TravTalk Middle East Online Magazine
France Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai records first million visitors since its opening on October 1, 2021, boosted by events dedicated to visitors and B2B audiences. These visits were an opportunity to strengthen global cooperation and to search solutions for challenges facing humanity.
With three months left, the France Pavilion is more involved than ever to provide a memorable experience for all visitors. Alongside the permanent exhibition, two temporary exhibitions are also in the pipeline, each dedicated to an artistic expertise: “Grand Paris Express” under the theme of architecture from January 20 to February 21, 2022 (by the Société du Grand Paris x Dominique Perrault) and “Jean Paul Gaultier from A to Z”, a retrospective of the enfant terrible de la mode’s 50 years career from February 28 to March 31, 2022.
An inspiring pavilion
The show kicked off with France National Day on October 2, 2021 a special day confirming that the pavilion is an unforgettable showcase for French excellence. For several years now, the pavilion has been supported by the best representatives of French savoir-faire through ambassador sponsors, ENGIE and Orange.
140 business events held in the first three months
The pavilion is a meeting place to develop France economic attractiveness, create connections, strengthen its influence all around the world and promote its French companies. The pavilion hosted 140 B2B events on the Belvedere terrace, at the initiative of its sponsors and partners, start-ups (in partnership with Business France), institutions, and foundations.
All the sponsors and stakeholders came during these first three months on the France National Day and/or for the special events. The pavilion was honoured to have hosted CEOs of its main sponsors: They include Catherine McGregor, CEO of our ambassador sponsor ENGIE and Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the board of Directors, Jean-Bernard Levy, CEO of EDF, Philippe Baptiste, CEO of CNES, Eric Scotto, CEO of Akuo Energy, Sébastien Bougon, CEO of FLYING WHALES, Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L’Oréal Group, and Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman of the board of directors of L’Oréal, Catherine Guillouard, CEO of RATP, Franck Lebouchard, CEO of Devialet, Aymeric Duthoit, CEO of Duvivier Canapés, Francois Peyrac, CEO of Les Compagnons du Miel, Patrick Chalhoub CEO of Chalhoub Group, Jean Yves Berthon, CEO of Greentech, Evrard de Ponnat, CEO of Igienair, Jean-Christophe Ragni, Associate director of Ragni, Antoine Petit, CEO of CNRS, François Taddei, Founder of Learning Planet Institute, Olivier Chiabodo, CEO of The Explorers and Valérie Decamp, CEO of MEDIATRANSPORTS.
In three months, Erik Linquier, Commissioner General for France at Expo 2020 Dubai and Chairman of Cofrex, welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron on December 3, 2021. Those who visited along with Macron include Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy, Finance and Recovery; Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces; Roselyne Bachelot, Minister of Culture; Franck Riester, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, in charge of Foreign Trade and Attractiveness; Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Ecological Transition, in charge of Transport; Roxana Maracineanu, and Alain Griset, then Minister Delegate to the Minister for the Economy, Finance and Recovery, in charge of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
