Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

What Palais des Festivals et des Congrès does

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes is a major convention, exhibition and cultural venue located on La Croisette in Cannes, France. The venue was established in 1946 in connection with the Cannes Film Festival and is operated by SEMEC (Société d'économie mixte pour les événements cannois), a mixed public-private company (S.A.) with €2.4M share capital. It hosts over 150 events per year across 340 operating days, comprising more than 70 professional B2B events (MIPIM, MIPCOM, Cannes Lions, Canneseries, IPEM, ILTM, MIDEM, Cannes Yachting Festival, Tax Free World Exhibition) and 81 cultural events (Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, Festival de Danse, Les Plages Electroniques, NRJ Music Awards, classical cycles and dance performances), generating more than 300,000 professional accreditations annually.

The Palais operates a portfolio of iconic configurable spaces — Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, Théâtre Debussy, Salon des Ambassadeurs, Hall des Expositions and Espace Riviera — alongside the famous Croisette steps ('Les Marches') that anchor the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Revenue is generated through two principal streams: professional event hosting (space rental, technical services, catering and ancillaries sold to B2B organizers via a direct sales motion) and cultural ticketing (sold through its own ThemisWeb platform and Cannes Ticket). Pricing for cultural shows is tiered (Plein, Réduit, Carte Liberté, Abonné, Jeune -26 ans), ranging from €10 to €60 depending on category and performance. The Palais is also a formally constituted société à mission with a stated purpose of 'Accueillir durablement le monde' (sustainably welcoming the world), supported by an eco-design digital strategy hosted on OVH infrastructure with a local carbon-offset program via Coopérative Carbone's 'La Forêt Bleue' project.

The Palais's digital presence is built on Woody CMS (Raccourci Agency), MongoDB/Memcached/Varnish caching, OVH French servers and CloudFlare CDN, and it markets through LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, BeReal, a monthly newsletter, 360° immersive venue videos, and referral partnerships with the Cannes Convention Bureau and global MICE industry bodies (ICCA, AIPC, UFI, UNIMEV). Governance is anchored by Cannes municipal leadership — Mayor David Lisnard chairs the Palais and 1st Deputy Mayor Nicolas Gorjux was elected Chairman of SEMEC in April 2026.

Name

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès

Legal name

Société d'économie mixte pour les événements cannois (SEMEC)

Website

https://palaisdesfestivals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes is a convention and cultural venue on La Croisette in Cannes, France, hosting 150+ events per year — including 70+ professional B2B events (Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Lions, MIPIM) and 81 cultural events — for international organizers and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Exhibition Center Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Convention venue hosting
• Trade show facilities
• Corporate event spaces
• Cultural event ticketing
• Congress and exhibition center

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-bonnet-de-montauroux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Event Hosting: Le Palais rents out its spaces and infrastructure to professional event organizers for B2B trade shows, congresses, and conferences (e.g., MIPIM, MIPCOM, Cannes Lions, Cannes Yachting Festival, IPEM). Revenue is generated through space rental, technical services, catering, and ancillary services. Over 70 professional B2B events are hosted per year.
2. Cultural Ticket Sales: Le Palais sells tickets to the general public for cultural events, shows, concerts, dance performances, and festivals (e.g., Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique, Festival de Danse, Les Plages Electroniques, NRJ Music Awards). Over 81 cultural events are programmed per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes is a physical convention, exhibition and cultural venue in Cannes that rents out configurable spaces (Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, Théâtre Debussy, Salon des Ambassadeurs, Hall des Expositions, Espace Riviera) along with technical production, catering and ancillary services to professional event organizers for B2B trade shows, congresses and conferences. It also sells tickets to the general public for cultural programming including concerts, dance, pyrotechnics, comedy and festivals, hosting 70+ professional events and 81 cultural events per year across 340 days of activity.

Product overview

Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is a convention and exhibition center in Cannes, France, providing venue spaces and event hosting services. It is not a software technology platform and does not offer digital products, modules, or a product portfolio. Its core offerings consist of physical event spaces (auditoriums, exhibition halls, conference rooms), event organization services, and ticketing for cultural and professional events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Canneseries: International series festival with pink carpet, competition, and professional events held at the Palais des Festivals
• Cannes Lions
• IPEM (International Private Equity Market)
• Festival de Danse Cannes - Côte d'Azur
• Festival d'Art Pyrotechnique

Products and services

• B2B venue hosting for professional events Rental of multiple configurable event spaces (Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, Théâtre Debussy, Salon des Ambassadeurs, Hall des Expositions, Espace Riviera) plus technical, catering and ancillary services to professional event organizers and associations hosting B2B events.
• Cultural event programming and ticketing Ticketed cultural programming including concerts, theatre, dance shows, pyrotechnic displays, comedy events and festivals delivered to the general public across 81 cultural events per year, with tiered pricing by audience category.
• Guided venue tours Guided visits of the Palais des Festivals delivered in multiple languages (French and English are confirmed), letting visitors experience the iconic spaces including the famous red-carpet steps.
• 360° immersive virtual venue tours Immersive 360° previews of all major venue spaces published as videos on YouTube, enabling prospective clients and the public to experience the Palais virtually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ professional accreditations per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unimev (Union Française des Métiers de l'Evènement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIMEV is the only professional organization representing all stakeholders in the professional meetings industry: trade fair and exhibition organizers, congresses, sporting events, venue managers, and service providers. Le Palais operates as a member and active participant in this industry body.
• France Congrès et EvénementscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance Congrès et Evénements is the association of French convention and event cities, chaired by David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes. It brings together elected officials, venue managers, service providers, and organizers. Le Palais benefits from this association as Cannes's flagship venue.
• UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFI brings together trade show organizers, venue owners and operators, service providers, and national and international industry associations worldwide. Le Palais participates as a venue operator member.
• Atout FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtout France is France's official tourism development agency, aiming to boost the competitiveness and appeal of France as a destination. Le Palais benefits from national tourism promotion activities.
• LinkeusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinkeus federates more than 240 event industry professionals in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region (including Monaco and Ajaccio) since 2008. It advises professional event organizers and supports member growth.
• ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCA is the global community and knowledge center for the international association meetings industry. Le Palais participates as a congress center member to access international meeting data and industry best practices.
• AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIPC is the professional association of congress and exhibition center managers worldwide, committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in convention center management through research, training, and networking programs.
• CoésiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoésio brings together some 75 French-speaking convention destinations whose representatives share values of solidarity, quality, and progress. Founded over 45 years ago by convention center directors in Paris.
• Mice Club GermanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAs a registered member of Mice Club, Le Palais benefits from advantages and offers from product suppliers and service providers in the Mice and events sectors in Germany.
• Raccourci AgencycoreTechnology or IntegrationRaccourci Agency (La Rochelle) is responsible for the creation and hosting of the Palais des Festivals website. They have been committed to eco-design and sustainability since 2018, providing Woody CMS development, ongoing technical updates (delivered twice monthly), and eco-design consulting. They partner with Coopérative Carbone for local carbon offset via the 'La Forêt Bleue' project.
• ThinkMyWeb AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThinkMyWeb Agency (Lyon) is responsible for website design and content strategy of the Palais des Festivals website.
• OVHcoreTechnology or IntegrationOVH is the eco-responsible French hosting provider for the Palais des Festivals website. OVH has an average PUE of 1.28 (better than global average), participates in Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact and VMware's zero carbon commitment, and hosts data centers in France for RGPD compliance.
• Coopérative Carbone / La Forêt BleueminorOthersRaccourci Agency partners with Coopérative Carbone (La Rochelle) on a local carbon offset scheme. Emissions (servers and car travel) estimated at 30 tonnes of CO2 per year are offset via the 'La Forêt Bleue' project, with a symbolic contribution of €1 ex VAT/month offered to all clients.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paris Expo Porte de Versailles: France's largest convention and exhibition campus, also operated via a mixed-economy company (VIPARIS). Direct competitor for French B2B trade shows and conferences, including events that might otherwise consider Cannes.
• Palais des Congrès de Paris: Major Paris-based convention venue operated by VIPARIS, hosting large corporate congresses and entertainment events. Comparable in function (convention + cultural programming) and competes for French and international event organizers.
• Fira de Barcelona: One of Europe's largest convention and exhibition complexes, hosting flagship B2B events (Mobile World Congress, Alimentaria, ISE). Direct competitor for large international trade shows and congresses.
• ExCeL London: Major London convention and exhibition center hosting large international events. Comparable in scale and B2B focus; competes for European events that could alternatively choose Cannes.
• RAI Amsterdam: Amsterdam convention center hosting major European B2B exhibitions (ISE co-host, AI Summit). Comparable venue operator model competing for international congresses and trade fairs.
• GL events: Major French-based event services and venue management group (LYON EUREXPO, Paris events). Comparable as a publicly-listed French venue operator and event services provider with similar B2B and cultural event mix.

Broad incumbents

• Messe Frankfurt: Global exhibition organizer and venue operator with multiple German and international venues (Ambiente, Light + Building). Comparable in hosting flagship B2B trade shows, often with proprietary event ownership rather than pure venue rental.
• Dubai World Trade Centre: Major Middle East convention and exhibition complex, part of Dubai's broader events strategy. Competes for flagship international events and offers newer infrastructure and tax-free positioning.
• Marina Bay Sands / Sands Expo: Integrated Singapore convention-hotel complex with Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Comparable integrated venue + hospitality model, competing for Asia-Pacific and global flagship events.

Others

• RX France (Reed Exhibitions France): Organizer of MIPIM, MIPCOM, MAPIC and other flagship Cannes events. A key customer and ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but deeply comparable as an exhibition-industry operator using Le Palais as its primary French venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cannespalais
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRGKX0aTHRiOsiHte3QDR8A
• Facebookfacebook.com/palaisdesfestivals
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/palais-des-festivals-et-des-congres-de-cannes
• Instagraminstagram.com/palaisdesfestivals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Palais des Festivals et des Congrès