By becoming a mission-driven company, Le Palais is committed to taking care of each other and the planet

Helping, supporting and accompanying!

His purpose consists in “The (he)art of sustainable hospitality”, i.e. cultivating the art of welcome, service and dialogue towards visitors, collaborators, partners and Cannes residents. Every day, le Palais is dedicated to altruism and mutual aid, and implements concrete actions for its customers and the general public, as well as initiatives to protect the planet.

To act, help and protect, acts are better than long speeches. Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès finances and supports the Fondation Cannes and the Fonds de Dotation Cannes as a founding board member.

The motto of this structure is simple and ambitious: “in 2021, after a covid-19 crisis that has brutally shaken many homes, the Fondation Cannes privileges the cause of childhood and education, which must be supported by all” explain its instigators.

The Fondation Cannes and the Cannes Endowment Fund are therefore committed to acting on all aspects linked to the exclusion of Cannes children in the fields of Education, culture, sport, digital citizenship, the family environment and of course environmental protection.

Pampering the posidonia

Le Palais supports numerous projects run by the Fondation Cannes and the Fonds de Dotation Cannes. Among them, PRIME (Posidonia Restoration Initiative for a resilient Mediterranean Ecosystem). It is led by local association NaturDive (local association) and Cannes-based start-up Blue Leaf Conservation.

The aim is as clear as crystal-clear seawater: to raise awareness among the public, to protect and restore the posidonia meadows along the coast. This Mediterranean endemic species participates in the capture of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and its sequestration in the form of carbon (commonly known as blue carbon). Its efficiency is far greater than that of the Amazon rainforest.

This is a strategic project for the future! Le Palais encourages all organizers to take part in this action.

Greener events

Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is carrying out a number of projects to make progress on environmental issues. In particular, its teams want to launch and perpetuate new international shows and festivals by favoring eco-design and responsible and sustainable operation. On a day-to-day basis, this commitment involves dialogue with event organizers. That’s why, in 2023, the teams launched energy briefs with each of these organizers, ahead of the shows.

All of this leads to initiatives in favor of this Earth, which is in great need of them. For each of the events hosted at Cannes, the organizers, with the active support of le Palais, make great efforts in this area. Examples are numerous, such asthe IPEM going green, the Festival de Cannes, the Yachting Festival (green route) or Canneseries which are multiplying their actions for the planet.

Le Palais wants even more green

Since 2024 and 2025, the electricity for the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès has come 100% from photovoltaic installations in the South of France.

Energy conservation is a daily priority. Theset temperature of the heating is, for example, decreased two hours before the event closes and up to one hour before it reopens, with the agreement of the organizers.

The temperature of the technical rooms has been raised from 19 to 24 degrees in order to drastically reduce air conditioning.

The lighting of the premises is also a source of energy savings. Thermal bulbs are gradually being replaced by LED models. Stand lighting is systematically switched off as soon as events close. An agent is responsible forchecking that the lights are switched off, again in agreement with the organizers.

By dematerializing ticketing and encouraging online booking, le Palais also intends to limit paper production as much as possible. A few trees saved…

Information and awareness campaigns are regularly organized internally concerning all these subjects. The employees are the best ambassadors and actors of the status of a company with a mission that guides the steps of le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.

©Iso 20121 logo

Values and actions

All these principles are an integral part of a CSR-QSE policy (corporate social responsibility – quality, safety, environment) based entirely on four cardinal values: creation, openness, sustainability, passion.

Le Palais holds the ISO 20121 standard, which articulates its entire approach around the four principles of sustainable development, in line with its core values: transparency, integrity, inclusion and duty of care.

Environmental projects will accelerate in the coming years. In particular, le Palais is considering the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Rotonde Lérins.

A dive into the heart of art

and nature

Submerged statues to magnify the seabed! Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is supporting and promoting the underwater ecomuseum by English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. With its six works immersed near the southern shore of Isle Sainte-Marguerite, this exceptional site has a educational scope on flora and fauna.

Over time, fish, algae and plants become one with these creations as beautiful as they are symbolic. “We don’t conquer our environment, we have tolive with it and respect it,” sums up artist Jason deCaires Taylor beautifully. It’s a message we’d like to share and spread to the general public.

Ecomusée sous-marin Jason deCaires Taylor, Cannes - par Max MonSport

The second life

tarpaulins and red carpet

The famous red carpet is recycled. Crushed and transformed into polypropylene granules,it is then reused in the automotive industry, notably to make plastic partsof a car which therefore now have a bit of Brad Pitt or Sharon Stone soul.

Did you also know that the posters for the Festival de Cannes, the Festival de la Danse or the NRJ Music Awards, to name but a few events, also have a second life? Thanks to le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and the Cannes-based association “Résines (RESeau d’Initiatives Numériques et d’Ecologie Solidaire) Estérel Azur, these promotional objects, in the form of tarpaulins, becomebags, pochettes and paniers.

They are made by people in situations of professional reintegration. All items are sold directly by the association or by the tourist office. With great success!

Cannes awarded

"Sustainable Innovative Destination

New recognition for le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès! In 2023, Cannes became a “Sustainable Innovative Destination”. A label created by France Congrès et Évènements, backed by ISO 20121 certification addressing the challenges of responsible event management.

What does this change? A lot. This recognition means that we can offer visitors responsible offers throughout their stay, whether for hotels but also for catering, mobility, shopping or cultural leisure activities.

Many partners are already committed to this approach. In particular, the City of Cannes, which piloted the creation of this label along with seven other French communes.

Ethics

on every floor of le Palais

Le Palais des Festivals has set, in stone, its human and societal commitment by drafting a Charter of Ethics. This document commits all teams, all departments, each and every one of us, to always and again mobilize around major principles such as respect for the European Convention on Human Rights and the Conventions of the International Labor Organization.

Le Palais supportsHuman Rights and fights in favor of child protection in its sphere of influence. It prevents all forms of discrimination, particularly against vulnerable categories, including people with disabilities, and promotes diversitý and equal opportunities between men and women.

Also adopting the Diversity Charter in 2008, le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès demonstrates its commitment tocultural, ethnic and social diversity within its organization.

Find our Ethics Charter

Health is a priority

The comfort and health safety of festival-goers, the public and delegates are among the areas in which le Palais is in pointe. As we saw with Covid-19, aerosol transmissions of viruses can be problematic.

The air conditioning of the Théâtre Debussy and the Auditorium Louis Lumière is provided by so-called “all new air” air handling units. There is no recycled air in these rooms. Filters are checked regularly.

Exchange in complete safety

In a world with no shortage of turbulence, le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès has a duty to offer maximum security and safety conditions for all those it welcomes. A very dense network of cameras, whose images are scanned in real time, and a strong presence of agents are one of the strong links in the arrangements put in place.

A very special effort is also made on access controls so that everyone can take part in events in complete confidence.

This is why le Palais holds the ISO 18788 concerning management operations for security operations. This takes into account the pursuit and continuous improvement of all measures to ensure the guarantee of a secure perimeter for all goods and people on site.

Le Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes is the first convention center in France to obtain this certification.

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