How to organise a trip to Maison et Objet Paris

Maison Objet is without a doubt one of the most famous and prestigious trade shows for design and architecture in the world and the January’s edition is clearly our favourite one because it allows us to see the newest collection that has been prepared for most part of the year and to discover the emerging designers/exhibitors that are willing to show us their vision and craftsmanship techniques and in some cases, allow us to find that unique, undiscovered piece that will fit perfectly in our current projects.

Explained why Maison Objet Paris is important, we would like to show you and give you some tips of how Peter Staunton Interior Design plans their trips to this major event and how we get the best of our day during a trade show with 3200 exhibitors. If this is the first time you are going to Maison Objet or felt that you didn’t achieve the goals of your day in your last visit, then check out this post about how to plan a trip to Maison Objet Paris (2017 Edition).

FIND SPACE IN YOUR DIARY

The first thing we need to check is “when” its going to happen,& the duration of the trade show. If you are subscribed to the M&O newsletter system then you should receive the information by October or November, but to be honest, we always check those days in the beginning of January because the diary of an interior designer is just too damn busy, always changing with appointments; furniture delivery; fittings and so on. It would be unrealistic for us to know exactly what is going to happen two months ahead of it.

So, tip number one is, check the date the event starts and decide which is the most suitable day in your diary for you to visit the show.

CHECK THE EXHIBITORS AND CHOOSE THEM WISELY!

Ok, you have chosen the most suitable day for you and studio. Now what? Is it worth a visit to Maison Objet? 99% of the cases, YES! The known exhibitors will be there showing their newest collection and the newest exhibitors will be trying to grab your attention with their products. It is always great to see the changes in the tendencies of the market and how designers adapt to be more competitive and offer the most exquisite materials.

But, should you visit all the stands? HELL NO! You would need to stay in Paris for most of the event if you go down that path! Being busy as we always are, we need to target what we want and need to see in the trade show.

Firstly, we check which exhibitors we know already, we want to visit them to see their newest collections and prices. We also like to share with them thoughts and discuss about issues we had in the past and to give feedback. Then, here we have a quick look hall by hall to the exhibitors that might be of interested to visit and see what they have to offer.

All of us have a signature, a style we like to preserve this makes us unique in business, so keep it that way and check the most interesting things that could be helpful for your projects. Saying that, filter the exhibitors you want to visit and plan your day accordingly. Leave some space for the “Newbies” and stick to the plan, otherwise, the day will not be fulfilled.

Our recommendation is to create an Excel file you can take with you (even on your phone) with the name of the Hall; Exhibitor; Category; Stand Number and Notes.

When checking the exhibitors filter them first by Hall, then apply the filter “Hall and Stand – asc” so you can visualise them in ascendant order making things easier when you are inside creating your path.

Tip number two will help you to decide if visiting the trade show will be worth it. Check the exhibitors and firstly focus on the ones you know, then you can consider the new ones. Create a spreadsheet with the relevant information about the exhibitors and where to find them. The best way to organize them is by hall, in our case should be descendant (8-1) because it comes from the most relevant to the lesser one.

BUY THE M&O BADGES ONLINE

We recommend you to buy the badges online because you can find some good deals, for example we bought 1 ticket for 60€ and the second one for half price. If you buy it in the trade show will cost you 70€ per ticket.

Tip number three will save you some money. Buy your badge online and stay tuned to their offers. We bought ours 10 days before the event and got discount.

CHECK OUT THE FLIGHTS AND AIRPORT!

After picking the most suitable day and deciding if the trip is worthy, the next step should be to search for flights to Paris. In our case the nearest airport is Birmingham Airport, but which airport? Well, the nearest one to the trade show of course! In this case, the nearest airport to Parc des Expositions (where the event is held) is the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Knowing the date and airport, it is time to book your flight. At Peter Staunton Interior Design, we are early birds so we always schedule our flights first thing in the morning so we have enough time for breakfast, catch the train and get inside as soon as it opens.

Tip number four is to book flights to Paris and pick the nearest airport to Maison Objet. We recommend you to pick the first flight in the morning so you have plenty of time for breakfast, travelling and badge check in the entrance.

CHOOSE YOUR TRANSPORTATION

As the airport is so close and having a direct line to the trade show, we always prefer to catch the train. The RER B line is a no-brainer choice, you buy the tickets at the airport and go straight to the train station. 2 stops and voila, you have arrived at your destination!

You also can grab a taxi or if you are staying for longer, rent a car, however, as this is a one-day-trip for us, we go for the easiest way.

Tip number five is to catch the train. You have chosen the right airport and the train is a no-brainer choice for us, also because it grants you good access to the halls. You may prefer the comfort of a taxi, we are more adventurous .

CREATE AN ITINERARY

The easiest way to start is with Hall 8 first thing and then go around hall by hall. In my opinion, the ones that we will spend most time in is Hall 7 and 5B. So, starting by Hall 8 would be the perfect way to get things done by the end of the day.

Check the image below to see our itinerary:

Tip number six is to create an itinerary that allow you to pick the smartest path and avoid to walk in circles. You should have an idea after organizing the Exhibitors by Hall and Stand.

TAKE SOME PICTURES AND SHARE THEM ONLINE!

Social media is key in any business, so take pictures of cool stuff and share it with your followers. Let them know that you are there, use keywords and share your experiences and how you enjoyed or disliked your visit.

Tip number seven is be online, share the experience with your followers and at the same time it will work as database for your project!

And folks, that’s it! I think that those tips cover most of the essentials to plan a good one-day-tour to Maison Objet. Keep tuned to see how we do in the fair!