访谈 | Marta Gomes：线下活动值得投入，2024奥运会创造新机遇

——访国际大会与会议协会（ICCA）第一副主席法国巴黎展览馆集团（Viparis） 销售副执行总监  Marta Gomes

疫情持续影响全球会展业。国际大会与会议协会（ICCA）第一副主席Marta Gomes女士在接受《会议》杂志专访时表示，她仍然看好未来国际会议市场的恢复形势，特别是中国市场，相信也会在聚焦本地和国内市场的同时，加快对国际市场的开放程度。此外，2024年第33届夏季奥林匹克运动会将在巴黎举办，Marta Gomes也认为这将为巴黎会展带来更多机遇，作为法国巴黎展览馆集团（Viparis） 的销售副执行总监，她也表示，将会与中国的更多场馆进行沟通和互动，共同面对当前和未来的挑战。

M：在国际大会与会议协会的统计中，2019年-2022年，国际会议受到新冠疫情影响较为严重。目前国际会议市场正在逐渐恢复，您怎么看待接下来国际会议活动的恢复情况？

Marta Gomes：为应对新冠疫情，各国采取了多项措施，如旅行限制、边境封锁和限制聚集等，许多会议、展览和研讨会因此被取消，这迫使会展行业开发虚拟或线上活动，寻找交流信息和传递知识的新途径。

但是，会议组织者和与会者很快认识到，会议不仅仅是交流知识和内容，与其他与会者的交流和互动也是参与活动的重要部分。线下活动会带来意想不到的机会，有助于促进合作和建立社群：因此参加线下活动是值得投入的。

这在我们今年举办的活动中有所体现，我们与其他场馆的交流过程中也得出了类似的结论：主办方和与会者都迫切希望组织和参加会议、展会、企业活动等线下活动。2022年，许多场馆举办的活动多于2019年，观众参与度也比2019年高。其中最成功的活动是那些满足与会者预期并进行重新设计的活动。

M：法国巴黎展览馆集团（Viparis）是法国最大的会议和展览中心管理集团之一，在管理和运营会展场馆和特色场地领域，具有专业而且独特的经验，在面对全球商务活动遭受影响之后逐渐恢复的现实情况下，您认为专业会展场馆在管理和运营方面应当如何应对？

Marta Gomes：对于全世界的场馆来说，2020年和2021年是非常艰难的两年。我们的收入受到严重影响，员工面临被解雇的风险，我们采取措施尽可能减少损失。对于我们来说，在应对危机的同时，思考未来的发展并为之做好准备也是很重要的。我们与客户、合作伙伴和其他利益相关者共同思考主办方、展商和专业观众对场馆的需求。我们新的解决方案聚焦以下四个方面：

安全——履行必要的安全措施，使参会者安全舒适地参加活动。

数字化——在增强现实（AR）活动能力方面进行投资，使演讲者和与会者不必现场参加活动，活动结束后还可以分享活动内容，创造全年参与度。

社区和体验——与当地社区建立更密切的联系，创造新颖的文化和沉浸式体验，吸引当地观众和与会代表。

可持续性——努力打造零排放场馆，提供定制方案以组织更多的可持续活动，为当地留下持久的社会影响。

M：2024年，第33届夏季奥林匹克运动会（Games of the XXXIII Olympics）将在巴黎举办，您认为2024年将会为巴黎的会议展览业带来怎样的利好发展机遇？

Marta Gomes：下一届夏季奥林匹克运动会将于2024年在巴黎举办，对此我们感到非常兴奋和自豪。2024年巴黎奥运会将成为承担经济、社会和环境责任的盛大活动。2024年巴黎奥运会将活动遗产和可持续发展作为其项目的核心，以惠及主办地区，为当地企业创造机会，达到碳足迹仅为前几届奥运会一半为目标，同时坚持循环经济原则，增强体育在人们生活中的影响力，并通过体育促进教育、参与、包容、平等和环境改善。

巴黎的会展行业也将从中受益：

更好的交通环境：巴黎正进行重要投资，以改善场馆的交通可达性，其中包括：开通一条通往奥利机场的地铁线；开设通往巴黎会议中心的新电车和郊区列车路线；巴黎北部场馆的交通可达性会更好。

可持续性：2024年巴黎奥运会致力于组织最可持续的赛事，创造可在国际社会复制的可持续模式，并与其他国际活动组织者分享。

创造就业机会，提高技能和包容度：2024年巴黎奥运会希望促进当地就业和技能提升，特别是最弱势的群体，并帮助小企业和社会企业发展。这也将影响赛事的生态系统，为人才发展和当地公司创造机会。

M：越来越多的中国企业加入到国际大会与会议协会（ICCA）大家庭中，您怎么看待中国的会议和展览市场发展情况？

Marta Gomes：据ICCA统计，过去10年来，中国的会展市场稳步发展，许多新成员加入ICCA并活跃在我们的社群。有迹象表明旅行限制正在逐步取消，这是重新在中国举行国际活动的必要条件。我们在世界的其他地区可以看到，市场恢复可能会相当快，首先聚焦当地和国内的市场，然后回归国际市场接待国际活动。

M：未来，法国巴黎展览馆集团将会有哪些与中国的场馆管理运营企业进行互动或交流的计划？

Marta Gomes：对我们来说，正如ICCA社群在世界各地的许多企业一样，参与国际合作和知识共享是我们成为会员的重要原因。中国建造了很多大型的现代化场馆，这些专业知识可以同世界各地的城市和场馆运营商分享。面对当前和未来的挑战，大家能够交流互鉴、分享洞见、贡献更多价值。

英文原版采访：
Marta Gomes：Physical events are worth the investment. 2024 Olympics creates new opportunities

Interview with Marta Gomes，Deputy Executive Director of Sales Division of Viparis，1st Vice President of ICCA

COVID-19 continues to affect the global events industry.  Marta Gomes, First Vice President of the International Congress and Conference Association (ICCA), said in an interview with Meetings China that she is still optimistic about the recovery of the international conference market in the future, especially the Chinese market. She believes that China will accelerate its opening to the international market while focusing on the local and domestic market.  In addition, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris in 2024. Marta Gomes also believes that this will bring more opportunities for Paris events industry. As the deputy executive director of sales of Viparis, she also said that she will communicate and interact with more venues in China.  To face current and future challenges together.

MeetingsChina：According to the statistics by ICCA, international conference market has been impacted severely by COVID-19 from 2019 to 2022. Now the international conference market is looking toward recovery. Would you please share your insights about the future recovery of international conferences?

Marta Gomes ：The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to combat it, such as travel restrictions, closed borders and gathering bans, led to cancellations of many conferences, exhibitions, meetings and workshops. It also forced communities to identify new ways of exchanging and transferring the knowledge by developing virtual and online formats.

However, organisers and attendees quickly realized that a conference isn’t only about exchanging knowledge and content, but that networking and interaction with other delegates are an important component of attending events. In-person events drive the kinds of unplanned encounters which are conducive to creating collaborations and building communities: travel to events is worth the investment.

This is reflected in the events being held in our venues this year, and discussions I’ve had with other destinations across the world are similar: there is a strong desire to organise and attend in person gatherings, whether they are conferences, exhibitions or corporate events. Venues in many parts of the world are hosting as many or more events in 2022 than they did in 2019, with attendance levels that are higher than expected. The most successful events are those who are adapting to the new attendee expectations and rethinking their event design and purpose.

MeetingsChina：As one of the largest conference and exhibition venue management groups in France, Viparis has unique experience and expertise on operating and managing venues and special events facilities. Can you give some suggestions to the venues while the business events were severely impacted, and are gradually recovering?

Marta Gomes ：2020 and 2021 were very difficult years for us as for venues around the world. Our revenues were severely impacted, our staff furloughed and we took measures to reduce costs wherever possible. While dealing with the crisis, it was also important for us to have people in our teams thinking about and preparing for the future. We worked with our customers, partners and stakeholders to imagine what would be the needs of organisers, exhibitors and attendees coming back to our venues. Our new solutions focused on 4 areas: 

Safety – putting in place the necessary safety protocols to welcome audiences safely in our venues, and make them feel comfortable attending events

Digital – investing in capabilities to allow for augmented reality events, where speakers and participants don’t necessarily have to be onsite, and where content can be shared also after the event and create year-round engagement

Community & Experience – connecting more closely with our local communities, and creating novel cultural and immersive experiences to attract visitors from the city and offer delegates an extra reason to visit

Sustainability – working towards net zero carbon in our venues, and offering customized solutions to organise more sustainable events that leave a lasting social impact on the destination.

MeetingsChina：In 2024, Paris will host the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and welcome athletes and visitors across the world. Many venues of Viparis will serve for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as the competition venues and the press center, so what new opportunities will the Olympics Games bring for Viparis and the events industry in Paris?

Marta Gomes ：We are proud and excited to host the next Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024. The Paris 2024 Games will be an ambitious and spectacular celebration that champions economic, social and environmental responsibility. Paris 2024 positioned legacy and sustainability at the heart of its project to benefit the host regions, open up opportunities for local businesses, have half the carbon footprint of previous editions, embrace circular economy principles, increase the reach of sport in people’s lives, and promote education, engagement, inclusion, equality and environmental transformation through sport.

The events industry in Paris will greatly benefit as well:

Better transport: Paris is undergoing major investments which will improve accessibility to venues: a metro line to Orly airport opening for the games; a new tram and suburban train to Palais des Congrès; better accessibility to venues in the north of Paris

Sustainability: Paris 2024 aims to organise the most sustainable games ever, and plans to make its sustainable model of organising major events reproducible internationally and to share it with other international organisers

Job creation, upskilling and inclusion: Paris 2024 wants to encourage local employment and skills improvement, particularly for the most disadvantaged, and help small business and social enterprises. This will also impact the events ecosystem creating opportunities for talent development and local companies.

MeetingsChina：More and more Chinese enterprises have joined ICCA community. What do you think about the development of the conference and exhibition markets in China?

Marta Gomes ：The events market in China saw a constant growth in the last 10 years, as shown by the ICCA statistics with a steady growth over the 2010-2019 period, and many new members joining and becoming active in our community. There are some positive signs of travel restrictions lifting, necessary for restarting to host international events in China. We have seen in other regions of the world that recovery can be quite fast, focusing first on local and national markets before expanding back to international.

MeetingsChina：How is the plan of Viparis to interact and cooperate with China’s venues in the future?

Marta Gomes ：For us, as for many companies in the ICCA community around the world, international collaboration and knowledge sharing is an important part of why we become a member. China has invested heavily in building the largest and most modern venues, this expertise can be shared with cities and venue operators around the world. There is a lot of value in being able to have open conversations and sharing ideas and solutions to current and future challenges.