Held over three days in January, the 11th International Symposium on Optronics in Defence and Security took place in the heart of Bordeaux's Cité Mondiale, in a lively atmosphere that was particularly conducive to sharing ideas and networking.
Jennifer Savina, events consultant, and Aude Lurbe, events project manager with the Association Astronautique de France (3AF), worked hand in hand for several months to organise this event, which brings together optronics specialists keen to keep abreast of the latest developments in the sector.
Delighted with this first event in Bordeaux (and the rest of France), the two partners look back with satisfaction on the highlights of this success:
3AF plays a key role in bringing together manufacturers, engineers, schools and academics,’ explains Aude Lurbe. ‘So we were looking for a venue capable of hosting both conferences and the exhibition area where OPTRO participants are accustomed to wandering around, enjoying product presentations in a genuine spirit of exchange. The Cité Mondiale was just the place to do it!
Bringing together more than 250 people, the 11th edition of the symposium met another challenge: ‘This was the first time we had taken the decision to plan OPTRO outside Paris,’ explains Jennifer Savina. ‘Competing with other major French cities, Bordeaux made the difference thanks to its accessibility and its local economic base’.
Accessible, central and on a human scale, the Cité Mondiale is a great place for networking thanks to its fluid facilities, and it seems to have won the hearts of our client and the participants. ‘We also appreciated the responsiveness and attentiveness of the BEAM team, which was capable of great adaptability, both in terms of the tailor-made aspect of their offer and the budget,’ says the consultant.
OPTRO 2024 in figures:
- 266 participants
- 21 nationalities
- 8.39/10 overall satisfaction [1]
[1] Figures collected from participants. 25% of them replied to this 3AF satisfaction questionnaire.
