The Bordeaux Exhibition Centre and Palais 2 l'Atlantique will be hosting the French Fire Brigade Congress in 2027! This excellent news is the fruit of a lot of hard work, but it is also part of a collective effort by the BEAM team, which includes Valérie Chevrant-Menichini and Charlotte Grapton, both Heads of Convention and Exhibition Development.
This dynamic duo are always in good spirits, and they're taking the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of our diverse offering, supported by an attractive destination.
How does your partnership work?
Valérie Chevrant-Menichini: While I concentrate on national issues, Charlotte is also in charge of international affairs. I think we both benefit from our respective backgrounds in the events business to enrich our vision and expertise in the field.
Charlotte Grapton: For my part, the fact that I worked on the Agency/PCO (Professional Conference Organiser) side before joining BEAM is a real asset for clients, who feel they can rely on us. Our close working relationship with Valérie and our constant exchanges also enable us to provide solutions tailored to all aspects of a project: reception, planning issues, managing the arrival of thousands of participants.
Valérie Chevrant-Menichini: Our shared experience is a strength! We share the same working methods and the same high standards of delivery. Add to that a sense of humour... and you've got the perfect recipe for unwinding from a job that's certainly exciting, but also very intense.
You are both in charge of BEAM's conference offering. How does it differ from other cities?
CG: This offer stands out first and foremost for the attractiveness of ‘Destination Bordeaux’, which has really taken off in recent years. It's two hours from Paris by train, with good international links, and it's easy to get to by tram from the airport. It also has a large number of hotels nearby. Bordeaux has become an international brand for tourism and an attractive metropolis for both business and lifestyle. It has many assets: its gastronomy, its vineyards, its culture, its historical heritage, its proximity to the ocean... We are working closely with local stakeholders to enhance the appeal of the Destination, with the aim of enriching our proposals and responding to current issues such as eco-responsibility.
VCM: Our multi-site offering is a major advantage. We offer our customers five emblematic venues, all of which are different but complementary - not every operator in the sector can do that! The diversity of our offer and the specific features of our sites open up a very wide range of possibilities. Our Cité mondiale Convention Centre is particularly noteworthy for its ‘human scale’ and its location in the heart of Bordeaux. Hangar 14 is a historic venue, a blend of past and present, with a remarkable industrial site on the banks of the Garonne. The Parc des Expositions and its three other halls offer total freedom, allowing you to imagine unlimited events! As for the Palais des Congrès, it remains a very easy-to-use, functional and bright venue.
The Palais 2 l'Atlantique seems to be enjoying just as much success?
VCM: This site was built in 2019 and is now booming. Recently, we hosted the 75th Congress of the Ordre des Experts Comptables, the 81st HLM Congress in Bordeaux, the Congress of General Medicine and the Congress of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)... You could say that the Palais 2 l'Atlantique is on fire!
CG: We have an ideal site for hosting large-scale events, and we are now taking advantage of this to focus on European and international events. The OHBM (Organization for Human Brain Mapping) conference, for example, will bring together more than 3,500 international participants in June 2026.
VCM: In the shorter term, the Congrès des Notaires de France is coming up in September. This event brings together several simultaneous events: plenary sessions, exhibitions, themed workshops, etc. The congress is a unique format in our profession, both comprehensive and complex.
You host over forty conferences a year at BEAM's 5 sites. How do you help to raise the profile of the sectors of excellence in Aquitaine?
VCM: We work hand in hand with local personalities who apply to bring their specialist conference to Bordeaux. These project leaders come from the worlds of academia, research, science, business and industry, or are members of a network or association... We form a single, large team with them, to defend a common project, a destination and a site. We work together on large-scale projects.
CG:It's important to remember that our collaboration with local project promoters doesn't end with the decision to go to Bordeaux. Once the call for tenders has been won, several months or even years of work follow, illustrating the long-term support we provide. This is the kind of relationship we have with the Ambassadors' Club, a privileged forum for exchange, made up of professionals committed to supporting their sector of excellence. They include scientists, engineers, doctors and researchers. The Club is managed by the Bordeaux Convention Bureau, with whom we work closely.
Interview with Olivier Occelli, Director of the Bordeaux Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau - Bordeaux Events (beam.fr)
The Bordeaux Exhibition Centre and the Palais 2 l'Atlantique will be hosting the Firefighters Congress in 2027. Although the announcement is still recent, can you give us an idea of the broad outlines?
VCM: The decision was made last June. It's a bid that we and the fire brigade have supported loud and clear. You should know that our discussions on this subject began in 2021! We put a lot of ‘us’ into this bid, which was a source of both excitement and emotion. This large-scale event will include workshops, plenary sessions and professional exhibitions, both indoors with stands and outdoors with vehicles and demonstrations planned for the banks of the lake. In addition to these professional events, the conference will also be open to the general public for a whole day. It's a great opportunity for this much-loved profession to attract new recruits! Charlotte and I are proud to be part of this huge adventure.
CG: It's precisely this diversity between the professional and the general public that makes our profession so exciting. We're lucky enough to take part in events as varied as an exhibition with foodtrucks on the banks of the river, an electro festival, or a political, medical or scientific conference. Every day our job gives us a dose of adrenalin and brings us a wealth of new discoveries!
