New Biz Forum, 3rd Edition, June 25, Paris. Time to Smile Again!

Despite a sluggish business climate, there are entrepreneurs and sales directors out there who are managing to boost revenue of large and small companies  — creating traffic into their stores, getting the phones ringing in their call centers. Manuel Jacquinet* is bringing them together for the third time, in Paris, on June 25. "Tell Me All About It" is this year's theme. 

What is the New Biz Forum?

Manuel Jacquinet: It's a one-day gathering where twelve business leaders come to explain — through 30-minute masterclasses — how they grew or saved their companies: sometimes by shaking things up, sometimes by integrating AI or conversational agents. Technology doesn't do everything, but it helps. Each of these leaders runs their masterclass alongside the vendor or specialist who helped them, and walks through exactly how they did it. 100% concrete, verified, authentic. Thanks to the lunch break and dedicated networking time, the day is designed to be useful and productive.

Are there real new developments — actual game-changers — in customer acquisition?

MJ: Absolutely, no question. Sometimes it's tried-and-true methods ; sometimes it's major disruptions. To get prospects and customers back through the door, WhatsApp, up-to-date contact databases, and an exclusive or sharply positioned offer are now essential. Through our year-round work at En-Contact magazine, we identify these techniques, these entrepreneurs, these tools that make new business happen. Sometimes a few of them are polarizing — their approach is disruptive or breaks the rules. I visited RH Paris, which took over Abercrombie & Fitch's former spot at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées, and experienced their customer journey firsthand. The brand's offer and positioning may not appeal to everyone — Isabelle Dubern-Mallevays, formerly of Dior Maison, calls it "fast décor" — but it works: Restoration Hardware and its RH Grey Card is the #1 American luxury furniture chain.

Mokonuts is one of the hottest restaurants in Paris — checks none of the usual boxes and is absolutely crushing it, as the press has noted. Pennylane is quietly hacking the accounting industry. Debongout, founded by Claire Leblond-Faure, is the hidden gem of online vintage, according to several sharp-eyed women in my circle who are rarely wrong. A real rival for Selency.

There's always a line outside Arlettie, just like at Lolly's stores in shopping malls. Homair, looking to improve booking at its campsites, deployed a conversational AI agent before any of its competitors. Those are just a few examples, drawn from very different sectors.

Is permanent, all-costs growth actually possible?

MJ: No — and it shows. Cold calling, use repeatdly, has disgusted consumers everywhere. At the same time, some companies are slowly drifting away from their original values or promises: N26, Aroma-Zone, which seems to be starting to disappoint customers. Swatch's co-branded watch with Audemars Piguet recently caused riots outside its stores and forced several locations to close.

On August 11, cold calling becomes illegal in France except with opt-in contacts. If you're not ready — or haven't yet adopted tools like RCS — you're at serious risk of missing the train. Opportunity is one of the RCS campaign specialists, as is Link Mobility. Both will be presenting, alongside their clients. All the other cases mentioned above will be unpacked, often with the business leaders themselves in the room, as we've invited them.

You say 100% of participants from the first two NBF editions are doing well — some very well. Is NBF a magic potion?

MJ: Acheel is killing it in insurance, as is Edenred. Hipto is reporting 40% growth in a very tough business — supplying intent-based leads. Armonia is deploying over 400 hosts and hostesses at Roland-Garros. Baccarat, for instance, exports more than 70% of its production — notably to Asia — and regularly collaborates with international designers and architects to outfit luxury hotels and private residences. Obviously, you can't change everything in a single day, but you broaden your perspective and sometimes make exactly the right connections.

The New Biz Forum held its first two editions at the Terrass' Hôtel in Montmartre. This year, it's La Grande Épicerie de Paris, 16th arrondissement hosting you. Why? And what about this year's theme?

We were very well looked after at the Terrass' Hôtel for two years. We wanted a change of scenery and chose La Grande Épicerie — a perfect example of a modern store where SBAM* still means something (*Smile, hello, goodbye, thank you). The venue is one of a kind; getting a event hall there isn't easy. Sometimes making the right connections is how you grow.

"Tell Me All About It" — because we all want to know, to discover the right methods for growing a business. And because I love Michael Franks, who wrote this incredible song, later covered by Natalie Cole. A few years back, during a work trip, I even made a detour to La Jolla. Michael Franks was born there, and J.J. Cale died there. It's the kind of thing that can obsess me for years: understanding whether — and why — places have an impact on things, on people, on geniuses. And on what makes a hit.

The En-Contact editorial team

*Manuel Jacquinet is the publisher of En-Contact magazine, founded in 2000, and organizer of professional events including ECTFF (Customer Experience: The French Forum) and the NBF (New Biz Forum). He is also the author of works such as Studios de légende : secrets et histoires de nos Abbey Road français.

La Jolla is a neighborhood of San Diego — a quiet seaside resort town.

Cover Photo, left to right: representatives or founders of hipto, Konecta, Poool, Manifone, Baccarat, Acheel, and Edenred, attending the 2nd edition of the NBF © Edouard Jacquinet

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