Next week the annual appointment with the Montpellier Sett, the most important European event for outdoor tourism professionals, is renewed. The event will be held from November 7th to 9th at the Parc des Expositions. Launched in 1978, Sett celebrates its 44th edition this year. In 2023, 750 exhibitors are expected in 10 pavilions.
“The latest editions of the event have been characterized by unprecedented enthusiasm and participation,” declared Philippe Robert, President of the Fédération del’Hôtellerie de Plein Air Languedoc-Roussillon. “This strong turnout demonstrates the relevance of a now unmissable event, which last year brought together more than 17,000 visitors and almost 700 exhibitors. Faced with this growth, the fair has been enriched with an additional pavilion“.
The success of the show is in line with the tourism results obtained during this summer season. The 44th edition of Sett places the environment at the center of discussion, but also offers a specific focus on staff management and recruitment. “The success of our profession is largely based on the human dimension,” Robert underlined. “We must support our members and partners on these key issues.”
Thus at Sett, the 4th edition of the Atelier Étudiants was organized, which aims to promote and raise awareness of the professions and the open-air hospitality sector. This workshop, which will take place on the afternoon of Thursday November 9th, will bring together over 400 students to try to overcome an important challenge: in fact, it is expected that 10,000 additional jobs will be created in the sector in the next 10 years, which will add to the current approximately 50,000 (source DP 2023 FNHPA).
Events within the event
11% of the show’s visitors are international, with the majority coming from Spain and Portugal. Sett will therefore welcome the managers of the Iberian campsites with a cocktail reserved for them on Wednesday November 8th at 1pm at Entrance A.
Every year the Sett organizes three evenings that bring together the players in the open-air hospitality sector and invite visitors and exhibitors to continue the discussion in a friendlier atmosphere.
- Monday November 6th at 7.30pm: “Sett on Ose…” at the Le Prose restaurant in La Grande Motte. In a green setting, the restaurant offers colorful cuisine based on fresh, seasonal products. Throughout the evening, let yourself be fascinated by the art of hypnosis, which will perhaps free you from stress and relax you before this 44th edition of the Sett which promises to be rich (event by reservation).
- Tuesday November 7th at 7.30pm: “Violons Sett” in Place de Village – Entrance B, Parc des Expositions – Montpellier. The Place de Village hosts the Gala Dinner for an evening of violins with Angie (event by reservation).
- Wednesday November 8th at 7.30pm: “DJ Sett la Fête” in Place de Village – Entrance B, Parc des Expositions – Montpellier. DJ Sett la Fête is the festive moment of the event, not to be missed! For its 44th edition, the Sett offers campsite managers and exhibitors a fun evening punctuated by the sound of DJ-C’Drick.
The Sett d’Or – Innovation trophies
To underline the importance of innovation, this year too there will be the presentation of the Sett d’Or: five trophies for as many companies awarded by a jury made up of open-air hospitality professionals. The awards, created jointly by the Organizing Committee, the FHPA Languedoc-Roussillon and the Décisions magazine, reward players in the sector who stand out for the uniqueness and innovation of their products or services.
This year there are 46 companies competing and hoping to see their creativity rewarded: infrastructure, equipment, leisure, applications, software… all technological advances that allow the sector to remain at the forefront and in line with new needs of customers. The presentation of the Sett d’Or will take place on Tuesday November 8th at 6pm – Entrance A of the Parc des Expositions of Montpellier.
The commitment to a sustainable approach
Since 2021, Sett has been trying to be an eco-responsible event. Supported by the Green Evenement agency, it has implemented significant actions with the aim of achieving 3 major objectives:
- Zero waste
- Carbon neutrality
- Positive social impact
In 2023, in particular, the following objectives have been identified:
- Plan the event in an eco-sustainable way
- Transforming waste into resources: in 2023 only 4.76% of waste will not be recycled.
- Valorization of food surpluses, with the commitment to achieve “zero food waste” by all the restaurateurs present at the fair and with the collection and recycling of food waste in compost by Les Alchimistes
- Minimize carbon footprint through:
- Greater communication with exhibitors on their means of transport (carpooling, public transport)
- Refusal to produce gadgets
- Changing the means of communication: virtual brochure, development of an application to reduce the production of paper catalogues, badge holders made of kraft paper instead of plastic
- Systematic separate waste collection with dedicated containers in all pavilions
- Integration of the unemployed in various areas (catering, reception, communication)
- Place suitable for people with disabilities:
- The ISO20121 certified Exhibition Center is accessible to people with disabilities
- Restaurant menu printed in Braille
- Quiet space for people who need to stay away from crowds
- Promotion of professional equality: the different professions that interact with the public undertake to respect professional equality between men and women
The key numbers of the sector
In 2023, 63 million bookings were recorded (+21% compared to 2022), of which 41 million from French (+15% compared to 2022) and 22 million from international customers (+33% compared to 2022). 8 out of 10 French people say they have a good image of camping, which for 89% is associated with conviviality, while 72% believe that this method offers comfortable holidays at affordable prices.
76% of French respondents believe that camping is an eco-holiday option that allows them to get closer to nature (up 9% compared to 2020) and 97% agree that the diversity of camping on offer makes it easy find an offer that fits your budget. More than 1 in 3 French people said they had stayed on a campsite in the last 3 years.
The open-air hospitality sector thus returned to its pre-Covid attendance level in 2022 and recorded a record number of 136 million overnight stays from April to September 2022, or +7.5% compared to 2019. The data shows a gradual return of foreign customers (+1.4% compared to 2019), almost exclusively European, especially Dutch, German, Belgian, and Swiss. In 2022, the clientele was 72% French and 28% foreign.
The Sett Awards
This year, the outdoor hospitality federations of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées invited campsites from Sett’s partner regions to compete for the Sett Awards. 7 prizes will be awarded to as many campsites in the following categories: Ecology, Animation, Dream Bathing, Unusual, Family/Generations, Green Spaces and Love at Love.
By participating in the Sett Awards, members share what motivates and excites them about their profession and thus offer a little of their know-how. All in the name of joy and good humor, because the event aims to be above all pleasant and fun! The Sett Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday November 8th at 6.30pm in the Conference Centre.
A prize competition for campsite managers
Furthermore, for the first time, the Fédération de l’Hôtellerie de Plein Air Languedoc-Roussillon invites visitors that are campsite managers to take part in a competition to try to win one of the 24 prizes offered by the exhibitors of Sett. In total you can win prizes worth €70,000. To play, you need to download the application and search the pavilions for the 7 exhibitors involved to validate your participation. The draw is scheduled for Thursday November 9th at 3.30pm at the entrance.
The complete program of the week
MONDAY NOVEMBER 6TH
- 30pm – Welcome dinner “Sett on Ose…” at the Le Prose restaurant in La Grande Motte (by reservation)
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 7TH
- 10:00 – Opening of the event
- 30am – Inauguration of the Sett – Entrance A
- 11:00/14:30 – Culinary demonstrations and tastings – Umih Training in collaboration with Nadeo Pro – Entrance A
- 11:00 – “The emotional experience of the customer” – Eric Voyer – Congress Center
- 30pm/5.00pm – Meetings with experts (reserved for members of open-air hospitality federations) – Congress Center
- 30pm – “Business transfer in a family context: giving up or selling, what tax strategies?” – Maître Régis Serpentier – Congress Centre
- 30pm – “The secrets of employer branding: your ally to attract, motivate, and retain seasonal workers” – Florence Saubatte, Employer Branding expert and partner of FNHPA and AFDAS – Congress Center
- 00 pm – “Social news, HPA collective agreement” – Martine Barbier, Doctor of Law – Congress Center
- 00pm – Presentation of the Sett d’Or – Innovation Trophies
- 00pm – Closing of the event
- or 7.30pm – “Violons Sett” in Place de Village (by reservation)
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 8TH
- 9:00 – Opening of the event and breakfast offered by the FRHPA Rhône-Alpes at Entrance A
- 10:00/17:00 – Meetings with experts (reserved to members of the open-air hospitality federations) – Conference centre
- 30am – “Discover the Camping Qualité brand” – Nicolas Dayot, president of FNHPA – Congress Center
- 11:00 – “Cybercrime everyone worried!” – Stéphanie Bourlois, President of the National CyberVictimes Association and the testimony of Savinka Boujol, Operations Director of the Les Méditerranées campsite (34)
- or 1.00pm – Iberian Cocktail – Entrance A
- 30pm – “Corporate values and culture” – Eric Voyer – Congress Center
- or 6.30pm – Sett Awards – Congress Centre
- 00pm – Closing of the event
- or 7.30pm – “DJ Sett la Fête” in Place de Village
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 9TH
- 9:00 – Opening of the event
- 30/13.30 – Meetings with experts (reserved for members of open-air hospitality federations) – Congress Center
- 30am – “The best of service and personal research” – Eric Voyer – Congress Center
- 00pm – “Public-private partnership and the preservation and revitalization of small campsites” – Nicolas Dayot, FNHPA President and Eric Legros FRHPA Lorraine, President of the FNHPA Public-Private Partnership Working Group – Conference Center
- or 2.00pm – Atelier Étudiants – Conference Center (reserved for students)
- or 3.30pm – Competition draw – To play, download the Sett application – Entrance A (reserved for visitors who manage campsites)
- 30pm – Closing event – Entrance A
- 00pm – Closing of the event
