s mention the three major research programmes concerning alternative energy sources that Nantes set up with SaintNazaire, or Nova Build, a cluster specialized in ecobuilding and engineering. Nested in an exceptional environment, halfway between the sea and the mountains, Nice is also committed to sustainability, 8

and the development of a so-called EcoValley is hoped to be the epitome of this. Located west of the city, on the Var plain, this Eco-Valley will become the benchmark for sustainable development for southern Europe and the Mediterranean. It will attract companies with a core interest in this field, and boast a centre for education and research dedicated to careers in sustainable development, ecology, high-tech and health. Meeting planners will be happy to know that a huge facility, a 75,000m2 convention centre, will be built on the premises, catering to international events in need of large exhibition space, thus complementing the Nice Acropolis conference centre. Located just outside the airport, the Eco-Valley is set to become a major sustainability cluster, with offices and a wide range of accommodation options, making Nice even more attractive. If Strasbourg is known by most people as the symbol of Europe, it’s much more than that. With a historic centre listed as world heritage by the UNESCO and a ‘Communauté urbaine’ of 470,000 inhabitants, Strasbourg has always been at a crossroads, where fields of excellence have pride of place. In this respect, sustainability is at the very heart of Strasbourg’s development.

Strasbourg

Not only has Strasbourg the #1 tram network in France, it also boasts the greatest number of cycling lanes and the first carsharing system. Known for its very strict recycling and waste-management systems, Strasbourg is an example to be followed. Strasbourg événements, the entity running Strasbourg Convention & Exhibition Centre, thus offers a range of equipment and services combining quality and sustainable development. Among them, let’s mention the Strasbourg événements charter for sustainable development, regular carbon footprint evaluations for events and an undenied commitment to obtaining ISO 14000 certification and a 26000 grade.

> Mobility

In the air, into space and on the ground France’s expertise in mobility Whether it be by train or by plane, by boat or by car, transport systems of all kinds take delegates around the world to attend meetings of all kinds. If France, and especially Toulouse, is renowned in the aeronautic/aerospace industry, the country has also a few tricks up its sleeves in the mobility area. In the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur in general and Marseille in particular, the aeronautics and space cluster pools together major world-class contractors as well as a dynamic network of subcontractors, working in close partnership with the research and education institutes present in the region (there are 10 engineering schools in Marseille!). The Côte d’Azur region indeed presents a large spectrum of industrial and innovative capabilities to invent, design and create tomorrow’s mission aircrafts: drones, dirigeables, aeropters, helicopters, green aviation, ultra light aircrafts. The ‘Pôle Pegase’, for instance, comprises of 250 companies, among which 8 world-class, 1,700 researchers, 13 specialist R&D laboratories, 13 engineering schools, 16 university technology institutes, for a total of 35,000 jobs in the sector. Grouped together around Eurocopter, the world’s #1 helicopter manufacturer and Thales Alenia Space, the European leader in satellite systems, it’s the largest industrial branch in PACA. In northern France, in the vicinity of Valenciennes, near Lille, lies Transalley, a

Technopole, Nord France

cluster dedicated to mobility, home to many of the key players in the European automotive and rail industries. Powerful, well balanced and structured, it offers development opportunities for all actors in the mobility sector, at local, national and international levels. With 300 companies, 60,000 professionals and over 400 researchers the Transalley territory is one of the most important industrial clusters in the world in the area of mobility and sustainable development. Among many renowned organisations present on the premises, let’s mention I-Trans whose missions are to federate and structure innovation projects in the field of inland transport, and the Railenium Institute of technological Research bringing together industry and academia to form the largest research and development centre in the world in the railway field, and in infrastructure in particular. It alone brings together some 300 researchers.

©Eurocopter

If some know Toulouse for its rugby achievements, the city’s economic leadership contributes to the activities of the destination. Toulouse is indeed #1 in Europe and #2 in the world in aeronautics. It is also a European leader in the space industry and first in Europe for space communications, meteorology and climatology. With the ‘Aerospace Valley’, the destination is the first employment pool in aeronautics, space and airborne systems. It gathers 1,200 organizations providing 95,000 jobs altogether. Toulouse is also the proud host to the headquarters of Airbus: the AeroConstellation cluster, for instance, has been set up for the development of the A380, and represents the largest aeronautics project in Europe. Toulouse has seen the birth of the Galileo positioning system, the SPOT satellite system, and CNES’s Toulouse Space Centre (CST), the largest space centre in Europe. Thales Alenia Space, Europe’s largest satellite manufacturer, and EADS Astrium Satellites, EADS’s satellite system subsidiary, have a significant presence in the beloved ‘pink city’.

Eurocopter, Marseille

Toulouse

> NT/Communication

Microsoft Techdays is held every year at the Palais des Congrès de Paris (17,000 attendees)

ICT Clusters

Communicating with… and thanks to the French The new technologies/communication clusters, in France, bring together various actors in the field of ICT with the goal of fostering new and sustainable business opportunities through collaborative research, development and innovation projects. It aims to optimise the uptake of new, innovative communication tools as enabling technology for various sectors and the development of the existing sector in France by encouraging networking and collaboration between the private and public sectors. Not surprisingly, Paris Region is Europe’s leading centre for information and communications technology with no less than 24,000 ICT businesses and 18,000 researchers. The area even boasts the highest concentration of specialist ICT personnel in the European Union. The sector covers three main fields of activity: IT services, telecommunications and optics and nanotechnology. Businesses there span the entire chain of activities from R&D and manufacturing through to logistics and marketing, in a wide range of sectors. Public-sector research organisations in the region include INRIA (the national computing and systems science institute), CEA (the atomic energy commission), CNRS (the national scientific research centre), just to name a few. In the private sector, a number of global high-tech companies have set up their R&D centres in the area. No wonder, then, that clusters are to be found in the region. If Cap Digital Paris Région specialises in digital content, System@tic Paris Region focuses its activities on digital systems and the digital 10

economy as a whole. According to them, digital technology is spearheading France’s economic growth. The System@tic cluster’s members are in the heart of this revolution either as researchers and developers or as application users in the fields of automotive, defense, telecommunications and design tools. So for ICT-related congresses and events in general, it just makes sense for them to be organised in Paris, whose fame within the sector is undoubtedly attractive. Viparis, which manages 10 meeting venues in Paris, welcomes 25-30 prestigious international conventions every year and offers the perfect environment in terms of location, high-tech infrastructures and services for the hosting of such events. Among many others, let’s mention the Meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), coming back to the Palais des Congrès de Paris in 2012 (1,400 delegates) after a successful event in 2005, the International Conference on Image Processing 2014 (ICIP), for the first time in France, which is expected to attract 1,500 participants

at the Cnit, thanks to the Image, Video, and Multidimensional Signal Processing Technical Committee, and the Critical Communications World 2013 at Paris Nord Villepinte, with 2,500 delegates foreseen, for the first time in France as well. In a few weeks the ACM - CHI 2013 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems will be held at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, with an expected 2,500 delegates. They will launch at the same time the First ACM European Computing Research Conference ACM-ECRC. Disneyland Paris also lies on a site where new technologies have pride of place. They, for instance, initiated the Galileo Connect Val d’Europe Data Parc, one of the largest

> NT/Communication

Focus www2012 in Lyon Rotating among North America, Europe, and Asia, the WWW Conference series aims to provide the world a premier forum for discussion and debate about the evolution of the Web. Organized by a committee called IW3C2, www2012 was held in Lyon in April. Luc Mariaux, of Lyon University and Co-chair of the Organising Committee, explains why. ‘Lyon provides an ideal environment in the field of new technologies in general and Internet in particular, whether at industry or university level. When we suggested Lyon host www2012, the idea was to increase the awareness of Lyon as a web capital and to provide new opportunities for the development of the local economy. Lyon boasts all the infrastructures necessary for the smooth running of such events: the congress centre, for instance, is highly flexible and makes the organisation of parallel sessions very easy. Its 3000-seat auditorium allows for exceptional plenary sessions. Lyon, as a city, is also quite attractive: in addition to being easily accessible, it benefits from a good reputation, with an art of living à la française and its renowned gastronomy. All these features ensured the success of www2012 in Lyon and the positive feedback of our delegates proves the point.’

Disneyland Paris

France Congrès   54 Conference Towns only one contact!   France-Congrès, an organisation that covers 54 cities and can provide accurate information about the best conference venues in France.

Luc Mariaux

in Europe. Set in the Business Park, ParisVal d’Europe, developed by Disneyland Paris themselves, it is equipped with 24,000 m2 of net technical space spread over three 8,000 m2 buildings. Disneyland Paris has also been the host of ‘La Nuit du Hack’, organised by Sysdream, the underground hacking conference, a copycat of the famous DEFCON conference, which attracted about 1,000 participants. Let’s also say a few words about the Descartes cluster, a catalyst for innovation, set to become a worldwide reference sustainable city construction, maintenance and services, with which Disneyland Paris is developing synergies that will surely lead to the organisation of international meetings on the premises.

They offer the following services:  • Detailed information about various destinations • Short-list of meeting venues appropriate to each event’s needs • Links to convention centres and details of their services • News updates on conference towns • The France Congrès application is available to help organisers quickly find conference towns suited to their needs: http://itunes.apple.com/ fr/app/frances-convention-cities/ id43908254?mt=8&ls=1 • A comparison tool to help organisers select the best venues • Direct links to the best venues in each conference town • Guaranteed quality of conference centres and sustainable development certification (ISO 9001, 14001, etc.)

Contact  Marion Shigo  Communication  T.+33(0)1 42 65 10 01  marion.shigo@france-congres.org  www.france-congres.org

available on-line

©BeauMonde

> Culture

Focus ‘France Associations Day’ On Tuesday 2nd July 2013, for the second time in France, the France Meetings and Convention Board of Atout France is organising a meeting in Paris between business tourism professionals and French representatives from international associations.

MuCEM et Fort Saint-Jean, Marseille

The aim: - to convince these representatives of the crucial role they play when their organisation wants to select a destination o host their international conferences, conventions and congresses - to put them in touch with good negotiating partners - to make them aware of each other’s roles. In fact, now is the time for ‘Destination Teamwork’ in France: a united network of business tourism professionals who are developing long-term partnerships with these organisations.

France

A centre of high culture FRAC, Dunkirk

France has always played an important role as a centre of high culture and art. Visitors flocking to the country like to sample French cultural highlights and traditions that vary by region. Unless you have lived on another planet in the past months, you should already know Marseille has been branded the European Capital of Culture in 2013, with hundreds of artistic events taking place throughout the Provence region, and especially Marseille, all through the year. The coveted title gives Marseille, France’s second-largest city, a chance to reinvent itself, reclaim its formidable port and boost its image, with an expected additional two million visitors. The city has established 10 new sites for cultural activities, many of them a repurposing of old or abandoned buildings, like an enormous tobacco factory surrounded by graffiti-covered walls exhibiting contemporary 12

art. Marseille has also built some stunning new buildings. There is for instance a huge glass Museum of Civilizations From Europe, due to open in June. The city has also made good use of existing museums, like La Vieille Charité, a 17th-century alms house and hospital in the Panier. And don’t miss the Villa Méditerranée, an international centre for dialogue: designed by architect Stefano Boeri, it’s definitely a must-see. In 2004, Lille was also the European Capital of Culture (something that the association Lille 3000 is still building on to this date), but it’s in fact the whole of Northern France that boasts a dense cultural offer.

This day will be the opportunity for those involved in the business tourism industry in France to better define the expectations of the French representatives and as a result to manage to create connections between business professionals and associations in order to help them organise successful conferences.

No less than 48 fine arts museums bear witness to the wealth of styles that can be found throughout the region. The recently opened LaM (Lille art modern museum), for instance, has the largest collection of outsider art in France; a new branch of the Institute of the Arab World was inaugurated in Tourcoing; the opening of Louvre Lens has gone beyond expectations of pretty much everybody, with record-breaking attendance already. Dunkirk, the 2013 Regional Capital of Culture, is also worth a mention as it celebrates the heartbeat of a city that never stands still. The epitome of it might well be the brand-new FRAC Dunkirk: due to open in September 2013, this multidisciplinary cultural space will be a veritable laboratory of contemporary art and also a very useful meeting place.

> French Art of Living

The Art of Living With its richness of heritage, natural and cultural reliability and unparalleled beauty, France is the country where the good life is. The three examples below show what is so special about the destination.

Nested in the heart of the Basque Country, Biarritz boasts a rich heritage and a culture true to tradition, undoubtedly capturing the very soul of Southwestern France. A prime destination forever branded by the passage of Napoleon III and the Famous, it has always been one of France’s most welcoming towns. A century ago, thanks to the Empress Eugenie, the little whaling town became a fashionable summer resort that, through the years, has

stayed open to the outside world without ever losing its identity. Hosting leisure and business tourists with the same flair, Biarritz is all golf, surfing, thalassoterapy centres, basque pelota, 4WD and gastronomy. Land of contrasts, expertly mixing urban experience and countryside appeal, it seems to be living to the rhythm of its festivals, ballets, cultural and sports events, all year round. A perfect combination of professionalism and laidbackness, the art of living in Biarritz is unlike any other. The 5th largest city in France, Nice is an active modern capital that has preserved its art of living over the centuries. Finding its energy in the sea and from the mountains around the Baie des Anges, cultivating its modernity and dynamism with a policy of constantly improved services, Nice is a city that never stands still, easily accessible either by air, train or even boat, and boasting contemporary, glamourous hotels as well as fascinating Belle Epoque buildings. As for the matter, its beautiful backdrop has proved a great inspiration for Matisse, Picasso and Chagall - Nice is full of secret passages and narrow pedestrian lane-ways in the romantic old town! Culture and gastronomy are also big in Nice. Festival fans descend for all sorts of events like the Nice Jazz Festival in July or the Nice Carnival in February. Foodies go crazy for local specialties such as socca, pissaladière and estocaficada, while others can rejoice in one of Nice’s seven Michelin-starred restaurants.

Located between the Alps foothills and the Mediterranean sea, the Principality of Monaco has definitely gained in appeal over the years. Its ideally climate and dynamic economic situation, as well as a good variety of hotels and meeting facilities, welcome visitors all year round. A wide choice of wellness and health spas, as well as the possibility of practising a broad range of sports, add to the particularly relaxed character of the destination. Standing at the crossroads of civilizations, Monaco is truly cosmopolitan. The Principality strongly values these cultural exchanges, as well as the freedom and quality of its gastronomy and the inventiveness of its cooking. Classic French cuisine, harmonies of the south, ethnic and exotic variations: only monotony has no place at a Monegasque table! But Monaco is also famous for its nightlife and for all those spots where conviviality, celebration and relaxation have pride of place. In Monaco, you can let your imagination loose and live unforgettable moments.

Biarritz

Monaco

> Infrastructure

Destinations with a flair… and in full swing Of course, all French destinations boasts meetings infrastructure that will satisfy the most demanding planner. But for this supplement’s sake, we have chosen three that stand out. Things are on the move in Strasbourg. With an additional few hundreds hotel rooms in the forthcoming years, thanks to Marriott Renaissance and aparthotels, the local meetings industry will be boosted by the new developments at Strasbourg Convention Centre. Situated in the heart of the European district, the facility already offers a total area of 50,000 m². Organizing about 300 events a year, it is managed, along the Exhibition Park, by Strasbourg événements. When completed in 2016, the new centre will boast some additional 8,000 m², a third auditorium and more meeting rooms. And then, there is also the project of the new Exhibition Park, with 40,000 m² to be ready in 2017. Directly linked to the Convention Centre, it will increase Strasbourg’s ability to host large congresses. And did we mention Strasbourg has never been so accessible, with Strasbourg Entzheim Airport 15 minutes away from the city centre, a high-speed train station 15 minutes from the Convention Centre as well as the new Rhin Rhône TGV?

Located to the east of Paris, served by the Eurostar/high-speed train terminal, with extensive meeting facilities, choice of hotels and numerous activities for your delegates, Business Solutions - Disneyland Paris might have everything under one roof, or at least in one large facility! If you want to work in a premium meeting room, then go to a nice restaurant with a theme, and then sleep over at a high-class hotel, search no more. At Business Solutions - Disneyland Paris, conferences take place in a humanscale environment, which allows each participant to take full advantage of the event. And if you like numbers, the venue boasts 2 versatile convention centres that can be configured for any meetings and groups of 20 to 2,300 people, 2 additional event venues offering a total of 23,500 m², and no less than 95 meeting rooms! Key words here are comfort, flexibility and adaptability for the smooth running of events of any format. Let’s also mention the fact Business Solutions - Disneyland Paris offers a wifi tailor-made package for conference delegates guaranteeing the latest technology in terms of bandwidth.

Set at the heart of the Basque Country, Biarritz, on whose beach Empress Eugenie once walked, has become a sought-after business destination. Today, it’s an active yet chic seaside resort and a surfing and golf capital, maybe the only French town where you can see neoprene-clad surfers with their boards under their arms crossing paths with business men in suits and ties! With two airports (Biarritz airport, conveniently near the city centre and only 20 minutes from San Sebastian airport), Biarritz is connected to most of the main European capitals and cities (London, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona, Rotterdam…) and Paris itself is only one-hour flight away. The three congress centres are located right at the heart of the town, in historical Belle Epoque, Art Deco and Art Nouveau style buildings. Since they are only a few meters apart, you will really be able to make the most of your time there. And if you wonder what Biarritz’s maximum capacity is, it’s 4,500 people in the Iraty Hall. Who would have thought?

Biarritz

Business Solutions - Disneyland Paris

European Parliament, Strasbourg

Case Study

The FEBS-EMBO 2014 Conference in Paris From August 30 to September 2014, the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS), EMBO and the French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will hold a joint conference for the life sciences at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. With the help of MCI France, Professor Frédéric Dardel, Dean of the Descartes University and President of the French Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, won the bid in 2011 in Turin. He explains here why Paris is such a great association destination and to what extent MCI has been instrumental in winning the congress.

‘MCI was recommended to me by a colleague. When I decided to bid for the 2014 Congress, I had only one week to put everything together. I put in a lot of efforts into it and so did MCI, the Professional Congress Organiser which, at least to me, has the experience, the resources and the know-how to deliver. And we were successful, as we won by landslide.’ ‘It is a privilege to hold this special event for the life sciences in Paris. We have the perfect partners and venue for this prestigious occasion, as we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Society, as well as the 50th of the FEBS. You can hardly hope for more when it comes to Paris as a congress

Professor Frédéric Dardel

destination: it’s easy to reach from every part of the world, and boasts all the infrastructure you need. With MCI as a preferred partner, I’m sure the Congress will be a success.’

Contact & Information France Meetings and Convention Board Clémence Baret Clemence.baret@atout-france.fr www.rendezvousenfrance.com

La Cité Nantes Events Center Elodie Coudre elodie.coudre@lacite-nantes.fr www.lacite-nantes.com

OnlyLyon Convention Bureau Aurencie Ranson aranson@lyon-france.com www.events.lyon-france.com

Biarritz Tourisme Gérald Buscemi gerald.buscemi@biarritz.fr www.congres.biarritz.fr

Marseille Congrès Convention Bureau Corinne Castiglia-Mas cccastiglia@marseille-tourisme.com www.marseille-congres.com

Paris Convention Bureau Cécile Mairaville cmairaville@parisinfo.com www.convention.parisinfo.com

Business Solutions Disneyland Paris Sylvie Boisramé-Kergoat sylvie.boisrame@disney.com www.disneylandparis-business.com

MCI France Eric Le Gal eric.legal@mci-group.com www.mci-france.com/france

So Toulouse Convention Bureau François Lafont f.lafont@so-toulouse.com www.so-toulouse.com

Direction Du Tourisme et des Congrès de Monaco Laurence Papouchado lpapouchado@gouv.mc www.visitmonaco.com

Nice Acropolis Styve Larosa Styve.LAROSA@nice-acropolis.com www.nice-acropolis.com

Strasbourg événements Palais des Congrès de Strasbourg Cathy Spielmann cspielmann@strasbourg-events.com www.strasbourg-events.com

Enjoy Montpellier Hélène Brunier hbrunier@enjoy-montpellier.com www.enjoy-montpellier.com

Nord France Convention Bureau Valérie Lefebvre Valerie.lefebvre@nord-france-convention.com www.nord-france-convention.com Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Nice Sabrina Volle sabrina.volle@otcnice.com www.meet-in-nice.com

Viparis, Le Palais des Congrès de Paris Marta Gomes marta.gomes@viparis.com www.venuesinparis.com