Where is the Made in France Expo?
The Made in France (MIF) Expo occurred in Paris at the Porte de Versailles at the beginning of the month, from November 8 to November 11.
How Popular is the Made In France Expo?
Since its inception in 2012, the Made in France exhibition has exploded. Indeed, the first year welcomed 80 businesses and 15,000 visitors. And, this year the expo listed 563 exhibitors and about 70,000 consumers/professionals checked in.
You could get in free if you had registered on the internet in advance. Otherwise, you were paying 10 Euros to go through the doors; however, you were reimbursed when you made your first purchase.
The magazine L’Usine Nouvelle reports on a survey made on 306 enterprises who favor the label Made in France. Per this report, 62% think the label is key for the sales. Others think that though people appreciate that it is Made in France, they still purchase what is the least expensive. At the same time, 48% think it is difficult to become widely known. This, most likely explains why the Made in France Expo sees an increasing number of exhibitors each year as this is the perfect means to get their brand out to the world.
Where are the Exhibitors From?
The exhibition hall was divided by region, a total of eight different areas:
Corrèze,
Nouvelle Aquitaine,
Pays de la Loire,
Normandie,
Grand Est,
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté,
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes,
Gard (Part East of the Occitaine area)
Who is Exhibiting at the Made in France Expo?
The different sectors represented were as follows:
Vehicles and mobility; 4 exhibitors Three bicycles (Cavale, Manivelle, Oklö) and a big brand – Toyota which manufactures the Yaris for the French market in Onnaing, France near Valenciennes in the Nord department.
Sports and hobbies; 7 exhibitors Innovative snowshoe (EVVO), smart carrying of your skis (KLIPSKI), sport clothing (LAFITTE-SPRINGART) (OGARUN), accordeons (MAUGEIN), wooden equilibrium board (OREKA), lacing system (UNCHAIN LACING SYSTEM)
Fashion and accessories; 228 exhibitors
Media; 1 exhibitor FIMIF (Federation Independante du Made in France)
Label; 3 exhibitors (Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat du Gard) (France Terre Textile) (Label Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant)
Games, toys and childhood; 21 exhibitors
Innovation; 17 exhibitors
High tech; 3 exhibitors Small dishwasher (DAAN TECH) 3D printing (DAGOMA) hypnose mask (DREAMINZZ-HYPNOS)
Gastronomy; 92 exhibitors
Beauty and wellness; 64 exhibitors
Art of living; 123 exhibitors
Made in France Arbitrary picks
I picked three Businesses which products are Made in France which I particularly like.
La Botte Gardiane
The first one is La Botte Gardiane producing handcrafted boots, shoes, and sandals since 1958, all 100% made in France. This manufacturer stands in Aigues-Vives in the South of France in the Camargue. Originally, the boots were designed for the “gardians”, the French cowboys looking after bulls and cows in the area.
The manufacturer managed to survive economic turndowns and today you can order directly online your custom shoes.
They use the best leathers supplied by tanneries used by luxury brands such as Hermes, Ralph Lauren, etc. The sole of their shoes is sewn, glued and nailed by hand. They are the last French bootmaker producing this type of mounting. The very reason why their brand has been labeled “Living Heritage Company” since 2007 by the government.
Daan Tech
My second pick is a company that has not yet put something on the market. They need to rebuild the manufacturing lines lost to China and hire the personnel to produce. They are well on their way to do so.
Their idea is one that fills a definite need and will at the same time save a lot of water. They already have 5000 pre-orders that they plan on delivering in summer 2020.
I’m introducing Daan Tech and their baby: Bob. Bob is a mini dishwasher for 2 people which cleans the dishes in 20 minutes. Bob is compact (13x19x19 inches). It uses five times less water than handwashing. Bob consumes only .35 kWh and disconnects automatically from the main power once it’s done. And, it will open automatically for drying.
Coleen
My third pick is an electric bike by the name of Coleen. Though it has a 100km range (62 miles), the motor is small, built within the frame, you don’t see it. Its aesthetics appeals to the senses. The bike is simple, sleek, feels like urban as well as ready for the countryside. It comes with an anti-theft GPS system and requires no key to start. You lock it and unlock it with your phone. However, I checked with the company, you can use the bike without your phone and… keep the GPS system if needed. It is Made in France in Biarritz.