Créa-france

What Créa-france does

Créa-france is a French nonprofit association (loi 1901), legally named Association Française pour le Développement de la Créativité, founded in 2003 and headquartered at the Maison de la Vie Associative et Citoyenne in Paris (5 rue Perrée, 75003). It is governed by President Christine BOUT DE L'AN and operated by volunteers with no paid staff, and holds recognition as an association d'intérêt général, which confers 66% tax-deductible status on donations. The organization serves creativity practitioners, facilitators, coaches, trainers, and enthusiasts — a community of 100+ named members spanning France through the Paris base and regional chapters (Créa-france Nord, Créa-france Méditerranée).

Its core offering is a portfolio of in-person and online event formats rather than a software product. The catalog includes networking events (Apéros Créa), themed collaborative workshops (Fresque des Imaginaires, Fresque du Facteur Humain, Fresque des Nouveaux Récits), facilitation training (La Fabrique à Icebreaker, ateliers de facilitation), the summer Créa-Université d'été, the World Creativity and Innovation Week, and large biennial/annual conferences (Connect2Create and the international CREA Conference). Delivery occurs in physical venues across Paris and other French cities and via Zoom/Google Meet, with ticketing handled through HelloAsso and Zeffy. There is no proprietary technology platform; the technical footprint is a WordPress website hosted on OVH plus standard social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook) and an email newsletter.

Revenue is generated through three streams: annual membership subscriptions (with free membership for students under 25), per-event workshop and apéro fees (typically €7-40), and donations from individuals (36 donors in 2024). The organization also receives public funding, notably an ANR grant under the France 2030 'Investissements d'avenir' program supporting Connect2Create 2024. The business model is community-led and volunteer-run, with members organizing events and driving word-of-mouth acquisition; partnerships with academic institutions (LaPEA, Université Paris Cité, Université Grenoble Alpes) and sister associations (Créa-Québec, Créa-Germany) extend reach and credibility.

Name

Créa-france

Legal name

Créa-france, Association Française pour le Développement de la Créativité

Website

https://crea-france.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Créa-france is a French volunteer-run nonprofit founded in 2003 that develops creativity through workshops, conferences, and community events for facilitators, coaches, and creative professionals across France and the international CREA network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Professional Development and Workshop Facilitation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

Keywords

• Creativity development
• Facilitation workshops
• Creative training
• Nonprofit association
• Workshop facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership subscription provides access to member pricing on events, free admission to some events, and community benefits. Free membership for students under 25.
2. Workshop and event fees: Revenue from ticketed workshops, apéros, and events ranging from €7-40 for members and €15-35 for non-members. Some events free with registration.
3. Donations: Association recognized as 'd'intérêt général' (public benefit), allowing donors to benefit from 66% tax reduction. Receives donations from supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Créa-france is a French nonprofit association that organizes and delivers creativity development workshops, themed Fresque collaborative sessions, facilitation training ateliers, informal networking apéros, annual summer universities, and biennial European creativity conferences for individual practitioners, facilitators, coaches, students, and educators. Services are accessed via annual membership (free for students under 25) and individual event registration.

Product overview

Créa-france is a French association for creativity development that offers a diverse portfolio of event formats and workshops rather than a unified software product. The portfolio includes networking events (Apéros Créa), interactive workshops (ateliers de créativité), themed fresques (Fresque des Imaginaires, Fresque du Facteur Humain, Fresque des Nouveaux Récits), conferences (Connect2Create, CREA Conference), and seasonal programs (Créa-Université d'été, Semaine mondiale de la créativité). The organization also provides facilitation training and creative presentation formats like Pecha Kucha. Services are delivered through membership subscriptions and event-based access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to international CREA Conference with 150€ discount for members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LaPEA (Laboratoire de Psychologie et d'Ergonomie Appliquées)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Connect2Create 2024 European creativity conference with University Paris Cité. Provides academic research perspective and scientific rigor to creativity methodologies.
• EACI (European Association for Creativity & Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Connect2Create biennial conference. Part of the European network of creativity associations.
• ISSCI (International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Connect2Create 2024. International academic society focused on creativity research.
• Créa-QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister association in Quebec, Canada. Co-organizes events and workshops. Sylvain Rouillard, president of Créa-Québec, regularly facilitates workshops for Créa-france.
• Créa-GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman sister association. Co-organizes Play4innovation annual unconference in Berlin. Part of international CREA network.
• Université Paris CitécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Connect2Create 2024 hosted at Institut de Psychologie in Boulogne-Billancourt. Co-organizes Créa-Université summer university with researchers and practitioners.
• KalaapaminorOthersCommunication and transformation agency co-founded by Arnaud Pottier Rossi, active member and workshop facilitator for Créa-france.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IDEO U: Design and innovation education arm of IDEO offering creative leadership and facilitation courses globally; targets a similar enterprise/individual segment seeking creative methods and tools.
• Centre for Creative Leadership: Global nonprofit focused on leadership development and creativity/innovation training; broader portfolio than Créa-france but addresses the same demand for creative leader training and facilitation methods.

Emerging players

• La Fresque du Climat: French nonprofit running collaborative fresque-format workshops at massive scale; comparable in using the fresque workshop method and volunteer-led association model that Créa-france also deploys (e.g., Fresque du Facteur Humain).
• Destination Imagination: US-based nonprofit running creativity and problem-solving programs through workshops and challenges; comparable as a member/community-driven creativity education organization.

Direct peers

• European Association for Creativity & Innovation (EACI): European-level creativity and innovation association; co-organizes Connect2Create with Créa-france and targets the same audience of creativity practitioners and researchers across Europe.
• Créa-Germany: German sister association within the same international CREA network that co-organizes the Play4innovation unconference in Berlin; structurally identical to Créa-france in mission and operating model.
• International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation (ISSCI): International academic society for creativity research and practice; co-organized Connect2Create 2024 with Créa-france and shares the academic/creative-practitioner community boundary.
• Créa-Québec: Sister association in Quebec, Canada, and active partner that co-organizes workshops and shares the CREA network brand with Créa-france - directly comparable in mission, methods, and community model.

Regional players

• Kalaapa: French communication and transformation agency co-founded by an active Créa-france member; offers facilitation and creative workshops directly comparable in audience and methods.
• Synapse Développement: French creativity and innovation training firm offering structured CPS-based programs to enterprises; comparable in that it teaches the same creative problem-solving methodologies Créa-france promotes but operates as a for-profit consultancy in the same French market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@creafrance
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Cr%C3%A9a-France/100064366704930
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crea-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/creafrance
• Xx.com/crea_france

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 Créa-france