FRANCE - 2011 Edition of the annual Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in Paris by MCI

Philippe Fournier describes the role that MCI France has playes in the organization of the largest congress ever welcomed in France with over 30.000 attendees. "We were selected by the ESC in 2007 to assist them in the management of accomodation, a crucial point for the European Society of Cardiology. We set up a dedicated team with some of our most experienced staff as well as specific recruitment for the occasion. Accomodation has meant managing over 160 hotels. 15.000 hotel rooms per night and a huge number of groups. We therefore had to work a long time before, in collaboration with ESC but also the Paris Convention Bureau, to communicate with the hoteliers to obtain the necessary allotments, the most decent rates possible and the specific conditions that were attractive enough for the ESC to choose Paris for the first time. Everything worked out in a very serene way. The Paris hotels followed suit and collaborated in an afficient and win-win attitude."

MCI mandate also concerned the official evenings of the congress as well as the management of private transportation, parking and the accompanying person program. Concerning transportation and parking MCI staff had to put in place a specific operation. The ESC was not a trade show but a congress. This means that all of the 30.000 attendees have to arrive on site all togheter, at the same time. That was not an easy task and public trasportation whether by subway or by buses and private cars arrivals had to be flawlessly organized and coordinated to avoid a nightmare.

"This is the first time that such a large and important congress took place in Paris" said Philippe Fournier, Managing Director of MCI France."As Managing Director of MCI France, I can only be very honoured that Paris, our capital city, welcomes such an event representing such a huge impact on our economy, our research and hence the wealth of my country. We feel also very proud to have been entrusted with the housing of this congress by such a renowned professional organization as ESC and I can only thank them to have chosen Paris."