Business Hydro · 2026

Agoris analysis · updated October 2026

Key takeaways

• Business Hydro is the national business trade show for the hydropower industry, held every October at Alpexpo, in Grenoble, in an Alpine massif that the organiser presents as Europe's leading hydropower hub.
• Organiser: Hydro 21, an association founded in 2002, which brings together 110 members across four segments, engineering, research and training, manufacturing, and operations. Sales, order administration and invoicing, and website management are handled by adeo, a Grenoble-based agency and service provider to the association.
• Next edition: the 11th edition, on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October 2026, on a single exhibition level. Site and laboratory visits are offered the day before, on Monday 5 October, to exhibitors and VIP guests.
• Results of the 10th edition, in 2025: 201 stands and 2,400 participants, following 174 stands and 2,200 participants in 2024, and 153 exhibitors and 1,700 visitors in 2023.
• Targets announced for 2026: more than 200 exhibitors and a 20% increase in visitor numbers.
• Theme of the edition: "Hydroélectricité : de nouvelles opportunités Business !" ("Hydropower: new business opportunities!")
• Governance as of summer 2026: Roland Vidil chairs Hydro 21, Jean-Eric Carré is vice-chair in charge of the trade show, and Marie-Hélène Boissieux is general commissioner.
• The 12th edition has already been announced for 4, 5 and 6 October 2027, with stand pre-bookings open until 31 October 2026.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

Hydro 21's members and Business Hydro's exhibitors are spread across four segments of the hydropower value chain: engineering, research and training, manufacturing, and the operation of facilities. The show's official exhibitor directory breaks this down further into ten families: boilermaking; control, supervision, automation and instrumentation; electrical components; mechanical and hydraulic components; manufacturers; civil engineering; industrial maintenance; power producers; services; and design and engineering firms.

On the visitor side, the trade show targets the industry's project owners and clients, plant operators, design firms, equipment manufacturers, research laboratories and engineering schools in the Grenoble area.

Notable exhibitors

The full list of exhibitors for the 2026 edition is published on the trade show's official directory, with a filter by business family and a downloadable alphabetical list.

The Diamond sponsors announced for 2026 are Artelia, CNR, EDF, Eiffage and GE Vernova. The Platinium sponsors are Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises, Chaussy and Ponticelli. Caisse d'Épargne Rhône-Alpes is the official sponsor of the Trophées de l'Innovation.

The founding members of the Rencontres Business Hydro are EDF, GE Vernova, Artelia, AI France, CIC Orio, the Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), GDES, Hydrocop, Grenoble-Alpes Métropole and Ponticelli.

Quality of the audience

The satisfaction survey carried out after the 2025 edition provides useful benchmarks: 92% of participants rated the trade show "successful" or "very successful", 78% said they had made useful professional contacts, and one in three said they generated 10 to 15 business leads during the event. The relevance of the topics covered was praised by 87% of respondents, across a line-up of 67 speakers.

The industry context explains the density of decision-makers. The hydropower sector accounts for 16,000 to 17,000 jobs in France, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region produces half of France's hydropower output (source: Présences Grenoble). The 2026 edition arrives, above all, after a regulatory turning point: the Senate and the National Assembly voted on 16 and 17 June 2026 for a reform replacing the concession regime with an authorisation regime for facilities above 4.5 MW. EDF, which operates around 80% of concessions, has announced €4.5 billion in modernisation investment, targeting a capacity gain of 2 GW over ten years (source: Bref Éco).

Events & community

The two-day schedule

Tuesday 6 October opens with the official ceremony from 9am to 10.30am, reserved for exhibitors, partners and VIPs, featuring a keynote guest speaker, Emmanuel Mercier, EMEA-ANZ Director. This is followed by the inaugural trade show tour from 10.30am to noon, then a VIP cocktail. The afternoon is taken up by plenary session 1, from 2pm to 4.30pm, built around a round table on the concrete effects of the new law and the multi-year energy planning framework, with EDF Hydro, Hydrocop, Next Step and SHEM, and the participation of a state representative announced as being confirmed.

Wednesday 7 October begins with a speed-meeting session reserved for exhibitors, from 8am to 9am. From 9am to 10.30am, the Pitchs Donneurs d'Ordres (Client Pitches) give the floor to the industry's main project owners in a seven-minute format, hosted by Marie-Hélène Boissieux. Plenary session 2, from 10.30am to 12.30pm, features two round tables in succession: one on the shared challenges facing project owners and suppliers, covering financing, authorisations, the geopolitical context and skills; the other on the theme "Compétences, innovation et attractivité : comment préparer la filière hydroélectrique des 10 prochaines années ?" ("Skills, innovation and appeal: how to prepare the hydropower industry for the next 10 years?"). The afternoon is devoted to the student hackathon pitches from 2pm to 3pm, the jury meeting, the announcement of the winners at 4.15pm, and a closing reception.

Trophées de l'Innovation Hydro

The ceremony for the 4th Trophées de l'Innovation Hydro takes place on the evening of Tuesday 6 October, during the exhibitors' and VIPs' cocktail dinner held from 7.30pm at the panoramic restaurant Le Canopy, in Échirolles. Four winners are recognised, in the student, doctoral student, company and start-up categories. The Pôle Innovations, on the trade show floor, displays the posters of the 2026 edition's candidates and the winners of previous editions.

Dedicated areas

Three areas structure the exhibition. The Pôle Business is a space for informal exchanges reserved for exhibitors and their guests wearing a badge. The Pôle Innovations showcases start-up projects and the work of students and doctoral students. The Pôle Décideurs, VIP et Presse welcomes media, institutional partners and guests.

Monday 5 October visits

New for the 2026 edition, small-group visits are offered the day before the trade show opens, exclusively for exhibitors, their staff and VIP guests: the GE Vernova laboratories in Grenoble, the CESAME in Lyon, CNR's expertise and innovation centre, and the G2ELab laboratory in Grenoble. A visit to the Gorge hydropower plant, in Villard-Bonnot, is rounded off with the Maison Bergès and a cocktail reception.

Community & networks

The trade show is backed by a steering committee set up in 2016, bringing together Hydro 21, 2G Métrologie, Apave, Artelia, Cetim, CIC Orio, CNR, EDF, Grenoble INP, GDES, GE Vernova, Hydrocop, Junior ENSE3, the Region, Ponticelli and SEH. The institutional partners announced include, among others, CIMES Hub, the Fédération EAF, the FIM, France Hydroélectricité, Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, the INDURA cluster, the Département de l'Isère, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Prefecture, the Société Hydrotechnique de France and Tenerrdis.

On the press side, the trade show is covered notably by Alpes News, Bref Éco, Le Dauphiné, Hydropower & Dams, Les Affiches, Le Journal des Entreprises, Mécasphère, Présences Grenoble and Puissance Hydro.

The 2025 edition served as the centrepiece of the centenary of the Exposition internationale de la Houille Blanche et du Tourisme, held in Grenoble in 1925. To mark the occasion, Hydro 21 published a Livre Centenaire (Centenary Book) of around 160 pages, written with students from Grenoble INP-ENSE3 and industry experts. A copy is given to every exhibitor as part of the registration fee.

Grenoble is also home to two other professional events listed on Agoris, both at Alpexpo: Mountain Planet, for mountain development, and SEPEM Industries Sud-Est, for industrial maintenance and production. For the other renewable energy segments, see Hyvolution for hydrogen and Expobiogaz for biomethane.

On site: what you need to know

For detailed access, parking and accommodation information, see the venue page: Alpexpo, 2 avenue d'Innsbruck, 38100 Grenoble.

Specific to the trade show: tram line A serves the Pôle Sud - Alpexpo stop, 24 minutes from Grenoble's SNCF railway station, itself around a quarter of an hour away by car. Grenoble Alpes Isère Airport is 35 minutes by road, Lyon-Saint Exupéry is connected by shuttle, and Geneva Airport is reached in 1.5 to 2 hours. By road, allow 1h20 from Lyon, 1h40 from Geneva, 3 hours from Turin, 3h15 from Marseille and 6 hours from Paris.

The programme published on 27 July 2026 opens access to visitors at 10am on the Tuesday, after the official ceremony, and at 9am on the Wednesday, closing in the late afternoon.

A point to bear in mind for 2026: no lunch is included in the exhibition packages. The organiser points to bookable business lunches, snacks and food trucks available on site. The registration fee does, however, cover wifi access, insurance, inclusion in the visitor guide and supervised parking spaces within the trade show grounds.

How much it costs to exhibit

Hydro 21 publishes a full price list in its commercial brochure, with separate member and non-member rates, and states that the 2025 pricing terms are being carried over for 2026.

Fitted stands, turnkey, with an electrical connection, spotlight rail and signage:

• Classique stand, 4 m², reserved for micro-businesses: €1,190 excl. VAT for a member, €1,590 excl. VAT otherwise.
• Business stand, 6 m²: €1,670 excl. VAT for a member, €2,090 excl. VAT otherwise.
• Premium stand, 9 m²: €2,290 excl. VAT for a member, €2,660 excl. VAT otherwise.
• Open corner options: €300 excl. VAT for one corner, €550 excl. VAT for two.

Sponsorship packages, with a furniture pack and visibility perks: Gold on 12 m² at €5,399 excl. VAT for a member and €5,939 excl. VAT otherwise, Platinium on 18 m² at €9,799 excl. VAT for a member, Diamond on 24 m² at €12,799 excl. VAT for a member and €14,079 excl. VAT otherwise. Édition sponsorship, which complements the Platinium and Diamond packages, is billed at €4,900 excl. VAT to a member and €5,390 excl. VAT otherwise. Official sponsorship of the Trophées de l'Innovation Hydro is offered at €6,900 excl. VAT.

Two stand-free packages exist: Sponsor Privilège at €2,900 excl. VAT for a member and €3,190 excl. VAT otherwise, Sponsor Privilège+ at €3,800 excl. VAT for a member and €4,180 excl. VAT otherwise.

For custom-built stands, bare space is billed at €250 excl. VAT per m², the pavilion format at €275 excl. VAT per m² from 40 m² and 10 exhibitors upwards, and co-exhibiting at €250 excl. VAT, available only from a 9 m² stand upwards.

On top of this comes a mandatory registration fee of €250 excl. VAT for any stand booking, along with additional items: €40 excl. VAT per Business Lunch, €90 excl. VAT per extra place at the cocktail dinner, €400 excl. VAT for a ten-minute pitch on stage, €900 excl. VAT for a half-page in the visitor guide and €1,900 excl. VAT for a full page.

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• Start by comparing the cost of Hydro 21 membership with the gap between member and non-member rates: on a Premium stand or a sponsorship package, the difference can run into hundreds, or even thousands, of euros.
• Factor the €250 excl. VAT registration fee and the catering budget into your calculations: lunch is no longer included in 2026.
• Book early to secure your location: placement priority is one of the perks of the sponsorship packages, and registrations for the collective pavilions close on 30 June.
• Make use of the networking time included with your stand, in particular the exhibitors' speed-meeting on Wednesday morning and the Monday 5 October site visit, which are booked in advance on the trade show's platform.
• Apply for the Trophées de l'Innovation Hydro if you are behind an innovation: candidates' posters are displayed at the Pôle Innovations, and the award ceremony takes place on stage in front of the whole industry.

For the decision-making visitor

• Tuesday is the formal, institutional day, with the opening ceremony, the inaugural tour and the round table on the new legislative framework. Wednesday morning concentrates the operational content, with the Pitchs Donneurs d'Ordres and the two round tables.
• The Pitchs Donneurs d'Ordres are the format not to miss if you are looking for business opportunities: project owners set out their roadmap and upcoming projects there.
• Collect your access badge in advance via the trade show's registration platform.
• Two days is plenty: the trade show is held on a single level, which makes it possible to combine the exhibition and the plenary sessions without difficult trade-offs.

Policy & CSR initiatives

Business Hydro does not publish a dedicated page on its environmental or societal commitments, and no ISO 20121 certification is displayed for the event. Alpexpo, the host venue, does publish a CSR approach on its website: engaged since 2022 in the Convention des Entreprises pour le Climat, the venue is working toward ISO 20121 certification by September 2026, with targets for reducing environmental impact, strengthening social impact and optimising economic performance (source: alpexpo.com/rse).

At the organiser level, Hydro 21 sets out an industry-wide position: the association describes itself as "committed to the energy transition" and states that it favours "renewable solutions for a sustainable energy future". This is a statement of mission, concerning the very purpose of the hydropower industry, rather than a responsible management scheme for the event itself.

The 2026 programme's content does, for its part, address the modernisation of the existing fleet, pumped-storage power stations and small-scale hydropower. These are conference themes, to be distinguished from a verifiable organisational commitment regarding the trade show's own footprint.

How the trade show has evolved

Trajectory analysis

The trade show's growth has been steady since its founding. The stand-count series published by the organiser shows 26 in 2016 for the first Rencontres Business Hydro, then 40 in 2017, 55 in 2018, 68 in 2019, 96 in 2021, 121 in 2022, 153 in 2023, 174 in 2024 and 201 in 2025. This series does not include a figure for 2020, even though the edition numbering counts one for that year. Over ten years, the number of exhibitors has therefore multiplied nearly eightfold, which is consistent with the 20% annual growth rate Hydro 21 states.

Participant numbers follow the same trajectory, from 1,700 in 2023 to 2,400 in 2025, with a target of a further 20% in 2026.

For an exhibitor, however, the useful signal is not volume. Business Hydro remains a compact industry gathering, two days on a single level, whose value lies in the concentration of project owners: EDF Hydro, CNR, SHEM, Hydrocop and the major equipment manufacturers are present there as sponsors, as round-table speakers and as members of the steering committee all at once. The 2026 edition stands out above all for its timing: it is held a few months after the vote on the reform of the concessions regime and the publication of the PPE3, at a moment when the industry's investment roadmaps are being redrawn.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (businesshydro.fr).