After the cancellation of the Grand Pavois 2020, Christophe Vieux, General Manager of the organizer, looks back on the situation with BoatIndustry.
What gauge did you ask the Prefecture for the Grand Pavois and on what basis was it calculated? How many visitors were needed to balance the budget? Did you have a deadline to decide?
We had applied for 10,000 people, knowing that there are 2,500 people working on site, between the exhibitors and the service providers. We looked at the average of the last 3 shows and estimated a drop of about 30% in attendance given the context. On Saturdays, in 2019, we had 15,000 visitors. With the 10,000 gauge and the turnover during the day, that would have been complicated but feasible. But with the 5,000 gauge, that would have brought 2,500 visitors to the site simultaneously. As the turnover is very low, with the majority of visitors spending more than half a day on site, we can expect 3,000 people per day, or less than 20,000 for the duration of the show. That's unmanageable. It's not even a question of economic balance, it would have cost less than the cancellation, but it's a question of respecting the contract with exhibitors who come for a show with 70,000 visitors and not 20,000. In addition, there is the problem of flow management, without refusing visitors who come with an invitation or a ticket.
As for the date, the end of August had been set as the deadline. Having experienced the cancellation of the Nauticales (Editor's note: managed by Grand Pavois Organisation, GPO) a few days before, we had been very careful and very little expense had been incurred for the moment.
What was the expected filling of the living room? Did you consult the exhibitors about the gauge and cancellation?
We were at 80% of the show compared to 2019, in terms of surface area and turnover, which is good in view of the context. For the consultation of exhibitors, the board of directors of the association is made up of 14 exhibitors from all the nautical professions including the biggest building sites, which makes it an excellent barometer. With regret, it voted unanimously for the cancellation.
How will the cancellation of the exhibitors be handled?
As promised, site fees and additional orders such as invitations will be refunded. Only the booking fees will be retained, as the GPO team has worked hard to try to maintain the show.
How will the decision impact the future of Grand Pavois Organisation?
The association will survive, even if the outcome will be catastrophic. For the Nauticales, this has been covered by the Métropole, but GPO has to cover the general expenses for the year. Over time, the association had built up a relief envelope and we have the support of the local authorities, but it is certain that we cannot have a 2nd blank year. Our next subject is the Nauticales 2021, at the end of March. The profession will need it. We must remain optimistic for the future. We're going to have a great show in 2021!
