mess in the call for tenders, the city cancels the takeover by GL Events
The mayor of Dijon, François Rebsamen, announces this Friday, October 30 that the procedure for taking over the city’s congress and exhibition center is suspended. Operation will be carried out under municipal management for the next few months.
It’s an unexpected turn of events. This Friday, December 30, the mayor of Dijon François Rebsamen knows from a press release that the operation of the convention and exhibition center will not be intended – for the moment – for GL Events, as was however planned.
Back in time: until now, the convention and exhibition center of Dijon was managed by Dijon Congrexpo. The public service delegation coming to an end, a new call for tenders had been launched. Last December 5, in the municipal council, François Rebsamen announced the choice made by the City: it was not Dijon Congrexpo, but a group from Lyon, GL Events, which had been selected in association with the CCI.
“The GL Events offer seems more interesting for the community“, then defended François Rebsamen. “Today, the places are not used to the height of what the city offers. The four annual fairs are not up to our desire for dynamism and development. The program offered for years has changed very little” under the aegis of Dijon Congrexpo, according to the mayor of Dijon.
► READ ALSO: Dijon Congrexpo, it’s over: the convention and exhibition center is taken over by the Lyon group GL Events
A decision that did not please Dijon Congrexpo. The outgoing delegate filed with the administrative court on December 16, “a pre-contractual summary aimed at canceling the procedure“, reads the press release. Or, “the City discovered on that date that all the useful information had not been sent to it” by Dijon Congrexpo. In other words, the examination of the two competing files could not be carried out under fair conditions.
“So that no litigation comes to hinder the operation of the exhibition center and the convention center, and before relaunching, when the time comes, a fair, serene and serious allocation process“, the mayor of Dijon has decided to declare the award procedure without follow-up. The contract with GL Events will not be signed, and until a new examination is completed, it is the City which will take over the management of the premises.
It is therefore under municipal management that the modernization work on the premises, planned for a long time, will be carried out. In its press release, the town hall assures that it is justified in ensuring “all the services associated with the convention center and the exhibition center“. The services of the city and Dijon Congrexpo will work together “to ensure the takeover of personnel and all related contracts under good conditions“at the establishment.