The architectural masterpiece, the award-winning MICE centre Grimaldi Forum Monaco, is celebrating an impressive 25th anniversary and the inauguration of its spectacular extension, built into the sea in the Mareterra district. It not only keeps the Grimaldi Forum in the league of the most prestigious congress centres in the world, but of the most attractive exhibition venues.
by Urs Seiler || 20 January 2025
The cultural and congress centre Grimaldi Forum Monaco has been a world class, multi award winning MICE venue since its opening in the year 2000. On 16 January 2025 it celebrated its quarter century in operation - and importantly the highly modular extension of its rather spectacular space, some of which under the sea level - by 6’000 square meters, 2’000 of which in open space to be used during Monaco’s 300 days of sun every year.
A New Experience
The inauguration of Grimaldi Forum’s extension and its 25th anniversary took place in the iconic Salle des Princes with its 1,000m2 stage - the equivalent of the Opéra Bastille (!) with an impressive show recounting the human adventure of the Grimaldi Forum. The spectacular auditorium is one of the key spaces in the venue. It is a highly versatile space, primarily used for large events, such as concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and corporate functions.
The show was devised with the assistance of Jean-Christophe Maillot, Choreographer and Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, one of the Grimaldi Forum's most loyal cultural partners and a symbol of its 25-year history. It then benefitted from the blessing of the extension by Father Jean-Ariel Bauza-Salinas o.p. and mounted into a cocktail reception in the Patio and Galerie Diaghilev.
The Grimaldi Forum hosts an average of 100 events and 250,000 visitors per year. It will be more attractive than ever, hosting larger events and combining more events simultaneously,expanding from a total usable surface area of 35,000 m2 to 41,000 m2. The extension will keep the Grimaldi Forum in the league of world class MICE venues, partly by its spectacular location, built into the sea, its light flooded architecture, its spectacular Salle des Princes, but now thanks to the spacial extension. Monaco will extend its reach to the global MICE community.
I spoke to a few fair organisers at the inaugural event on 16 January, one of them Claude Membrez, CEO of Palexpo, Geneva, who organises its artgeneva at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco and they all confirmed, how the extension gives them greater opportunities for their shows. It helps the Grimaldi Forum to attract more business and leisure events to Monaco and thereby extend its economic impact for the region well beyond the 70 Million Euro so far.
Distances are short in the Principality, the Grimaldi Forum is in walking distance from most amenities, hotels and attractions, such as the magnifique Méridien Beach Plaza or the luxurious Hotel Monte Carlo Bay or the famous Monte Carlo Casino.
Inspirational: More than a Venue
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco: Prince Albert II, second from the right and Princess Charlène de Monaco on his left. Pierre-André Chiappori, Minister of finance and economy (left). Sylvie Biancheri, general manager Grimaldi Forum, second from the left. M. Henri Fissore, Chairman Grimaldi Forum Monaco, right.
The importance of the inauguration of the extension for the 1’000 local, national and global business and leisure leaders was underlined by the appearance of the reigning monarch, Prince Albert II and by Princess Charlène. Prince Albert II recounted the deep connection of the Royal family to the Grimaldi Forum by how his his father, Prince Rainer III, had to give his personal permission to use the royal name of Grimaldi.
The Grimaldi Forum is more than a venue: it is a formidable cultural institution in its own right with its major summer exhibitions, which count the world's greatest museums among its lenders and the greatest experts among its curators. One encounters here not only a world class venue, that speaks of the proverbial quality, for which Monaco is famous, but dives into a sea of cultural inspirations. It creates a unique experience, as Monaco’s advertising slogan claims, «like nowhere else».
Great environmental standard
Sustainability is high on the agenda in Monaco and in the Grimaldi Forum. The Grimaldi Forum is one of the first European centres to have received - since 2008 - the precious ISO 14 001 certification. Since then, it has improved its energy efficiency by 35%, multiplied by 2.5 its sorting rate and divided by more than 2 its water consumption per visitor.
The Grimaldi Forum and Monaco are highly committed to safeguard the environment and to Corporate Social Responsibility. The framework of its commitment are anchored in the White Paper on Sustainable Tourism in the Principality of Monaco.
Partnership CMB private bank and the Grimaldi Forum
Press conference of the opening of the extension and the 25th anniversary of the Grimaldi Forum from left to right: Franceso Grosoli, CEO of CMB private bank. Henri Fissore, Chairman of the Grimaldi Forum. Sylvie Biancheri, General Manager of the Grimaldi Forum. Etienne Franzi, chairman CMB private bank.
Monaco's leading private bank, CMB has been the official partner of the Grimaldi Forum for two decades. The agreement for this premium partnership runs throughout 2025, an important year for the Grimaldi Forum, which is not only celebrating its 25th anniversary and the extension of its building, but is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first partnership agreement with CMB Monaco.
CMBs CEO, Francesco Grosoli said at the the press conference, prior to the festivities about the commitment of CMB, going back to the year 2004: «We are not investors. We are partners. For CMB the partnership creates a very important visibility.»
Sylvie Biancheri, General Manager of the Grimaldi Forum said: «The opening of the Grimaldi Forum in the year 2000 was an important landmark. We have to thank our staff, who has always been committed to hold the quality of our services high. CMB’s commitment helps us, to keep the quality of our services high.»
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