Congress Meeting Solutions

What Congress Meeting Solutions does

Congress Meeting Solutions (CMS) is an independent event-management agency founded in 2006 by Claire Schleicher and headquartered in Villefranche-sur-Saône, near Lyon, France. The company specializes in venue finding and end-to-end corporate event organization for French and multinational clients, operating across four service pillars: seminars and team building, international conventions and congresses, hybrid/virtual events, and eco-responsible events. CMS maintains a proprietary database of more than 8,000 vetted venue partners worldwide and, together with partner 45°Nord Consulting, co-developed the MEG (Meeting Expert Group) platform — a shared venue-search and qualification tool that underpins the cooperative of independent venue-finders CMS co-founded in 2010.

The business model is a professional services firm built on bespoke, per-project fees negotiated with enterprise clients. Revenue streams include venue-sourcing commissions/service fees, event co-organisation and logistics services, team-building design and delivery (including the TBRS responsible-and-solidarity format), and centralised procurement for large-scale events such as Tupperware's Nantes 2018 convention (1,000–1,500 participants). Services are billed through multi-year contractual relationships and bundled according to client scope, with events sized from 10 to 500 participants and approximately 50% of groups booked internationally. Eco-responsible services are differentiated through a license to use the ADEME-developed Bilan Carbone methodology, delivered via partnership with ABC Association.

CMS is a founder-owned, self-funded human-sized agency of approximately 5 employees (plus two apprentices added in 2025), with no external institutional capital, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed parent company. The firm holds IATA/TIDS accreditation and Atout France registration, operates with Atradius financial guarantee and AXA France professional liability coverage, and reaches clients through direct sales, trade shows (MICE Place City), social/email marketing, and referrals from the MEG cooperative network. The client base is anchored by long-term enterprise relationships across pharmaceuticals (BioMérieux), consumer goods (Tupperware, WD-40, Coleman), and international associations (WBCSD).

Name

Congress Meeting Solutions

Legal name

Congress&Meeting Solutions

Website

https://congressmeetingsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Event Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External) (THAHACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Venue finding services
• Corporate event management
• MICE event planning
• Seminar organization
• Eco-responsible events

Headquarters

HQ city

Villefranche-sur-Saône

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venue Finding / Sourcing Fees: CMS charges fees for its core venue-finding service — sourcing and recommending hotels and venues for corporate events, seminars, conventions, and incentives. This is the primary revenue driver. CMS negotiates tariffs and contractual terms on behalf of clients and earns commissions or service fees from venues/suppliers or directly from clients.
2. Event Co-organisation and Logistics Services: CMS provides full or partial event management including logistics coordination, supplier management, on-site support, and hybrid/digital event delivery. Services are billed as professional service engagements, often bundled with venue finding or sold separately.
3. Team Building Design and Delivery: CMS designs and delivers team-building experiences including Responsible and Solidarity team buildings (TBRS), climate fresco workshops, and custom activities. Revenue is generated through service fees for design, coordination, and delivery of these experiences.
4. Centralised Procurement / Group Purchasing: CMS centralises hotel bookings, accommodation, and supplier procurement for large-scale events (e.g., Tupperware convention with 1,000–1,500 participants), earning commissions or service fees on volume room blocks negotiated with hotel partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Congress Meeting Solutions is an independent MICE agency that provides venue-finding, full event co-organisation, and logistics coordination for corporate clients. Its core offer is identifying and negotiating venues from a database of more than 8,000 global partners for seminars, conventions, team-building events, and hybrid events, complemented by optional end-to-end event management and eco-responsible event design using the licensed Bilan Carbone methodology.

Product overview

Congress Meeting Solutions is an independent event planning agency specializing in venue finding and event organization. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. Its core portfolio consists of four main service categories: (1) Séminaires & Team Building for corporate seminars and cohesion activities, (2) Conventions et Congrès Internationaux for large-scale international events, (3) Événements Hybrides for combined in-person/digital formats, and (4) Événements Écoresponsables for sustainable event solutions including carbon footprint assessment and responsible team building activities. The company was founded in 2006 and maintains a network of over 8,000 venue partners globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recherche de lieux / Venue Finding Specialized venue-finding service for business events, seminars, and conventions. CMS maintains a database of over 8,000 global partners to identify ideal locations for client events and negotiates the best tariffs and contractual conditions on behalf of clients.
• Séminaires & Team Building Corporate seminar and team-building organisation services for events ranging from 10 to 500 participants, including venue selection, activity coordination, on-site support, and creative cohesion-building activities (including Responsible and Solidarity Team Building / TBRS and climate fresco workshops).
• Conventions et Congrès Internationaux International convention and congress organisation with full logistics support, including destination research, supplier coordination, registration management, accommodation block handling, and multi-country vendor orchestration for large-scale events.
• Événements Hybrides Hybrid event solutions combining in-person and digital participation, including TV studio setups, live streaming coordination, and technical partner management (via MICE MEDIA partnership) for virtual components of corporate events.
• Événements Écoresponsables Eco-responsible event services including carbon footprint assessment (Bilan Carbone methodology licensed from ADEME/ABC), carbon offsetting, sustainable event design, eco-conception, and Team Building Responsable et Solidaire (TBRS) activities aligned with CSR/RSE objectives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Venue identification in under 72 hours for French destinations and within a few days internationally, with detailed financial estimates.
• +4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• MEG (Meeting Expert Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010CMS co-founded MEG (Meeting Expert Group) in 2010 as a cooperative of independent venue finders. CMS is a shareholder and co-developer of the MEG platform (developed with 45°Nord Consulting), a unique venue-search and qualification tool. MEG aggregates knowledge and data across its member agencies, allowing CMS to serve clients requiring venues outside its immediate geography.
• 45°Nord ConsultingcoreTechnology or Integration45°Nord Consulting co-developed the MEG platform with CMS, contributing to the proprietary venue-finding and qualification technology used by CMS and MEG member agencies.
• MICE MEDIAstrategicTechnology or IntegrationCMS partnered with MICE MEDIA (a long-standing specialist in virtual and hybrid event platforms) to deliver digital event solutions to clients. MICE MEDIA provides the technology platform while CMS manages the event design, coordination, and client relationship. The partnership enables CMS to offer end-to-end hybrid and fully virtual events.
• ASA (Ankohonana Sahirana Arenina)minorOthersASA is a Madagascar-based association supporting families in severe poverty through rural and urban reintegration programmes. CMS has supported ASA for over 10 years through donations and fundraising, including buying a zebu for farming families during a New York Marathon fundraiser. This is a charitable/social commitment rather than a commercial partnership.
• Pullman Paris Centre BercyminorOthersPullman Paris Centre Bercy was a venue partner for CMS's Paris 2024 Paralympic client experience event. The hotel is located 10 minutes' walk from Accor Arena and provides functional, luminous meeting spaces. Adrien Kobeh and his team hosted CMS and competition winners.
• PagabagsminorOthersPagabags is a Burkina Faso-based craft workshop producing embroidered pouches. CMS sourced Pagabags products as eco-responsible client gifts (glass water bottles in recyclable pouches) for its 2020 client meetings, aligning with CMS's commitment to fair-trade and sustainable sourcing.
• Entreprise des PossiblesminorOthersThe Entreprise des Possibles is a collective of Lyonnais companies committed to supporting homeless people and disadvantaged individuals. Claire Schleicher signed the convention in October 2020, enabling CMS employees to participate in volunteer missions (e.g., weekly support at Prado youth shelter, Fresque du Climat workshops). This is a social commitment rather than a commercial partnership.
• ABC Association Bilan CarbonestrategicTechnology or IntegrationCMS is a member of the Association Bilan Carbone (ABC), the central body for the Bilan Carbone methodology developed by ADEME. CMS holds a license to use the Bilan Carbone methodology and tools for measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of corporate events. ABC is affiliated with ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency).
• Divani Apollon Palace & ThalassominorOthersA 5-star seafront hotel in Vouliagmeni, 25 minutes from Athens airport. Selected by CMS for a February 2026 seminar with 200 participants. The hotel was chosen for its meeting spaces, sea-view rooms, and Mediterranean-facing restaurants.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Réunir: French event and incentive travel agency offering corporate seminars, conventions, and incentive programmes. Closely comparable France-based boutique competitor serving similar enterprise client profiles.
• GL Events: Major French-headquartered event services group with venue management and event organization arms. Comparable geographic focus to CMS (France-centric) but operates at much larger scale across venues, exhibitions, and live events.

Emerging players

• EventMobi: Event technology platform specializing in hybrid and virtual event experiences. Comparable to CMS's hybrid events offering via MICE MEDIA partnership, though operating on a SaaS rather than services model.

Broad incumbents

• MCI Group: Global association, congress, and event management firm with strong sustainability positioning. Comparable to CMS's association/international convention work (e.g., WBCSD) and ESG-aligned offerings.
• American Express Meetings & Events: Meetings & Events arm of American Express Global Business Travel, a global leader in corporate meetings management. Competes for the same enterprise multinational clients CMS serves (e.g., BioMérieux-tier accounts).
• CWT Meetings & Events: CWT's global meetings and events division, offering strategic meetings management for enterprise clients. Comparable to CMS at the multinational end of the customer spectrum.
• BCD Meetings & Events: Global MICE management division of BCD Group, serving large multinational clients with full-service event strategy and execution. Overlaps with CMS's enterprise convention and meeting work, but at vastly larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• HelmsBriscoe: The largest global venue-sourcing network, with thousands of independent affiliate meeting planners. Operates a near-identical model to CMS's core venue-finding service, but at global scale; direct comparator for MEG's cooperative concept.
• HPN Global: Hotel Planner Network — a venue-sourcing and meeting management firm serving corporate clients worldwide. Closely comparable offering to CMS's core service line.
• ConferenceDirect: US-headquartered global venue-sourcing and meeting management company serving corporate clients. Direct competitor in the venue-finding space, with comparable enterprise customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CMSVenueFinder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congress-meeting-solutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/congressmeetingsolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Congress Meeting Solutions