International Diving Fair - Interview with Hélène De Tayrac excluded

 For the commemoration of the 20 anniversary of the International Scuba Diving Salon, we interviewed Hélène de TAYRAC - SENIK, creator and president of the Salon. This event has become the annual rendezvous for professionals and scuba diving enthusiasts. You can find entertainment, exhibitions, conferences and other discoveries. Every beginning of the year, Paris becomes Capital of diving. The show brings together more than 400 exhibitors and more than 50 000 visitors each year.

Can you tell us about your background?

I did a communication training after my baccalaureate and I first entered the health sector where I worked as communication manager at the Gustave Roussy Institute in Villejuif (center for the fight against cancer) in which I created the communication department. This is the first time that there was a communication service in a hospital, at the time it did not yet exist. I did a lot of activities there for children, especially those with cancer. Then I left this hospital and I returned to the health press where I worked in the communication service for the launch of a general public health magazine called “Univers Santé”.

Then I left the world of health and I took care of Albert Uderzo and the communication of Asterix, including the release of the 30 album "The Galley Obelix.

How did you manage to set up the Salon de la Plongée?

In 1996 I decided to set up my own agency and I created HP Communication in January 1998. At that moment, I met Joel Delclos who was a diver who gravitated a lot in the middle of the dive. This is how the idea of ​​launching the Diving Salon was born, knowing that at the time there were a few exhibitors who were in the field of diving that went to the Salon Nautique in Paris, but who did not like it. In March 98, we sent a fax to twenty potential exhibitors. I put all my communicative strength, even if I was not part of the field of diving, and we had 90% of positive answers. This is how the 1 launch project took place^er living room at Aquaboulevard (water park of Paris) in March 1999. In December 1998 we were having a great launch evening of the show. The show was immediately successful. After 2 years at Aquaboulevard with exponential growth, the show has switched to 2001 Porte de Versailles.

We wanted to keep what made the success of the first show, ie a village of exhibitors with conference rooms and not only to be a commercial village, but also a meeting place.

At the time we used the swimming pool at Aquaboulevard to do baptisms and that's how 2001 HP Communication bought a pool that we installed and which is still present (although in the meantime the pool has been changed).

The show has always been growing. At first it was a French salon,

which over time has taken on an international dimension. This is more than 10 that we have the international name. To have this name it is necessary that at least 15% of the exhibitors are coming from abroad. Today we are more than 34% foreign exhibitors. As the show grew thanks to the exhibitors coming from abroad or from Province, it was necessary to play the calendar between the other international fairs and the school holidays. A decade ago, more precisely from 2003 we modified the dates of the show that took place initially in March to switch it in January, which allows us to be the first show of the year. 'year. Manufacturers and collections in the diving world are presented at the DEMA show, a trade show dedicated to professionals in November, so it is in Paris during the Salon de la Plongee that the first collections and new products are presented to the general public.

What are your missions in the show?
I am the schedule of the year: I have both the commercial position, the technical director of the event and for HP Communication (company owner of the show) I also have the manager and accountant. The Salon is mounted on 1 year. This represents a year of work upstream where there is never a timeout. We first plan the dates of the next show, then the hall booking at the Exhibition Center and we start working on the theme. Around February and March we are working on the accounting of an exercise and the accounting forecast for the salon after. In March we officially launch the theme, with the graphic charter including the poster of the show and all the part of the communication. In April we open registrations.
From April to September, this represents a lot of work on the setting up of the theme, the exhibitors who register, the preparation of the plan, the contacts with the speakers. This consists of the work of the complete assembly of the show which ends in September. This assembly work must be well calibrated.
From October until December, it is the entire preparation part of the technical director. It is necessary to manage the exhibitors' order (electricity, layout and layout of stands, etc.) and orders from suppliers (furniture, partitions, spot rails, carpet, badges, cleaning of the show, sound system for concert halls etc…). The show must be booked as a whole one month before the opening, it is the enormous work that must be done on the events. We have 400 exhibitors, it is a very big technical management. Everything must work on the first day of the show. I work very alone in the structure with a lot of suppliers with whom I have worked for 10 years. Most of them have become partners and I surround myself with people who know the show very well. There are over 2000 people working in the hall during assembly. This represents cleaning, setting up exhibitors, security guards, hostesses… I appoint team leaders for all the suppliers and that is how we operate. I have great loyalty in my work, which works in our favor from the point of view of our technical success.

How do you evolve the field of diving?

It has evolved considerably and I think the show is for something but not only. It has evolved in its internalisation and today diving is practiced worldwide. It has also evolved in terms of hardware, indeed, it has nothing to do today to what there was 20 years in terms of material, shapes or even tariffs. There has also been a great evolution on the feminization of diving, there are more and more women interested in this area. Children are also more and more likely to practice diving. The very strong evolution on the leisure part, which can be practiced by everyone.

What are your missions within the show?

I am the schedule of the year: I have both the commercial position, the technical director of the event and for HP Communication (company owner of the show) I also have the manager and accountant. The Salon is mounted on 1 year. This represents a year of work upstream where there is never a timeout. We first plan the dates of the next show, then the hall booking at the Exhibition Center and we start working on the theme. Around February and March we are working on the accounting of an exercise and the accounting forecast for the salon after. In March we officially launch the theme, with the graphic charter including the poster of the show and all the part of the communication. In April we open registrations.

From April to September, this represents a lot of work on the setting up of the theme, the exhibitors who register, the preparation of the plan, the contacts with the speakers. This consists of the work of the complete assembly of the show which ends in September. This assembly work must be well calibrated.

From October until December, it is the entire preparation part of the technical director. It is necessary to manage the exhibitors' order (electricity, layout and layout of stands, etc.) and orders from suppliers (furniture, partitions, spot rails, carpet, badges, cleaning of the show, sound system for concert halls etc…). The show must be booked as a whole one month before the opening, it is the enormous work that must be done on the events. We have 400 exhibitors, it is a very big technical management. Everything must work on the first day of the show. I work very alone in the structure with a lot of suppliers with whom I have worked for 10 years. Most of them have become partners and I surround myself with people who know the show very well. There are over 2000 people working in the hall during assembly. This represents cleaning, setting up exhibitors, security guards, hostesses… I appoint team leaders for all the suppliers and that's how we operate. I have great loyalty in my work, which works in our favor from the point of view of our technical success.

Basically what was the purpose of this show and what form has it taken over time?

The idea was born from the discontent of the diving world who wondered about their presence at the boat show. They wanted to have a show dedicated to the world of scuba diving, which is an area in its own right with its own codes, and can not be mixed with surfing or boating. The idea was to respond to a request for activity at a trade show dedicated to this activity. It has not changed so much over time. I stayed true to the original idea, I had a lot of synergy with other events, but I always refused. The goal is not to double the number of visitors. The biggest achievement for me, would be to have mainly captive visitors who will consume dive. The goal is not to make a number of entries but really benefit the diving community.

What are your missions in the show?
I am the schedule of the year: I have both the commercial position, the technical director of the event and for HP Communication (company owner of the show) I also have the manager and accountant. The Salon is mounted on 1 year. This represents a year of work upstream where there is never a timeout. We first plan the dates of the next show, then the hall booking at the Exhibition Center and we start working on the theme. Around February and March we are working on the accounting of an exercise and the accounting forecast for the salon after. In March we officially launch the theme, with the graphic charter including the poster of the show and all the part of the communication. In April we open registrations.
From April to September, this represents a lot of work on the setting up of the theme, the exhibitors who register, the preparation of the plan, the contacts with the speakers. This consists of the work of the complete assembly of the show which ends in September. This assembly work must be well calibrated.
From October until December, it is the entire preparation part of the technical director. It is necessary to manage the exhibitors' order (electricity, layout and layout of stands, etc.) and orders from suppliers (furniture, partitions, spot rails, carpet, badges, cleaning of the show, sound system for concert halls etc…). The show must be booked as a whole one month before the opening, it is the enormous work that must be done on the events. We have 400 exhibitors, it is a very big technical management. Everything must work on the first day of the show. I work very alone in the structure with a lot of suppliers with whom I have worked for 10 years. Most of them have become partners and I surround myself with people who know the show very well. There are over 2000 people working in the hall during assembly. This represents cleaning, setting up exhibitors, security guards, hostesses… I appoint team leaders for all the suppliers and that is how we operate. I have great loyalty in my work, which works in our favor from the point of view of our technical success.

What do you think of the democratization of diving?

Personally I think it's a very good thing. For the dive professional environment, we had to achieve this democratization so that there would be more dive consumers. There is also a state of mind protecting the oceans, because I am convinced that the more people put their heads under water, the more we will have a notion of what is going on underwater and the more we will protect our lives. planet. The vision of the ocean is not the same when one's head underwater as when sailing on a boat. This is to sensitize a lot of people. I see that today's children are much more prepared for this protection (with notions about environmental protection and species protection) than our generation was.

I find it extremely unfortunate that scuba diving is not more recognized. In 20 years of salon, few ministers have come to attend. This is not yet the policy priority. There needs to be recognition, for example, of publicity, things to do with the protection of the oceans, and also the trades around scuba diving.

What is your best memory of the dive or the show?

My best memory is that of being able to ride with the exhibitors of the Salon de la Plongée, an operation that we did under the Eiffel Tower in 2007. The elected to the Paris City Hall and at the time director of the Eiffel Tower proposed that we use the pool lounge to put under the Eiffel Tower for ten days to make baptisms to people who visited the monument. We made 10 days more 6000 baptisms, by proposing an outside operation outside the Salon in collaboration with the exhibitors of the show, which represents for me a great success.

Interviewed by Aurélie Kula

From 12 to 15 January 2018 at Pavilion 5 of the Parc des Expositions - Paris (75)

www.salondelaplongee.com