Cité des Échanges

What Cité des Échanges does

Cité des Échanges is a privately-held B2B event venue operator established in 1986 and headquartered on the Entreprises & Cités campus in Marcq-en-Baroeul, Lille, France. The company operates 3,000 m² of modular event space set within a 7-hectare green park, including named rooms such as Grand-Place (804 m²), Agora (259 m² + 545 m² seminar hall), Atrium des Géants (468 m²), Forum des 2 Caps (427 m²), Le Cub' co-design rooms, Klub House, Be Yourself, Web Studio, and Les jardins du Croisé outdoor gardens, accommodating events from 10 to 1,500 persons. It runs an integrated service platform combining venue rental, in-house audiovisual production (video, lighting, sound, scenography), on-site catering under the Cidélice brand using local and seasonal produce, themed event animations, B2B communication services, and hybrid/connected event capabilities via Web Studio and TV Studio. The company generates €5.97M of broader economic value on the territory and hosts 180,000+ professional visitors annually.

The business is organized as a SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée) with €150,000 share capital, operating under the Entreprises & Cités endowment-fund umbrella. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales with quote-based pricing — clients request quotes via the website or phone and are assigned a dedicated project manager who handles the event end-to-end. Customer segments are horizontal B2B: large corporates (MAIF, ADEO, Groupama Nord), professional associations (APM, Chambre des Notaires), business networks (M la Constellation), hospitality (Rouge Gorges), and event agencies, primarily within the Hauts-de-France region. The venue is differentiated by its accessibility (all-ground-floor, 900 free parking spaces), its ESG positioning under the Label Lucie Progress certification, and its embedded status within the Entreprises & Cités ecosystem of 3,500 collaborators across 10+ business-support entities.

Name

Cité des Échanges

Legal name

Cité des échanges

Website

https://citedesechanges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cité des Échanges is a privately-held B2B event venue operator in Lille, France, offering 3,000 m² of modular indoor and outdoor event space with integrated catering, audiovisual production, and hybrid-event services for corporate clients, professional associations, and public institutions across the Hauts-de-France region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Event Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fairgrounds & Expo Parks (THAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Corporate event venues
• Event management services
• Modular conference spaces
• Audiovisual production services
• Event catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Marcq-en-Baroeul

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Event Venue Rental: Rental of modular event spaces (3,000 m²) for corporate events including conferences, seminars, galas, and trade shows. Pricing based on space selection, duration, and services required.
2. Catering Services: On-site restaurant with made-to-order cuisine using local, seasonal, and eco-responsible products. Part of the full-service event package.
3. Audiovisual Production: Technical services including video capture, live streaming, web studio, and TV studio services for events
4. Event Planning Services: Project management and coordination of events with dedicated account managers, partner coordination, and logistics

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cité des Échanges operates a 3,000 m² corporate event venue in Marcq-en-Baroeul, Lille, offering 10+ named modular event spaces accommodating 10 to 1,500 persons. The venue provides fully integrated event services including in-house audiovisual production, on-site catering (Cidélice), themed animations, B2B communication leveraging its partner network, and hybrid/connected event capabilities. It is the only large-capacity event venue set in a 7-hectare green park in the Lille metropolitan area with 900 free parking spaces.

Product overview

Cité des Échanges is an enterprise event venue operator located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Lille, offering a platform of modular event spaces and comprehensive event organization services. The core offering consists of 10+ named rooms and spaces (Agora, Séminaire Agora, Atrium des Géants, Salle des Géants, Grand-Place, Forum des 2 Caps, Le Cub', Klub House, Be Yourself, Les jardins du Croisé, Salons VIP, Web Studio) totaling 3,000 m² of adaptable spaces accommodating 10 to 1,500 persons. Add-on services include integrated audiovisual production, on-site restaurant (Cidélice) with house-made cuisine, Top Animations for themed evenings, B2B communication services leveraging the venue's business network, and hybrid/connected event capabilities via Web Studio and TV Studio. The venue also offers a CSR program (Label Lucie Progress) and virtual tour access for remote exploration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Modular Event Spaces Rental (Location de salles événementielles) Rental of 3,000 m² of modular event spaces totalling 10+ named rooms for conferences, seminars, gala dinners, and corporate events accommodating 10 to 1,500 persons.
• Web Studio (Virtual Event Studio) 49 m² virtual event studio for hosting webinars with up to 1,000 participants and 4 on-site speakers, with full technical management by audiovisual technicians.
• Audiovisual Services (Services audiovisuels) Integrated audiovisual production including video capture, lighting design, sound reinforcement, and scenography for corporate events.
• Cidélice On-site Restaurant (Restauration) On-site restaurant with house-made cuisine using quality, local, and eco-responsible products, respecting seasonal availability and the RSE charter.
• Top Animations (Theme Event Animations) Event animation services including tropical evenings, Moulin Rouge themes, talent shows, guinguette parties, gala evenings, disco clubs, casino nights, and musical events.
• B2B Communication Services (The Place to BtoB) B2B communication services leveraging the venue's network of over 25 clubs, associations, and business networks for event promotion via agenda, newsletters, social media, and digital screens.
• Corporate Seminars & Conventions (Séminaires et Conventions) Corporate seminar and convention organization with full-service project management, team building activities, and audiovisual support for up to 1,500 persons.
• Trade Shows & Congresses (Salons et Congrès) Professional trade shows, conventions, B2B meetings, student fairs, medical and scientific congresses, and product launch showrooms up to 1,500 m² of exhibition space.
• Corporate Events (Événements d'entreprise) Corporate events including trophy presentations, New Year's greetings ceremonies, company anniversaries, product launches, inspiring conferences, and general assemblies.
• Garden Party Events Outdoor garden party events in the 7-hectare park including summer barbecues, live performances, prestige cocktails, live bands, and team building activities.
• Corporate Evenings & Gala Dinners (Soirées d'Entreprise et Dîners de Gala) Corporate evening events and gala dinners including seated dinners, cocktail dinatoires, festive evenings, afterworks, and award ceremonies with full catering support.
• Training & Examination Hosting (Formations et Concours) Professional training and competitive examination hosting with all rooms on a single level, 900 free parking spaces, and integrated audiovisual service.
• Connected/Hybrid Events (Événements Connectés) Connected/hybrid events combining in-person and remote participants via Web Studio, TV Studio, or connected Cub' spaces with live streaming capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180,000+ professional visitors annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hello LillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHello Lille is the Lille metropolitan area tourism and destination brand. Cité des Échanges is a partner, following their 10-point sanitary commitment charter recommended by Institut Pasteur de Lille.
• Lille EventsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal event industry association and partner for event organization in the Lille region.
• Institut Pasteur de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped sanitary protocol and HelloLille 10-point commitment charter for safe event organization during health crises.
• Lille MétropoleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEngaged Partner of Lille Métropole, demonstrating commitment to regional sustainable development.
• Entreprises & CitéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCité des Échanges is part of the Entreprises & Cités campus, one of France's largest entrepreneurial and patron campuses with 3,500 collaborators and 10+ business support entities.
• GeccominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal ESS (Social and Solidarity Economy) company that transforms used cooking oil into biodiesel.
• Les AlchimistesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransforms bio-waste into compost - 10,000 kg of bio-waste diverted from incineration in 2022, producing 1,800 kg of compost.
• EliseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaper and cardboard waste collection and recycling service; also employs people distant from employment.
• Cleaning BiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal company providing environmentally friendly cleaning products for venue maintenance.
• Vitamine TminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal inclusion enterprise receiving second-hand IT equipment redistribution from Cité des Échanges.
• Campus VertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital sobriety partnership to raise employee awareness of daily sustainable actions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Paris Expo Porte de Versailles: France's largest exhibition park, operated by Viparis. Directly comparable as a venue operator hosting trade shows, congresses, and corporate events with modular halls, parking, and on-site services.
• Lille Grand Palais: Lille's main convention and exhibition center, operated as a SEM. Directly competes with Cité des Échanges for the same regional corporate and professional event market in Hauts-de-France, with overlapping trade show and seminar capabilities.
• Viparis: Operates Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Nord Villepinte, Palais des Congrès de Paris, and other major French convention/exhibition venues. Direct peer in event venue operations, though at national scale and serving a different (Parisian) market.
• Palais des Congrès de Paris: Major Parisian convention venue hosting congresses, trade shows, and corporate seminars. Comparable in offering corporate event space with integrated services, though serving a national/international client base from Paris.

Broad incumbents

• GL Events: Lyon-headquartered global leader in event services operating venue management, exhibitions, and event production. Comparable full-service event venue + services model, but at a vastly larger international scale across multiple geographies.
• Accor Meetings & Events: Global hotel group offering extensive meeting and event facilities across its portfolio. Indirect competitor for corporate seminar and event bookings, particularly when clients prioritize accommodation bundled with meeting space.

Regional players

• Espace Gayant: Convention and event venue in Douai (Hauts-de-France region), serving a similar corporate and professional event market. Regional competitor in the broader Lille/Belgium corridor.
• CCI Hauts-de-France (Events): Regional Chamber of Commerce operates several event and congress venues across Hauts-de-France. Comparable regional event venue operator serving similar enterprise and association clients in Northern France.
• Lille Events: Local Lille-region professional events association and event services partner of Cité des Échanges. Comparable regional event ecosystem player with overlap in trade show and corporate event organization.

Emerging players

• Hopin: Virtual and hybrid event platform serving the same enterprise B2B events market. Partial overlap with Cité des Échanges' Web Studio and connected event services, representing a technology-driven alternative/complement to physical venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cite_echanges
• Facebookfacebook.com/citedesechanges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cit%C3%A9-des-%C3%A9changes
• Instagraminstagram.com/cite_echanges/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Cité des Échanges