On 30 November and 1 December, the Palais des Congrès in Bordeaux will be playing host to the Occitan group Nadau, for a double-concert that promises to be one of the most festive ever.Already sold out, these two dates illustrate the development of BEAM's entertainment offer, and Typhaine Delannoy, Corporate and Entertainment Market Manager, takes us behind the scenes.
How did BEAM come up with the idea of a live entertainment offer?
At the end of February 2022, Covid had not completely disappeared, but the event industry was slowly starting to pick up again. Gatherings of more than 5,000 people had only just been re-authorised. I arrived in this in-between period, when the sector was going through a period of great questioning. Was everything now going to be organised in a hybrid format? Well, no! In fact, this pandemic has highlighted the extent to which the organisation of events serves to bring people together. Hybrid and distance learning, which are losing ground, do not offer the same quality of exchange to our customers and participants. This moment of doubt has finally given way to a new impetus, dominated by the importance of contact in creating social links and sharing knowledge. The success of today's business tourism is truly based on physical encounters. Take medical conferences, for example. Participants tell us that they learn as much in the amphitheatre as they do around the buffet or at dinner!
What sets the Bordeaux Convention Centre apart?
First of all, it's easy to get to. The tram arrives directly at the gates of the Palais des Congrès, which is also located close to the ring road and has free parking. This is a unique location in Bordeaux, and an attractive one for exhibitors and producers. Its proximity to hotels, with 1,400 rooms in all categories, is also a major advantage. On the technical side, the Palais des Congrès amphitheatre lends itself perfectly to one-man shows (we hosted a show by Thomas Deseur), concerts and plays: it has 1,293 seats, including 40 folding seats and 28 places for people with reduced mobility, a very wide stage with a direct link to an unloading dock...
For each new project, we assign a new team to prepare the dressing room and welcome the technical teams, with whom our audiovisual manager is also in contact. We manage this aspect of our business with a great deal of attentiveness and flexibility, and with all the recognised professionalism of BEAM.
