At the end of the Ordinary General Meeting held on 15 June 2018, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes displayed record results for the 2017 financial year. Cannes is reinforcing its number one position in France for professional trade fairs, outside of Paris. Its vitality and its expansion on this market equates to a powerful driving force in the service of the local economy.
Historic turnover for the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes
The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes recorded a turnover in excess of EUR 43.8 million in 2017. These results have been consistently increasing, by over 30% since 2010. The growth in activity has picked up pace over the last two financial years, 2016 and 2017, thanks to three factors in particular :
- Very high increase in reference events such as the MIPIM (+7.44% accredited delegates in 2017 compared to 2016), the Tax Free (+6%) and the International Games Festival, for which revenue has tripled in 3 years;
- Hosting of new international events such as Trustech (since 2016), CanneSeries, Red Bull Air Race, Esports BAR and the new Weyou group events.
- Signing up new business conventions allowing for consolidating the occupancy rate (+740,000 nights in 2017 in Cannes hotels)
The Palais des Festivals: powerful driving force serving the local economy and employment
The driving force of the town, the Palais des Festivals has 80,000 m² of useable space. In 2017, the building was occupied for 307 days for business tourism (the other days for general public cultural events) and welcomed 275,000 accredited delegates over 52 professional events.
Organizing a trade fair in Cannes means offering an experience to event organizers in a destination that brings together all the high added value assets for guaranteed success: a unique seaside location with its famous and coveted bay, clean and safe spaces, proximity between hotels, restaurants and the Palais des Festivals making networking easier and allowing everything to be done on foot. The “Cannes business tourism destination” is confirmed as a true lever to encourage business in an environment favourable to getting away from it all and to the exceptional being possible.
2018 is holding true to course, with 25 successful events already held in the first half of the year (trade fairs, conferences and festivals combined). With regard to the order list for 2019, this is just as promising, with new markets conquered! The business tourism department has just won three new corporate conventions over the priority period, and is particularly in demand for the months of January and February 2019.