3GSM in Cannes : the Telecom Valley is emerging

About twenty companies of the French Riviera participate to the worldwide GSM congress from February 20th to 23rd while the Telecom Valley association, CAD and the CCI are focusing on the promotion of the telecommunications on the French Riviera.

Economy on the French Riviera and congress : the synergy hasn't be so obvious than for the 3GSM, mobile phones worldwide summit that will take place from February 20th to 23rd at the Palais des Festivals of Cannes. In a few years, the French Riviera became the Telecom Valley of Europe. It strengthened tremendously its telecommunication pole around a few major institutions as the ETSI, the European Standardization Institute of telecommunications which ensured the success of the GSM or the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).15 000 participants expectedConcerning the worldwide GSM congress, it came to be the phenomenal congress : in 5 years, it grew as fast as the mobile phone spread. This year, it will gather 560 stands and will welcome 15 000 participants. Even larger than the MIP TV or Tax Free, it is one of the biggest events of Cannes after the Film Festival.Thus the French Riviera will have a strong foothold this year both inside and around the congress. Around twenty companies members of the Telecom Valley which have taken stands are participating directly to the congress. We will find all the famous names of the Institutes and the companies which work in the sector of mobile telecommunications in the county : ETSI, Eurecom, Alcatel, Siemens, Philips semiconductor, IBM, ARM (previously EuroMips system), Conexant, etc.The Telecom Valley and its 'off' festivalThe Telecom Valley adopted another form of participation. The association, which gathers more than 70 telecom companies of the French Riviera was aiming to have an 'off' presence around the congress in order to be out of the turmoil of the Palais des Festivals. Thus it selected two different places in collaboration with CAD (Côte d'Azur Développement), Istar, the ETSI, Amadeus and Eurecom. The first place is the Cyber Café which is right in front of the palais, next to the restaurant 'La potinière du palais'. The CyberCafe will be the public place which will allow to attract the largest number of visitors, explains Remond Sautreau, in charge of the communication of the association.Ten computers connected to Internet are available on the mezzanine. They can be used for demonstrations in particular. The ground floor, on the terrace is fitted out for the bar and the snack. We will create an atmosphere favouring contacts. A welcoming cocktail aimed specially for the exhibitors already present will be organized in a musical atmosphere on Monday February 19th from 6.00 PM to 8.00 PM. There will be 'Happy hours' on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st from 5.00 PM.'The second place for the Telecom Valley will be the Galerie d'Art rue des Belges (at 100 metres from the palais). It will be a more 'professional' place and more adapted to the communication actions. A large room will be used for the reception and a second one, smaller, can be used by the members of the association wishing to organize special meetings for demonstrations, presentations, work meetings, breakfasts, etc.An interview evening on the ship of Azur.tvAs for the Chamber of Commerce, it targeted on the webcast ship Azur.tv that is located on the quai Albert Edouard, in front of the palais. The CCI invited all the regional actors of the telecommunication sector on Wednesday at 6.00 PM. In order to promote the local telecom companies and to draw the tendencies of the 3GSM Summit, a serie of interviews will be done with key actors. (main exhibitors or manufacturers of the congress).The evening will be filmed and broadcasted on the Web. The ETSI, Eurecom, the INRIA, the Telecom Valley association, the club Sophia Start-up, the Hi-Tech Club will participate to an operation aiming to promote the French Riviera of the telecom (the management of registrations is dealt by the DPCT, Management of the technologic poles of competences – address dpct@cote-azur.cci.fr; contact : Elsa Blua). This is another way of linking the economy and the congress tourism faces of the French Riviera!