American Express Meetings & Events and French marketing
and communications firm Le Public Système announced an exclusive agreement to
collaborate on strategic meetings management and extend into France new Amex
communications and brand strategy initiatives.
In addition to sourcing, planning and logistical services,
American Express this year decided to expand its service portfolio in France to
include communications, brand strategy, digital communications and multimedia.
While it has offered meetings management services for decades, Amex this year
for the first time globally branded them as American Express Meetings &
Events and identified additional services in specific markets necessary to
further grow its business.
"Specifically in the French market, 2011 has been an
extremely successful year for us," said Issa Jouaneh, American Express
Meetings & Events vice president and general manager. "The French
market has been our highest-growing market on a global basis," and to
further expand business, officials last year began to search for a partner that
could provide the "production, communications and creativity in an
integrated experience."
The partnership offers Le Public Système an
"opportunity to benefit from the global network" of Amex and
therefore expand outside France, noted CEO Frédéric Bedin. While the Amex deal
is specific to France, officials said the partners would service French
companies that hold meetings anywhere in the world.
Founded in 1993, the French communications agency has about
300 employees and 150 clients. Last year, it merged with agency Hopscotch to
form Public Systeme Hopscotch. The group for 2010 reported about 500 employees
and turnover of €128.8 million.
Amex later this week is set to announce a similar
partnership in the United Kingdom," said Jouaneh, who described such deals
as "collaboration agreements focused on growth to provide clients with new
solutions that do not exist today." In North America, Amex provides
meeting services through MaxVantage, a strategic alliance with Maritz
Travel.