Annual report 2001 - GL events

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A
fter an exceptional year in 2000,
specially with the Sydney Olympic Games
and the European Summits in Biarritz and
Marseille, Générale Location, Europe’s leading
provider of engineering and logistics for events
and in venue management, maintained its
activity in 2001. The Group pursued its growth
under satisfying conditions of profitability
despite a difficult international situation.
Net sales increased by 9.8 % to reach 235m€.
The recurrent share of the portfolio of activities
experienced a significant progression with the
signature of medium and long-term contracts. As
for net profit, it comes to 9.2m€, while net
profitability maintains itself at 3.9 % of net sales.
With more than 1 800 employees working in
twelve countries, the Group benefits from a good
risk distribution and a strong protection against
exogenous events, thanks to an improved and
well-balanced breakdown of its net sales between
three complementary markets : shows and
exhibitions, events, fittings and museum fittings.
To serve these markets, Générale Location offers a
wide range of technical expertise to shows and
events organizers, exhibitors, and local communities.
Générale Location enlarged its market shares
with the signature of several contracts. The
Group, which realized more than 60 % of the
installation of grandstands for the Salt Lake City
Olympic Games, was selected this year for the
organization of prestigious events, such as the
Commonwealth Games, the Skill Festival of
Manchester or the World Cup of Football.
It will be present at seven Formula One Grand Prix
compared to three last year. A three-year contract
was signed for the Canada Grand Prix. Générale
Location was also chosen for the building of
a 17 000 m 2 temporary exhibition park at Le
Bourget, and was entrusted with the
management of the Convention Centers of
Barcelona and Toulouse.
The Group with 23% of its net sales from
international activities in 2001, consolidated its
presence on foreign markets by opening offices in
Barcelona and the United States of America.
Besides its participation in the Salt Lake City
Olympic Games, Générale Location accompanies
French companies when they export their wellknown
shows to America such as Preview and
Expofil;
The successful integration of the companies BS
Vision, specialized in fittings and museum
fittings, and Owen Brown, a leader in the events
business in the United Kingdom, testifies to the
Group’s ability to carry out external growths
operations while creating profitable
complementarities.
With its share included since April 2002 in the SBF
250 index, and the benefit of a particularly
healthy financial situation, Generale Location
foresees for this year a 20% increase of its net
sales, considering all the acquisitions already
carried out as of today. The company will reach
a new phase, a determining factor in the success
of the coming five year challenge, focused on the
regular progression of its different activities and
on the sustained development of its network.