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If you’re buying a franchise, I’d put you in front of an operator who’s run one. If you’re selling a tech pilot, I’d look for the person who can approve it. In Paris, those conversations call for different events, even when the shows use the same exhibition centre.
I’ve picked seven business networking events in Paris and nearby Nanterre for 2027. Use the contents to jump to the person you need to meet, or start with the table to see which badge gets you into the room.
| Event and 2027 dates | Where | Who to meet | Access to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT Partners · 3–4 February | Plenitude Arena, Nanterre | IT distributors, resellers and service providers | Free badge subject to professional screening; ITP Connect for meeting requests. |
| Franchise Expo Paris · 13–15 March | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris | Franchisors and advisers; operators if you arrange introductions | Named visitor badge; check the current price and registration deadline. |
| All4Customer Paris · 23–25 March | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Pavilion 6, Paris | Customer experience and e-commerce suppliers | Free professional badge; students are excluded. |
| ChangeNOW · 26–28 April | Grand Palais, Paris | Impact investors, sustainability teams and solution providers | Summit Pass includes the meeting app; pitching has a separate route. |
| GO Entrepreneurs · 28–29 April | Plenitude Arena, Nanterre | Business owners and advisers who work in France | Register for the event; check workshop language and any reservations. |
| Vision Golfe · 15–16 June | Economy ministry, Bercy, Paris, on 15 June; embassy roadshow on 16 June | France–Gulf trade and partnership contacts | B2B meetings on 15 June; confirm eligibility and roadshow access. |
| VivaTech · 16–19 June | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris | Technology founders, corporate scouts and potential pilot partners | 16–18 June for B2B exchanges; 19 June is the public festival. |
1. IT Partners: find someone who can sell or support your product
The organiser’s IT Partners visitor FAQ puts the show at Plenitude Arena in Nanterre on 3–4 February. It’s a trade show for the French IT channel, so admission is free but screened for professionals working in areas such as IT, communications and audiovisual technology.
If you sell through distributors or managed service providers, I’d start here. The organiser’s ITP Connect meetings page explains how registered visitors and exhibitors can request appointments. Give a potential partner a reason to accept: tell them which customers you can serve together and where you need local support.
If you’re an end customer looking for a tool for your own staff, check whether you qualify for the badge before booking travel. If arranged meetings matter more than the IT specialism, my European B2B matchmaking guide explains how to compare who gets access and when an appointment is actually confirmed.
2. Franchise Expo Paris: ask who’s already run the business
At Franchise Expo Paris on 13–15 March, you can meet brands and business advisers at Porte de Versailles. The organiser is putting franchise resales in focus for 2027, so I’d include it if you’re weighing up taking over an existing outlet as well as opening a new one.
Ask each brand the same practical question: what did the last new operator need help with after opening? Then ask for an introduction to a current franchisee in a comparable location. The first conversation tells you how the brand describes its support; the second gives you a chance to hear how it works day to day.
The organiser’s badge information lists a first badge free through 11 February 2027, with charges for additional badges and later bookings. If you’re going with a business partner, look at the price for both of you and decide which brands each person will speak to.
3. All4Customer Paris: put suppliers through the same test
At All4Customer Paris on 23–25 March, I’d send a customer service, CRM or e-commerce lead to Pavilion 6 at Porte de Versailles. The visitor badge is free for professionals. The organiser excludes students and may ask for proof of employment or self-employment.
I’d ask three suppliers to walk through the same messy case, such as an online order returned in store after a chat with support. Find out which system owns the record and what a staff member has to do manually. You’ll come away with a comparison you can use instead of three demos built around different examples.
AI is part of the show, but I’d go for the workflow and supplier conversations. If your questions are about data sovereignty, industrial AI or research, my Paris AI events guide will get you closer to the people working on those problems.
Pro Tip: bring a question you can ask at three stands
Write the question on your phone before you walk in and leave room to note each answer. If someone can’t answer on the floor, ask who should join a follow-up and what they’d need from you. That tells you more than another brochure does.
4. ChangeNOW: find the person who can try your solution
The ChangeNOW Summit Pass covers 26–28 April at the Grand Palais and includes an app for scheduling meetings. There are separate routes for impact startups and NGOs, investors and applicants who want to pitch or exhibit. Check the one that fits your role before you pay.
I’d use ChangeNOW if you can explain what your sustainability solution does, who would run a trial and what you’d measure. A founder with reusable packaging, for instance, should look for someone who can get a logistics team and a store manager to run a pilot together. An investor meeting serves a different purpose.
If you’re attending as an investor, read the footnote on the ticket page. Private Impact Finance Forum programmes require separate applications and aren’t included in the Investor pass. Check the application for the session you need before building your trip around it.
The summit shares 28 April with GO Entrepreneurs in Nanterre. If both events earn a place in your diary, I’d put ChangeNOW first on 26 or 27 April and keep 29 April for Nanterre. That gives you time for a conversation that runs long.
5. GO Entrepreneurs: get a local answer before you launch
The GO Entrepreneurs organiser lists talks, workshops and networking spaces for 28–29 April at Plenitude Arena. You may still see the older Paris La Défense Arena name. Both refer to the same venue in Nanterre, west of central Paris.
I’d start here if you’re setting up or expanding a business in France and need to know who can help locally. The organiser lists the Paris region chamber of commerce and professional bodies for lawyers and accountants as partners. Look for the advisers who work with businesses like yours and check the language of the sessions you want; the event information is in French.
If you want to meet business owners and suppliers in several markets, my small business networking guide for Europe gives you other expos to consider. I’d prioritise GO Entrepreneurs when the answers you need depend on how business works in France.
6. Vision Golfe: make the trade conversation specific
The Business France programme for Vision Golfe puts its conferences and B2B appointments on 15 June at the economy ministry in Bercy. It lists an embassy roadshow on 16 June. Confirm the 2027 eligibility and booking rules for each before you count on either.
I’d send an export lead who can say what they sell, which Gulf market they’re targeting and what sort of partner they need. An importer, an installer and a regional distributor might each be useful, but they answer different questions. Decide which one you actually need before asking for a meeting.
If a tech pilot is also on the agenda, there’s a way to combine the trip: protect 15 June for the trade meetings and look at VivaTech on 17 or 18 June. If the embassy roadshow is the reason you’re travelling, get that access confirmed separately.
7. VivaTech: use the business days to find a pilot partner
The VivaTech attendee guide gives 16–19 June at Porte de Versailles. The first three days are designed for business exchanges; Saturday 19 June is the public festival. The organiser lists separate Attendee, Startup and Investor pass categories.
I’d go with one clear ask, such as finding a retailer willing to trial a returns tool in two stores. Check who’s exhibiting, contact relevant teams in advance and ask who owns that problem internally. A conversation at a stand is a useful start if you leave with the name of the person who can move it forward.
If you need investor meetings, confirm the current 2027 rules for any matching or pitch programme before relying on it. My European startup networking guide compares several other events where you can choose by company stage and the type of access you need.
If your company has a stand, agree who can step away from it before you start accepting meetings. I’d free one person to make introductions elsewhere in the show and give the colleague on the stand a way to reach them when the right buyer walks up.
Pro Tip: put the next conversation in your calendar
Before you leave a good meeting, agree who will follow up and what they’ll send. If it’s a pilot, give the other person one easy action, such as introducing you to the colleague who owns the workflow. Save ten minutes after each meeting to write down what you promised.
Where I’d start in your shoes
If you work in IT distribution, start with IT Partners. If you run customer experience or e-commerce and need to compare suppliers, take a real service problem to All4Customer. I’d send a franchise buyer to Franchise Expo and a founder looking for advisers in France to GO Entrepreneurs.
If you’re selling a sustainability solution and need someone to test it, start at ChangeNOW. If you need a wider set of technology buyers or collaborators, use the business days at VivaTech. If the deal depends on finding a distribution partner in a specific Gulf market, I’d give Vision Golfe priority and confirm the appointment route first.
Frequently asked questions
Which Paris business networking events are free to attend?
IT Partners offers free badges subject to professional screening. All4Customer Paris advertises a free badge for eligible professionals, while Franchise Expo Paris offers the first badge free through 11 February 2027. Check current terms before registering.
Are all these business events in the city of Paris?
IT Partners and GO Entrepreneurs take place at Plenitude Arena in Nanterre. The main venues for the other events are in Paris. Vision Golfe lists a separate embassy roadshow on its second day.
Can I attend ChangeNOW and GO Entrepreneurs on the same trip?
Yes. ChangeNOW runs 26–28 April and GO Entrepreneurs runs 28–29 April. I’d avoid the shared day if possible and plan your meetings around the separate locations.
Which VivaTech days are best for business networking?
I’d choose 16–18 June, the three days VivaTech designs for business exchanges. Saturday 19 June is the public festival. Check the pass or application for the specific meeting or activity you want.
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