Olivier Lépine : A Smile Is the Best Return on Investment

Since 1996 Olivier Lépine has been the Director of Biarritz Tourisme helping to develop the city of Biarritz into an important business travel and tourist destination. He was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite (in recognition of his contribution to the acknowledgement of the role of tourism) and was also honoured with the Unity Award granted by the members of the Joint Meeting Industry Council consisting of professional congress associations worldwide.

A Board member of Atout France, France Congrès and FSCEF, and the ECM Vice President for Conventions Forum, today he shares some of his professional and personal opinions.

 

 

 

It is not the fact of being Vice President that is important to me, but the belief that when you love the industry you work for, you should do something for it. I strongly believe that if we give some time to the industry, trying to help in development, lobbying, networking, sharing experience, it gives us a chance to looks at things differently – listening to others is the best training we can have. For me, it is a real and permanent pleasure to serve and to please people; delivering with passion and seeing a smile in return is the best return on investment we can have.

 

 

One of those destination around the world where our industry is the economical body (75% of the local economy is based on the tourism and meetings industry). It is a place where politicians and professionals work together on a daily basis, with clear objectives and freedom. In the space of ten years, by creating new business in winter, we have more than doubled the hotel occupancy, re-opened hotels, restaurants shops etc. which were closed for six or seven months a year, made new developments (hotels, infrastructure etc.) and created the image of a dynamic “a la mode” destination. If you are reading this and have not yet visited Biarritz, you should get organised, and you will enjoy golf, surfing, thalassotherapy, rugby, good food, the ocean, beaches etc.

 

Is the opening of our new exhibition centre! At this stage Biarritz Tourisme is already operating 3 buildings (1500 pax, 750 pax, 500 pax) in which we organise around 100 congresses a year, 120 shows, and 250 other events. But we had no space for exhibition, and this is done! We received the keys this week, and start our first exhibition this last week end of January; based on the environment we expect around 10 000 visitors. 15 different exhibitions will be hosted during the first year and we are now working on creating our own shows (3 are on the way).

 

This is a very difficult question for me, because I like everything that makes life so pleasant: family will be first of course, then people (I don’t like to be alone). I love snow, it’s beautiful, and what about the silence and/or the little noise of your feet walking in it? I love music and played for many years, I love food and wine because it’s delicious and at the table is the only moment in life when you really talk to anybody.

 

Lapland in winter and Lapland in summer!

 

People talk about it and go back several times

 

Stop all wars and make people talk to each other and smile.