Outstanding Hospitality for Attendees of Major International Trade Shows and Congresses in the Greater Paris Region

For immediate release Paris, 12 December 2019

The new Welcome Pack – outstanding hospitality for attendees of major international trade shows and congresses in the Greater Paris region

On Tuesday 10 December, during an official ceremony held in Paris, four major stakeholders in the business tourism sector signed a new partnership agreement aimed at boosting the quality of reception given to attendees of major events organised in the Greater Paris region. They included Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, CEO of Viparis, Eric Jeunemaitre, President of the Paris Region Tourist Board, Henri-Michel Comet, Deputy CEO of the ADP Group, and Franck Gervais, the Accor Group's CEO for Europe.

The Welcome Pack, the result of a partnership between the Paris Region Tourist Board, the ADP Group and Viparis, now includes a new component: accommodation services provided by a new partner, the Accor Group.

©Reputation Squad for Viparis

The Welcome Pack was launched in 2009 as a joint initiative between Viparis, the Paris Region Tourist Board and the Groupe ADP. It is a comprehensive set of reception services, information and complementary shuttle transfers provided to visitors, exhibitors and congress attendees. Upon arrival, Pack beneficiaries are welcomed and accompanied as they travel to their event venues. Since its inception, the Welcome Pack has been rolled out for 462 events. Shuttles have transported nearly 440,000 visitors and millions more have been welcomed and guided on their way.

In a bid to further improve the reception given to national and international business travellers to the region, the Welcome Pack's three founding partners have decided to expand the offer. From now on, Accor hotels in the vicinity of Viparis venues will provide specific accommodation-related services for guests attending events.

Hotel services: a key component in boosting Paris's appeal

In the global competition to host the very largest events, accommodation capacity is a vital differentiating factor. As a destination, the Greater Paris region can boast an extensive range of accommodation options, thanks in particular to the Accor Group.

Viparis and Accor are long-term partners dedicated to meeting the challenges of the most demanding global events. The goal is to provide event organisers with upstream visibility concerning accommodation availability in the vicinity of the Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris Nord Villepinte and Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. This customised offer is a reflection of a long-term commitment to boosting the appeal of Paris as a destination.

As a member of the Welcome Pack, Accor can now provide personalised hospitality and services aimed at those visiting the Greater Paris region for a congress or trade show. These services include an event-specific reception desk in a hotel lobby, visuals of the event, and hotel staff able to provide practical information about the event (transport, access, programme, etc.).

The "Villepinte Express"

Moreover, the Welcome Pack also bolsters its commitment to visitor reception and orientation by increasing the number of free shuttles between Paris-Charles de Gaulle to events organised at Paris Nord Villepinte.

The "Villepinte Express" was first tested at the JEC World trade show, which was held from 12 to 14 March 2019. Shuttle use surged 30% over the previous edition. Starting on 1 January 2020, the Villepinte Express will be systematically included as part of every event covered by the Welcome Pack.

Supporting the growth of business tourism to Paris

By expanding their shared vision, the Welcome Pack's stakeholders have streamlined the reception given to visitors to national and international events in the Greater Paris region, at a time when the appeal of the French capital continues to grow. The 446 trade shows held in the region in 2018 welcomed a total of 9.4 million visitors, a 1.3% increase over 2017. With 1,992 conferences held in 2018 — 36 of which were attended by over 5,000 people (compared with 1,037 in 2017, including 31 events with more than 5,000 attendees), the number of attendees is on the rise: 882,405 in 2018 (compared with 773,090 in 2017), 32% of whom came from abroad (against 30% in 2017).

According to the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry, trade shows and congresses in the Greater Paris region generated €6.3 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits in 2018.

"Paris is the world's leading destination for business tourism. This is due to the fact that every stakeholder in the sector has come together to provide top-quality services to event organisers and attendees. The Welcome Pack is proof positive that providing international visitors with a warm welcome, information and transport all the way to their destination is a winning formula. Through our actions, Viparis is helping to bolster the worldwide appeal of the Greater Paris region." Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, CEO, Viparis

"In 2018, the Greater Paris region welcomed some 50 million tourists, a new record that consolidated our position as the world's leading tourist destination. Visitor spending totalled €21.5 billion. In the same year, business travellers accounted for 33.5 million hotel nights, or 46.7% of total overnight stays in and around Paris, making the Greater Paris region Europe's number one destination for professional meetings and events. Business tourism and business travel constitute a major sector that fuels the growth of the Paris economy and that of its region. Hospitality and services that target business travellers, and visitors as a whole, are the centrepiece of the Regional Tourism and Leisure Development Plan (SRDTL), which was approved by the Ile-de-France Regional Council in 2017. The Trade Show and Congress Welcome Pack, which this new agreement has strengthened and expanded, is an excellent example of how key business tourism stakeholders can come together to achieve the Plan's objectives!" Eric Jeunemaitre, President of the Paris Region Tourist Board

"Parisian airports serve as crossroads for business travellers from around the world. They are also hubs for professional meetings. Now, thanks to our employees' commitment to providing the best that Paris has to offer, airports are also on the hospitality forefront. The new Congress and Trade Show Welcome Pack boosts exhibitor and visitor satisfaction at major professional events. It also helps to promote Paris internationally, consolidating the capital's leading role in the business meeting and events industry." Henri-Michel Comet, Deputy CEO, Groupe ADP

"As a leader in hospitality, we are committed to continuously improving our services and fulfilling every one of our customers’ expectations. Our presence in Paris allows us to join Viparis and the Greater Paris Region in this initiative to expand reception services offered to business travellers. A customised, attentive welcome, with a large choice of brands ranging from budget to luxury, is one of Accor's strengths. With the introduction of the new Welcome Pack, business travellers will benefit from personalised services that will streamline their trips and provide them with an even more memorable experience." Franck Gervais, Accor Group's CEO for Europe -- About Viparis Viparis, a subsidiary of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, is the European leader in conferences and trade events. Viparis manages nine main events venues in the greater Paris region. Every day, we strive to make our sites and our services more efficient and adaptable. Because our customers' well- being comes first, we have developed Guest Attitude, a unique blend of prestigious venues and high-quality services for the 10 million visitors (the general public, professionals and spectators) and the 800 events we host each year at our various venues (Espace Champerret, Espace Grande Arche, Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, Les Salles du Carrousel, Palais des Congrès d’Issy, Palais des Congrès de Paris, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Le Bourget and Paris Nord Villepinte). Because we are always looking towards the future, we co-founded French Event Booster, the event industry's only innovation platform, where creative, collaborative ideas can circulate between industry stakeholders. To learn more, visit our website Viparis.com, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About the Paris Region Tourist Board Through its activities with tourism professionals and visitors, Paris Region Tourist Board promotes and develops the Paris Region as a destination. It provides resources, tools, support and a network that can be used by Paris Region tourism professionals to develop and distribute a quality, innovative and customised offering. For more information: pro.visitparisregion.com

About Groupe ADP Groupe ADP develops and operates airports, including Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly and Paris-Le Bourget. In 2018, ADP became the world's leading airport operating group in terms of passenger traffic: 281.4 million passengers. Airports managed by the group's subsidiary, ADP International, welcomed more than 176 million passengers. In Paris, via Paris Airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports have become the primary gateway to France, with more than 105 million passengers and 2.3 million tonnes of freight and mail. Groupe ADP is using its unique geographic location and catchment area to pursue a strategy of expanding capacity and improving service quality while also growing its retail activities and real estate interests.

About Accor A global leader in augmented hospitality, Accor offers unique and unmatched experiences in close to 4,800 hotels, resorts and residences in 100 countries. For more than 50 years, it has combined the full breadth of its hotel know-how in an incomparable collection spanning from luxury to economy brands. Accor offers more than just a night away from home: it gives its guests new ways of living, working and playing, blending food and beverages, nightlife, wellness and coworking within its brands. It also offers digital solutions that maximize distribution, optimize hotel operations and enhance the customer experience. Accor is deeply committed to sustainable value creation and plays an active role in giving back to the planet and the community via its Planet 21 – Acting Here program and the Accor Solidarity endowment fund, which gives disadvantaged groups access to employment through professional training. Accor SA is publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACRFY) in the United States. For more information, visit accor.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

VIPARIS MEDIA CONTACT AGENCE GEN-G Adrien De Casabianca +33 (0)6 30 30 34 84 [email protected]

GROUPE ADP MEDIA CONTACT Lola Bourget Head of the Media Relations and Reputation Department +33 (1) 74 25 23 23 [email protected]