PANAMA

What PANAMA does

Agence Panama (legal name PANAMA) is a privately-held French hostess and reception staffing agency founded in 2009 by France Merlin and headquartered at 14 rue St Polycarpe, 69001 Lyon, with an additional office at 210 place Charles et Christophe Mérieux, 69007 Lyon. The company provides three core service lines: event reception (accueil événementiel) for salons, congresses, forums, and corporate, government, luxury, institutional, cultural, and sporting events; corporate reception (accueil en entreprise) for company headquarters, offices, law firms, notaries, and private clinics; and site reception (accueil sur sites) for arenas, concert halls, airports, train stations, boutiques, museums, and stadiums. Add-on offerings include bilingual/multilingual hostess services, dedicated auto-salon reception, and cloakroom management. A wholly-owned sub-brand, PANAMA SWISS, extends the same model into Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, Basel, Davos, Zurich).

The firm operates a direct B2B sales model with customized, quote-based pricing tied to event type, duration, headcount, and specifications; no public pricing is disclosed. Geographic coverage spans France (Lyon, Paris, Cannes, Monaco, Marseille, Annecy, Aix-les-Bains), Switzerland via PANAMA SWISS, and 'all European Community countries'. The company markets through agencepanama.com, a blog, and LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram profiles, and positions itself at major industry events (auto salons including Epoqu'Auto at Eurexpo Lyon and Mondial de l'Auto in Paris; cultural venues including the Opéra National de Lyon and Théâtre National Populaire; and sailing events such as Régates Royales de Cannes). Service guarantees include 24/7 availability and a stated 12-hour response SLA on staffing requests. PANAMA is independent, with no disclosed parent company, no institutional investors, and no public listing; revenue, funding, and valuation are not publicly disclosed.

Name

PANAMA

Legal name

PANAMA

Website

https://agencepanama.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Agence Panama is a privately-held French hostess and reception staffing agency, founded in 2009 in Lyon and operating across France, Switzerland (via PANAMA SWISS), and the EU, providing premium event, corporate, and venue reception services to event organizers, corporations, cultural institutions, and luxury brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Staffing Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Hospitality & VIP Lounge Staff (HSACAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amenity & Vendor Coordination (Catering, Dry Cleaning, Repairs Scheduling) (BPABAEAJ), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM), Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Hostess staffing services
• Event reception services
• Corporate receptionist staffing
• Bilingual hostess services
• Premium hospitality staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hostess Staffing Services: Placement of professional hostesses and receptionists for events, corporate offices, and venues. Services are billed per mission/contract, typically quote-based and customized to client requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PANAMA is a French hostess and receptionist staffing agency that places trained, often bilingual or multilingual hostesses and hosts for events, corporate offices, and public venues. Services are delivered across three core lines: event reception (salons, congresses, corporate, cultural, sporting events), corporate reception (headquarters, law firms, notaries, private clinics), and site reception (arenas, airports, train stations, museums, stadiums). The agency also provides specialized bilingual hostess services, automobile salon reception, and cloakroom management.

Product overview

PANAMA is a French hostess and host reception agency founded in 2009 by France Merlin. The company operates as a service-based business offering three core service lines: event reception (accueil événementiel) for salons, congresses, forums, corporate, government, luxury, institutional, cultural and sporting events; corporate reception (accueil en entreprise) for headquarters, offices, law firms, notaries and private clinics; and site reception (accueil sur sites) for arenas, concert halls, airports, stations, boutiques, museums and sports venues. The portfolio includes specialized bilingual/multilingual hostess services, automobile salon reception services, and cloakroom management. PANAMA SWISS operates as a sub-brand serving the premium Swiss market across Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, Basel, Davos and Zurich.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PANAMA SWISS: Premium reception services division serving Switzerland and European markets including Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, Basel, Davos, and Zurich

Products and services

• Accueil événementiel (Event Reception) Reception hostess services for events including salons, congresses, forums, corporate events, government events, luxury events, institutional events, cultural events, and sporting events. Provided to event organizers, corporate clients, and public event producers.
• Accueil en entreprise (Corporate Reception) Corporate reception services providing hostesses and hosts for company headquarters, offices, law firms, notaries, private clinics, and fiduciary companies. Targets organizations needing permanent or recurring reception staffing.
• Accueil sur sites (Site Reception) Reception services for venues including arenas, concert halls, airports, train stations, arcades, boutiques, foundations, museums, stadiums, and sports sites. Provided to venue operators and public facilities.
• PANAMA SWISS Premium reception services division operating in Switzerland, serving the premium market for events, corporate reception, and site reception in Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, Basel, Davos, and Zurich. Operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rapid 12-hour response time for staffing requests
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PANAMA SWISScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPANAMA SWISS is the company's Swiss subsidiary operation, providing premium hostess and receptionist services across Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, Bâle, Davos, Zurich) and internationally. It operates as an integrated part of the agency network, serving premium markets including event hospitality, corporate reception, and on-site services at arenas, theaters, airports, and sporting venues.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup: ManpowerGroup is a global staffing and workforce solutions provider with event/hospitality staffing capabilities in France. Broad incumbent that competes with boutique agencies like PANAMA on larger event and corporate reception contracts.
• Randstad: Randstad is a major global staffing firm with French operations covering hospitality, event, and reception staffing. A broad incumbent whose scale and procurement capabilities can pressure boutique hostess agencies on price.
• CRIT Intérim: CRIT is a major French staffing and HR services group with event and hospitality staffing offerings. A broad incumbent operating in the same French market as PANAMA, though across a wider staffing portfolio.
• Adecco: Adecco is one of the world's largest staffing firms with a French operation that includes event and hospitality staffing. While broader than PANAMA, it competes in the same overall staffing space and can underbid on volume-driven event contracts.
• Adéquat Intérim: Adéquat is a French staffing network providing temporary and permanent staffing across hospitality and events. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same French staffing market, with comparable event and reception service lines.

Emerging players

• Smyle: Smyle is a UK-based event staffing and brand experience agency. Comparable to PANAMA in premium event staffing and brand experience delivery, with a UK rather than Francophone focus.

Regional players

• Accent Jobs: Accent Jobs is a Benelux-headquartered staffing firm with hospitality and event staffing offerings. Comparable to PANAMA in core service line but primarily operates in Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg rather than France/Switzerland.

Direct peers

• Agence Place Vendôme: Paris-based hostess and reception agency specializing in luxury and corporate events. Comparable to PANAMA in the high-end French event staffing niche with similar bilingual and VIP service offerings.
• Hostesses Premium: Hostesses Premium is a France-based hostess and host staffing agency serving events, corporate receptions, and trade shows. Directly competes with PANAMA for premium event staffing mandates in France.
• Eqos Event: Eqos Event is a French hostess and event staffing agency providing reception, promotion, and event hostess services across France. Direct competitor to PANAMA in the same product category with similar event-driven B2B model and client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/agenceaccueilpanama
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/panama_3
• Instagraminstagram.com/agencepanama/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 PANAMA