GL events has recently been chosen to manage Marseille’s leading exhibition and conference centre, Parc Chanot, for the next three years. The question on locals’ mind: can the company change Marseille’s story and build the region into a truly competitive destination?
GL Events is banding together with CCIAMP Infrastructures to form a 75%/25% consortium. Together, they will attempt to build up Marseille from its position beneath more established and successful destinations in the Mediterranean by redesigning the city’s top venue. Parc Chanot is located in the heart of Marseille and covers 170,000sqm.
The task, however, won’t be easy. Marseille faces significant economic challenges, and has long struggled to compete in the regional tourism industry, both business and leisure. Rivals along the south coast of France and Spain hold much larger shares of the market.
How do they intend to achieve this?
The exterior of the site will be totally redesigned to create more greenery. Existing installations will be reworked. GL Events intends to build Parc Chanot into a site that’s not only attractive to business events but also popular with locals, developing new events especially for the general public.
The company aims to relaunch the Marseille International Fair, a global event with over 1000 exhibitors and 300,000 visitors. It will also focus its efforts on gastronomic and industrial events, drawing on the existing strength of brands like Sirha Food and SEPEM.
Chairman and CEO of GL Events Group Olivier Ginon said that he aims to “raise [Marseille’s] profile as a destination both in the Mediterranean region and in Europe.”
President of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jean-Luc Chauvin said that together with GL Events, “we will transform Marseille into a major asset”.
Source: www.exhibitionworld.co.uk
Comments are closed.