Surprising Nice
Funny moment with Bertrand of Nice Convention Bureau during the kick off in the football stadium of Nice.
Kicking off the season
We kick off the season of tourism and events in the football stadium, The Allianz Riviera in Nice. A privilege to attend this event where all partners, connected or related with events and tourism are present. Organised by the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Unfortunately the mayor could not join (he was not aware of my last-minute presence, otherwise he would have been there to see the MICE ambassador in person, I am sure! ) and send the vice president to give a short speech about the impact of these sectors on the city.
Anyway, it was an honour to be invited and to join (again an advantage of staying longer in the destination), as this was not foreseen before my arrival.
The importance of tourism and events
Tourism is employer number 1 in the city. Just to give some interesting facts about the city of Nice, so you understand the value of our industry.
(PS Of course these numbers include the participants of the meetings and events industry)
● 12,2 million visitors in 2022
● 57 airline companies are flying to Nice!!
● In 2023 the airport of Nice expects to host 31% more passengers
● The World Cup Rugby contributes 80 million euro of revenue for the city
● The Iron Man contributes ‘only’ 20 million euro of revenue for the city
Transformation
In the past 15 years the city transformed immensely to host this number of people. And Nice has a large number of international people visiting the destination, 70%, this is higher than average in comparison with other similar destinations. Also the relationship with China will strengthen the destination and a direct flight from Peking to Nice will be added to the calendar in 2024.
Proof of concept
During the presentation the marketing manager of Iron man made a joke that the participants usually stay much longer in the destination, and they take their family with them, otherwise they risk a divorce. The participants need a long time to prepare.
Iron man is a triathlon in its extreme : 3,86 km swimming, 180,2 km cycling and running a complete marathon! You need to have extreme physical strength to accomplish the mission. Literally the next day I discovered that my Belgian neighbour at the camping in Mandelieu, who stayed alone first, and came back with his partner to the same camping on a different spot. I noticed that he was very sportive and after we talked I discovered that he will participate in Iron Man. What a coincidence! Apparently he knows how important it is to involve his family :-) Indeed, it’s correct that the participants are staying longer, I see it with my own eyes. At the reception they told me, oh Richard, he’s coming very regularly all year round. Just this event alone is worth 22,5 million euro. And you see, it’s not just the city of Nice that is benefiting from this event, even the camping in Mandelieu. So the entire region. I am very well aware of the economical impact of events, but it’s nice to have proof of concept. It’s an entire ecosystem that is connected and benefiting with just this event.
Sustainability
Despite the growing numbers, there are challenges, of course. Sustainability is a huge concern of the city including the airport which is located in the city. Despite receiving a lot of criticism, the airport needs to adjust to the standards and requirements of the international passengers, which are their clients. Did you know that Nice airport became the first carbon neutral airport in France, already in 2017? Sustainability is a high priority.
Even within the Convention Bureau of Nice sustainability is a huge priority, they hired 1 person who’s dedicated to sustainability in their team. This is new, which shows how high their priorities are as a destination.
Next, speaking with the director of Linkeus, Malika Bouldi, the convention bureau who’s responsible for the entire region, Côte d’Azur and Provence, she told me that sustainability is one of the biggest challenges in her job.
The view in front of the Radisson Blu hotel in Nice
Radisson Blu Nice
It was the last hotel on my list from Nice, the largest MICE hotel in the city. And the last one of the entire journey. For me, the most intense one to visit. The hotel where I stayed with Christophe years ago during Easter.
I arrived early to see the facade, and just to absorb the atmosphere, smelling the salt of the sea and cherishing the memories and moments we had.
My first appointment in the Radisson Blu was with MD. PhD. DHR. Renaud David. I was honoured! First of all, where do you find a doctor who has time? And moreover to talk about events? Yes, events! Important note, not a coincidence that he’s focused on the relationship between sports and brains. If you play a sport which has a huge risk to damage your head/brains, like rugby for example, you will pass by Renaud for a regular check-up. This is very unique, and his niche attracts and appeals other doctors to the city. In the meantime he tries to influence existing events to host them in his city Nice.
Conclusion, passionate ambassadors do exist and he was happy to host me. We talked about his role and influence for the destination, but also what he needs to accomplish his mission. And there’s sometimes a gap. Sometimes they need financial support to host their event, and this is a challenge to receive support from the city for example. Hosting a medical event, even for a small number of people, can give the city, the destination a different image and can create long lasting collaborations, and employment. Also the spending budget for a conference guest is more than an average tourist.
The Radisson Blu in Nice
After I had an appointment with the sales manager of the Radisson Blu, she gave me a tour through the hotel. It was strange to walk around in the hotel. The rooms were completely renovated (which was necessary) but the other elements remained almost the same. It has 331 rooms and 12 meeting rooms. A tram stop behind the hotel, and at the front you are almost at the beach, just have to cross the boulevard. Of course, the hotel has its own beach restaurant, which you can privatise for your group. Up to 250 persons can have a seated dinner on the beach.
When I returned, In the evening, I got emotional and cried. It was good to visit the hotel, and to explore the property with my own eyes, but it was heavier than I thought. Closed the door of my camper, put my headphones on, phone on flight mode and threw it all out!
I have to come back…
The last element on my list was to visit the museum Chagall. It’s a unique venue because you can hold events while the expositions are present (this is often very difficult and delicate due to insurances and other reasons). Along the sea Nice is flat but as soon as you go a little bit in town, you enter the hills. I took the bus to the northern part of town to see the museum. Arrived and the receptionist told me; we are preparing a new exhibition and tomorrow it will be open. Something I hadn’t foreseen. I have to come back to see the auditorium of the Chagall museum. Anyway, the garden and location was definitely worth exploring, and the view over the city is fabulous.
You might think…
Nice already has loads of events, they don’t need an extra event. I understand your point of view, but the majority of the events, like the World Cup Rugby, are taking place around the summer season. If you would choose an off season, and this is not only the case for Nice but also for Cannes and Mandelieu, from mid october to the end of April, it’s the perfect time to host your event in this region. You will receive more value for your money. Because the majority of the hotels have much more availability off season. In Nice visitors are coming all year around, whichs means airlines are coming to the destination almost all year round and you can receive a reasonable price for your group.
My journey in Cote d’Azur has come to an end. But my role as MICE ambassador just started and I'm happy to continue my task and passion!
It’s incredible how fast the time has passed during the past weeks. I have met amazing, passionate and friendly people. Chatted with locals, discovered the region as a MICE professional, as a camper girl and tourist, changed my view and vision over the region, and learned a lot.
And now I’m happy that I can share my experiences and stories during IMEX in Frankfurt, the largest trade shows for event organisers and event suppliers in the world.
Stay tuned for more stories!