Description
The Palais des Congrès de Paris is an iconic convention centre located at Porte Maillot, in the 17th arrondissement. Inaugurated on 28 February 1974 and designed by architects Guillaume Gillet, Serge Maloletenkov, Yves Betin and Henri Guibout, it has been operated since 2008 by Viparis, a joint subsidiary of the CCI Paris Île-de-France and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. The site covers 32,000 sqm in total, with a combination that is unique for an urban centre: a Grand Amphithéâtre seating 3,723, several secondary auditoriums, 95 modular rooms and 19,000 sqm dedicated to trade shows and conventions.
The original building, delivered in 1974, underwent a major extension between 1997 and 1999 led by architect Christian de Portzamparc, comprising the construction of a tower adjoining the Palais and the extension of the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile hotel complex (which first opened in 1974). Successive renovations in the 2010s modernised the auditoriums and the exhibition spaces. Today the Palais hosts a structuring mix of international medical congresses, corporate conventions, performances (the Grand Amphithéâtre also operating as a performance venue) and targeted trade shows.
Halls
The site is organised around four main auditoriums and a very dense set of modular rooms spread across several levels.
- Grand Amphithéâtre: 3,723 seats, the site's main plenary hall and one of the largest seated capacities in central Paris. Used both as a congress plenary hall and as a performance venue.
- Amphithéâtre Bleu: 826 seats, level 2, the site's second plenary hall.
- Amphithéâtre Bordeaux: 650 seats, level 3, dedicated to mid-capacity sessions.
- Amphithéâtre Havane: 373 seats, level 3, a conference format dedicated to more intimate sessions.
- 95 modular rooms spread across levels 1 to 5, with capacities ranging from a few dozen to more than a thousand participants.
- 19,000 sqm of trade show and convention space, dedicated to exhibitions held alongside congresses.
Access and transport
The site benefits from dense multimodal connections, among the most comprehensive in Paris for a convention centre.
- Metro: line 1, Porte Maillot station, with direct access to the Palais. Line 3, Pereire station in the immediate vicinity.
- RER: line C, Neuilly-Porte Maillot station.
- Tram: line T3b, Porte Maillot stop.
- Bus: several RATP routes serve Porte Maillot.
- Car: direct access from the boulevard périphérique (Porte Maillot exit) and the avenue de la Grande-Armée.
- Parking: around 1,800 spaces in the Indigo Porte Maillot underground car park, with direct access to the levels of the Palais.
- Airports: direct Roissybus shuttle from Porte Maillot to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG).
The official address is 2 Place de la Porte Maillot, 75017 Paris.
Services
The Palais operates as an integrated events complex, attached to a hotel and retail ensemble.
- On-site accommodation: the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, adjacent to the Palais, is one of the largest hotels in Paris by number of rooms, with direct access from the levels of the Palais.
- Catering: multiple restaurants and catering points within the complex, complemented by the offering of the Les Boutiques du Palais shopping centre (15,300 sqm) integrated into the site.
- Business centre and congress services: meeting rooms, audiovisual equipment, dedicated Viparis teams.
- WiFi throughout the site.
- Viparis services: events concierge, dedicated technical teams for major events, integrated management of service providers.
News
The Palais des Congrès is part of an ongoing modernisation programme led by Viparis and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield from 2025, in connection with the development of the Porte Maillot district.
- 2025 and beyond renovation project: works undertaken around the Porte Maillot complex, incorporating changes to the Palais's reception and circulation areas.
- ISO 20121 certification approach: responsible event management, in line with the standard applied across the entire Viparis portfolio.
Flagship trade shows
The Palais des Congrès is positioned on a very specific mix: professional and medical congresses, corporate conventions and performances rather than consumer trade shows with a large exhibition component. Among the site's structuring events:
- Medical congresses: annual events in cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology and other specialities, with several learned societies holding their annual congress here.
- Produrable: the major gathering of players and solutions in the sustainable economy, held over two days in late September.
- International symposia and corporate conventions in the main auditoriums.
- Concerts and performances: regular programming in the 3,723-seat Grand Amphithéâtre.
Of note for B2B exhibitors: the Salon des Entrepreneurs, long hosted at the Palais des Congrès, was renamed GO Entrepreneurs in 2021 and has moved to Paris La Défense Arena since 2022. The site remains primarily oriented towards congresses and conventions rather than trade shows with a large exhibition component.