Overview
The Parc des Expositions de Bordeaux is located in the Bordeaux Lac district, to the north of the city, on an estate of around thirty hectares on the edge of the lake. The site offers approximately 70,000 sqm of flexible indoor space spread across three halls (Hall 1, Hall 3, Hall 4), to which are added the 15,500 sqm of the adjoining Palais 2 l'Atlantique, and more than 120,000 sqm of outdoor space. It provides 7,000 free parking spaces on site and, together with the Palais 2 l'Atlantique, forms one of the leading B2B events hubs in south-west France.
The venue and all of Bordeaux's events sites are operated by BEAM (Bordeaux Events And More), a simplified joint-stock company (SAS) created through the renaming, on 4 October 2022, of Congrès et Expositions de Bordeaux (CEB). BEAM manages 5 complementary sites across the metropolitan area: the Parc des Expositions, the Palais 2 l'Atlantique (15,500 sqm delivered on 6 May 2019, adjoining the venue), the Palais des Congrès, the Hangar 14 (on the quays) and the Centre de Congrès Cité Mondiale (in the historic heart, near the Quais des Chartrons). The operator reports more than 270 events per year and over 700,000 cumulative visitors across its entire portfolio.
The venue hosts international B2B trade shows, public exhibitions, conferences, concerts and sporting competitions. It is notably the long-standing host of Vinitech-Sifel, a biennial international trade fair for equipment and services dedicated to viticulture, fruit growing and market gardening.
Halls
The venue is today organised around 3 flexible halls numbered Hall 1, Hall 3 and Hall 4 under BEAM's current nomenclature, complemented by the adjoining Palais 2 l'Atlantique and by vast configurable outdoor spaces. The former Hall 2, historically dedicated to trade shows and conferences, has had its functions taken over by the Palais 2 l'Atlantique delivered in 2019. All the halls are modular and can be combined or partitioned to accommodate a very wide range of event configurations.
- Hall 1: approximately 50,140 sqm in a single span, the largest on the site, delivered in 1969 with exceptional interior dimensions (840 m long by 60 m wide). It hosts the very largest trade shows and makes it possible to organise several events simultaneously thanks to movable partitions.
- Hall 3: approximately 12,000 sqm column-free, with several meeting rooms with movable partitions and a dedicated private car park. It is particularly suited to trade shows with a conference component or to events requiring a mix of exhibition and sessions.
- Hall 4: approximately 7,500 to 8,000 sqm of covered space, complemented by organiser offices and a meeting room. It hosts human-scale trade shows and mid-format professional events.
- Palais 2 l'Atlantique: 15,500 sqm adjoining the venue, including a main "Agora" hall of 7,140 sqm divisible into three parts, a 1,000 sqm reception hall and 12 committee rooms. Able to accommodate up to 6,000 people in a plenary configuration.
The whole is rounded out with configurable outdoor spaces (more than 120,000 sqm) used for demonstrations, exhibitor car parks, public attractions and equipment trials (drones, agricultural machinery, heavy equipment).
Access & transport
Tram: line C serves the venue at the Parc des Expositions stop (formerly Parc des Expositions - Stade), immediately adjacent to the site. The journey from the centre of Bordeaux takes around 25 minutes.
Car: the venue is accessible via the A630 ring road, exit 4 (or 4a / 4b depending on the direction of travel). Allow around 15 minutes from Bordeaux city centre by car, outside peak hours.
Bus: several TBM network lines serve the district (notably lines 37 and 75).
Airport: Bordeaux-Mérignac is around 20 minutes by car and accessible by public transport via the airport link, with a tram connection.
Parking: 7,000 free spaces on site, distributed around the halls.
Accommodation: around 1,400 hotel rooms are available less than 5 minutes' walk from the venue, notably in the Cité Mondiale complex and the hotels of the Lac district.
Services
Catering: catering services provided in-house by the BEAM teams, with a kitchen integrated into the site and several catering points open during events (food courts, seating areas, on-stand kiosks). Exhibitors can order on-stand catering services from the official service providers.
Exhibitor services: business centre, equipped meeting rooms, signage, reception, security and guarding, furniture hire and technical installations (electricity, water, utilities), logistical assistance before and during the event.
Connectivity: WiFi coverage deployed across the halls, network infrastructure sized for major international trade shows.
Nearby accommodation: the Cité Mondiale and the hotels of the Bordeaux Lac district concentrate the bulk of the hotel offer close to the venue.
News
On 6 May 2019 the venue gained the Palais 2 l'Atlantique, a new 15,500 sqm exhibition and conference hall, whose construction began in January 2018 for an investment of around 34.5 million euros. This facility, adjoining the Parc des Expositions, can accommodate up to 6,000 people and is intended to take over the functions of the former Hall 2 for events with a conference component.
On 4 October 2022, Congrès et Expositions de Bordeaux (CEB) changed its name to become BEAM (Bordeaux Events And More), retaining its legal structure (SAS) and its portfolio of sites. This rebranding aimed to broaden the operator's image beyond the sole "congresses and exhibitions" label and to structure a coherent events offer across the Bordeaux metropolitan area (5 complementary sites).
The venue and the Bordeaux destination are committed to an ISO 20121 approach (a responsible management system applied to events activity), led by BEAM and the Bordeaux Convention Bureau as part of the destination's "eco-partners" programme.
Flagship trade shows
The venue hosts a mix of international B2B trade shows, regional sector fairs and public events:
- Vinitech-Sifel: a biennial international trade fair for equipment, technologies and services for viticulture, oenology, fruit growing, market gardening and horticulture. The event, taken over by BEAM in October 2022, is one of the world's benchmark gatherings for the vine and fruit-growing sectors.
- Salon de l'Agriculture Nouvelle-Aquitaine: a major regional event dedicated to south-west agriculture, combining livestock exhibitions, technical demonstrations and public attractions.
- UAV Show (Air Drone): an international professional trade show devoted to civil drones and the industrial applications of unmanned aerial systems.
- Salon de l'Habitat Bordeaux: a public exhibition dedicated to construction, renovation, decoration and home improvement, held each year in spring.
- Exp'Hotel Bordeaux: a biennial professional trade show dedicated to the hospitality, catering and tourism trades across the wider south-west.
- BLC Bordeaux Lac: a professional event held early in the year at the site.
The venue also hosts editions of Conforexpo (a trade fair created in 1960), the International Show Jumping Competition (Jumping International de Bordeaux, organised in parallel in the Palais 2 l'Atlantique) and numerous concerts and public events.