Events. Miharu extends its activities to Toulouse and Agen
Smiling, Nathalie and Jean-François Renac have the head to announce good news. Their event business would experience “an extremely strong recovery since mid-March-April with 30% growth compared to pre-Covid”. Their latest turnover would vary between 3.5 to 3.8 million euros. If Miharu shows good results, the whole sector is not doing so well. “The reimbursement of PGEs began this spring. 20 to 25% of event companies are facing significant difficulties. Some had to cease their activities. There are also moves towards rapprochement. The sector will experience a phenomenon of concentration,” says Jean-François Renac.
For his part, Miharu is not confronted with this logic and continues his development. Last year, he raised funds of 600,000 euros from the public investment bank Bpifrance and the Occitanie Tourism Fund.
Two new spaces under management for ten years
For the start of the 2022 school year, the group is also announcing the management of two new spaces. The first is outside the Occitanie Region, in New Aquitaine: the Agen Exhibition and Congress Centre. With a usable area of 7,000 square meters, it is very flexible (plenary of 2,000 seats, amphitheater of 500 seats, eight modular rooms from thirty to 300 people, etc.). For the entertainment part, the company of the Renac spouses collaborates with the PGO agency. Miharu obtained a ten-year public service delegation (DSP) to manage the Agenais place.
The second location is the future event space at Toulouse Matabiau station, currently under construction. With an usable area of 400 square meters, it will be dedicated to business customers and will be “top of the range”, according to the two leaders. The development should cost between 5000 and 6000 euros, for an opening planned between the summer and the start of the school year in September 2023. The identity of the place is being developed with the Toulouse company of Elsa Selva, La Frenchise. Miharu is linked with this new space in Matabiau until 2034. A way of projecting oneself “more in the long term”. Which may seem “paradoxical in a sector which since the Covid has learned to be in the very short term”, underlines Jean-François Renac.
The large-scale projects presented this fall could allow the company to grow from around twenty to thirty-six employees within a year. The target turnover for next year is “5 million euros”. The objective of 7 million euros is already set for 2024. By this date, Miharu could manage ten places against seven at the end of this year [1]. In the short term, the event company is preparing the organization of the Trinque festival; from October 5 to 9, the closing of which will take place at the Grand Marché in Toulouse. “5,000 guests and one hundred exhibitors are expected, including 90 brewers, 35% of whom will come from Occitanie. “Not bad for toasting to future projects for this start of the 2022 school year!
Mathias Hardoy
On the photo: Jean-François and Nathalie Renac, the directors of Miharu. Credit: Hélène Ressayres – ToulÉco.
Remarks
[1] The two new ones mentioned in the article, but also the Manoir du Prince, the Mas des Canelles, the Village – Event Spaces (Village by CA de Toulouse), the Airbus Event Center and several spaces at the Grand Marché de Toulouse.