A fundamental tool (the numbers are there to prove it) of Nice’s tourism policy, the Acropolis Convention Center is undergoing an unprecedented renovation and beautification operation since its management began.
After last year’s renovation of the central Agora, the Apollon auditorium, and the Muses hall, it is now the turn of the Rhodes hall (level 2) to be fully redecorated and technologically aligned with international standards.
This complex, formed by Acropolis-Congrès (54,000 m2) and Acropolis-Expositions (17,000 m2), makes Nice one of the only cities in France able to host large-capacity exhibition congresses.
The cost of this phase of work amounts to €7,500,000 including tax, and the operational cost to €9,000,000 including tax (with fees and price revisions).
Rudy Salles, Deputy in charge of Tourism, states: “Tourism being the engine of Nice’s economy, this operation aims to make the convention center much more attractive in a highly competitive market.”
Comments from Dimitri Triadafilis, General Director of Acropolis (GL Events group, the Lyon-based company that has become one of the sector’s pillars at an international level):
“The activity grows year on year, in terms of the number of congresses and participants.
But the crisis has its effects: services are increasingly restricted to a basic level, clients request only the essentials to manage their decreasing budgets.
The turnover stabilizes or even decreases, not to mention the margins.
For this reason, this renovation plan becomes essential to improve technology and logistics, thus better controlling management costs by increasing productivity,” he tells us.
- Some figures:
2009: 160 events including 38 congresses,
2008: 657,696 participants/visitors
2009: 753,092 participants/visitors,
Turnover 2009: €14.8 million
Most emblematic congresses:
- Cardiostim: 5,000 participants (confirmed in 2012),
- TM forum (2,500 participants)
- France Africa Summit
Nice moved up in the global ranking of cities hosting international association congresses established by the International Congress and Convention Association, of which it is a member, climbing from 79th place (20 meetings) in 2008 to 68th place (25 meetings) in 2009. The city of Nice ranks 37th on the European level.
