CYCL’EAU Lille exhibition – Jean-Claude Lasserre

26/03/2021

CYCL’EAU Lille – Hauts de France puts its trust in Lille Grand Palais within the specific context of the current pandemic

A regional gathering of the water industry in the heart of the local watersheds, the CYCL’EAU trade shows aim to provide concrete solutions to water management issues in collaboration with all public and private stakeholders, communities and industrialists. Within a context of concern at the regional and national level, the 9th gathering of the CYCL’EAU trade shows, the first edition dedicated to the Artois-Picardie basin, took place in Lille Grand Palais on 30 September and 1 October 2020.

 Interview with Jean-Claude Lasserre, President, CYCL’EAU

 

 

A brief history

CYCL’EAU is an association created in 2017 in Bordeaux which organises events in the environmental sector and, more particularly, in water management. “I was its initiator, after twenty years in the public and private sector environmental professions. At the request of industrial partners, we decided in October 2016 to organise this first regional professional gathering dedicated to water management with the aim: to offer local interaction and operate on the appropriate regional level. In France, regional expertise is fully present through competitiveness clusters, associations, industrialists and start-ups, which ensure that each watershed can find the solution within its own region instead of going to the other end of France to look for it”, explains Jean-Claude Lasserre. So CYCL’EAU’s regional gatherings were launched in April 2017 in Bordeaux, its first event and initial success. Today, they are organised in Vichy, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Aix-Marseille and Lille, which held its first event in 2020.

Lille Grand Palais – it makes perfect sense

“Lille is the stronghold of the Hauts of France. We want to stay regional. We could have set up our event within other major communities, but Lille seemed to offer the best possible destination, especially in relation to its proximity to and its transport facilities with the Benelux countries, who wanted to meet our French professionals. In early 2019, we contacted Lille Grand Palais, we visited, looked at what we needed to format a human-sized show for 70 to 120 exhibitors. We also visited other sites, but Lille Grand-Palais seemed to be the ideal place to enjoy its facilities in terms of parking, access, catering and hotels. No, really, Lille Grand Palais made perfect sense”, he adds.

CYCL’EAU Lille – Hauts-de-France, a regional gathering developed with local public and private stakeholders

In Lille, the first edition took place on 30 September and 1 October 2020. CYCL’EAU Lille – Hauts-de-France is a BtoB exhibition whose visitors are made up of local authorities and industrialists. Exhibitors are experts, industrialists, start-ups and competitiveness hubs from the water sector like France Water Team. A cycle of 6 news conferences and workshops was organised with a steering committee made up of institutional partners, competitiveness clusters and associations. The show lasted two days and meals were taken on site. All the distancing rules related to the pandemic were complied with. “We just held a small celebration to thank our exhibitors, our courageous partners and Lille Grand Palais.”

A most suitable arrangement given the health situation

“For each of our shows, we turn up with a package. We’re loyal to our technical partners with whom we’ve been working from the outset.” The standard arrangement was adjusted with the teams from Lille Grand Palais. It was also supplemented by other interior and exterior arrangements due to the health situation. “The show took place within the ideal 15-day window between restrictions and lockdown, but this health context made the organisation complicated, so we had to adapt”, explains Jean-Claude Lasserre.

A positive outcome

For Jean-Claude Lasserre, the results are positive: “It’s quite a success because 80% of exhibitors are satisfied. We’re far from dissatisfied, and the show went well. But then again, we were well supported. Before the show, we were well received and there was a lot of interaction with the Lille Grand Palais teams. For us, it’s not easy to go to Lille regularly from Bordeaux, but in the end, we were well received and a relationship of trust was established. On site, we were well supported by Lille Grand Palais, both in technical, security and access terms and, for us, what matters most – human relations.”

See you in June 2022

“We’re satisfied. The Lille Grand Palais team has been very attentive at every level. That’s why we’re pleased to say we’ve committed to 3 editions as we do with each of the sites where we organise our show. The next edition of our biennial will therefore take place on 22 and 23 June 2022 at Lille Grand Palais”, concludes Jean-Claude Lasserre.