Convention & Trade Fair Planning in France - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2025-2029)

Convention & Trade Fair Planning in France industry analysis

Convention and trade fair planners have been reaping the rewards of a robust post-pandemic economic recovery and strengthening macroeconomic conditions in France. Though the pandemic caused revenue to collapse in 2020, the shift toward online and virtual conferencing, coupled with considerable rebounds in business sentiment and disposable incomes, boosted conference and webinar registrations in 2021 and 2022. Larger corporate clients within the financial and personal services sectors have contracted convention planning services at higher rates, with the pivot to digital conferencing and online webinars accelerating the need for specialised conference planners with expertise in digital marketing and planning. Economic recovery played the biggest role in facilitating industry-wide demand, with the latest figures from the Paris Convention Bureau noting that 380,000 public events were held across metropolitan areas in France in 2024 alone. Although higher interest rates have curtailed large-scale growth from 2022 to 2024, positive economic trends such as higher business sentiment, growing inbound tourism and the continued emphasis on in-person interactions has offset this. As a result, revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 11.9% over the five years through 2025 to €3.6 billion, though this includes an estimated decline of 6.6% in 2025 as businesses and clients with economies of scale make the digital pivot to organising conferences in-house, curtailing demand. 

Trends and Insights

• Technology took over when COVID-19 hit. It remains a significant threat. Conference centres will have to prove their relevance to make people spend on hosting events that they could set up remotely for next to nothing
• The industry generates most of its revenue by hosting trade shows. Trade fair organisers are among the largest suppliers worldwide and also attract many international exhibitors and visitors with their events.
• Fragmentation in the industry stems from low entry barriers. Simply put, it's easy and relatively inexpensive for new companies to step in and offer event planning services, leading to a wide array of planners competing for a market slice. This results in a landscape where no single player dominates and diversity thrives.