Viparis will Reopen its Doors to Trade Fairs, MICE and Other Major Events

In recent weeks, the French Meeting Industry Council UNIMEV, together with other events industry professional organisations, have been asking the public authorities for guidance as to whether events may be hosted beginning in September. Their request did not go unheeded – on Saturday 20 June, in view of the satisfactory status of the pandemic in France, the Defence and National Security Council (NSDC) lifted lockdown measures with respect to a range of situations, including gatherings. It is now official: beginning on 1 September, trade fairs, congresses and other major events may again be held.

For Viparis, this announcement was welcomed as a reflection of the confidence that the French government places in event management professionals. Viparis, the European leader in hosting conferences and trade events, will resume its business activity in the autumn at every one of its Paris Ile-de-France venues: Espace Champerret, Espace Grande Arche, Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, Les Salles du Carrousel, Palais des Congrès d'Issy, Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Le Bourget and Paris Nord Villepinte. More than 40 events are already scheduled for September alone.

Below are a few examples of upcoming events in September at the Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris Nord Villepinte and Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (non-exhaustive list):

• The Palais des Congrès de Paris will launch its fall season on 1–3 September with the Universités d’Été de l’Ordre des Experts Comptables (French Chartered Accountants Summer Seminars), followed by the 40th annual congress of the French Haematology Society (9–11 September), “Les Journées du Courtage,” a professional trade show dedicated to insurance and banking (15 and 16 September), and the national congress of the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (24–26 September);

• Paris Nord Villepinte will kick off with Première Vision Paris from 15 to 17 September, the global event for fashion professionals;

• The first event for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles – the legendary Paris venue that welcomes 8 million visitors each year – will be Workspace, dedicated to commercial interior design (1–3 September). From 4–7 September it will host Who's Next, a leading international fashion event, and Big Data Paris on 14 and 15 September. From 15–17 September, Paris Retail Week will take place, followed by Pro Days, a professional trade show for the bicycle industry, (20– 22 September). 


"The SFAR national congress is the top event in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine for France and the French-speaking world. This year, more than 6,000 participants are expected to gather at the Palais
 des Congrès in Paris from 24 to 26 September. The hallmarks of this annual event are goodwill, progress and innovation. After months of intense commitment to combating COVID-19, our members are eager to come together to discuss, learn and share their experiences in anaesthesia, intensive care and perioperative medicine. This event is an important milestone for our association, and for the professionals that make up our community."

Raphaël Martin, Administrative Director French Society of Anesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine (SFAR)

"Viparis is now positioned to host events under the best and safest possible conditions, and we welcome this announcement by the French public authorities. We would like to extend our thanks to all our event organisers for their continued trust in Viparis. Business meetings are one of the linchpins of our economic recovery, and Paris will maintain its appeal as a business destination and its leading international position.”

Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, CEO, Viparis