The perfect modular convention center!

• Key Figures
• Inaugurated in 2019
• Up to 2.500 seats
• Area of 15.000m²
• 24 moveable seating units
• 35 million € budget

Increase your convention center profit with modular seating

With more than 400 events per year and 900,000 visitors, Congrès et Exposition Bordeaux is the 4th largest convention center in France. Targeting the business tourism, it needed facilities capable of hosting these types of events and providing a competitive edge against other urban areas.

The Venue

Inaugurated in May 2019, the new hall called “Palais 2 l’Atlantique” replaced the inadequate building from the 80’s. It was designed by the architects Henry-Triaud and Brochet-Lajaus-Pueyo with a budget of 35 million of euros.

Being able to host simultaneously any type of events is key for the business model of the convention center. Thus the main challenge was to offer maximum modularity within the new hall. It should provide configurations ranging from small and simple to big or complex set-ups. The seating system must combine its huge dimensions, with flexibility, and ease of movement with minimum efforts and equipment.

Another challenge was the little time allocated to the jobsite, and the condition required by the client to not disturb activities in the other hall.

Master Industrie installed a huge telescopic stand of 30 rows equipped with MASTER One+ seats. It is separated between a lower and an upper part, each including 6 units of double-row levels. Both parts can be used jointly or independently.

Each units is moveable and can be rearranged to offer seating configurations varying from 400 to 2,500 people. A unit has a width of 15m, a depth of 10.5m and weights between 11.5 to 15 tons.

System maneuverability is key to venue operations. The stand is equipped with omnidirectional wheels, specifically designed to withstand movement on uneven ground. The lower units are stored outside the hall, and are moved with electric trolley. The upper units are stored against the back wall and are moved thanks to the MASTER Eureka system. Because of the cable gutters and the need to maintain contact with the floor, air caster system and forklift were ruled out as solutions.

Another particularity of this project is its moveable telescopic stairs. They can be used indistincly with the lower or upper units, and are secured with toggle locking to the stand. They are easily moved and stored, and perfectly complete the seating configuration.