La Défense: where business meets the city of tomorrow

An international business hub just outside Paris

With its 3 million m² of office space housing more than 500 companies, La Défense is Europe's largest business district by surface area. Initially conceived as a neighborhood strictly dedicated to the offices of major French and international companies, La Défense has gradually transformed by integrating residential areas and cultural monuments.

The inauguration of the Grande Arche during the G7 Summit on July 14, 1989, launched La Défense's new look onto the international stage. This was followed by a golden age for corporate real estate, with the arrival of major hotels and the renovation of CNIT (Center for New Industries and Technologies), enriching the district's offerings.

This urban transformation has been supported by a strengthened connectivity promoting sustainable mobility, with unique multimodal accessibility (RER A, metro line 1, Transilien, tramway T2, and recently the extension of RER E). The direct link to Paris is a considerable advantage: the district is only 15 minutes from the Arc de Triomphe, 45 minutes from Orly Airport, and 11 minutes from Gare du Nord. This strategic location makes La Défense a natural extension of the capital, perfectly integrated into the urban fabric of the Paris metropolitan area.

A large-scale event offering

La Défense offers an exceptional setting for hosting all types of professional events thanks to tailor-made infrastructure, complemented by high-quality services that can meet all expectations. 

CNIT Forest, an emblematic venue of La Défense, was completely modernized in 2023 to host prestigious events. Its progressive transformation into a forest of digital trees, the result of collaboration between architect Nicolas Adam and scenographer François Schuiten, demonstrates a constant ability to reinvent itself while preserving its heritage. Today, the 10,000 m² venue, along with its 24 conference rooms and 2 amphitheaters, present a flexible layout capable of accommodating a wide range of events.

CNIT Forest particularly distinguishes itself through its robust eco-responsible solutions. The venue favors responsibly-sourced materials and features furniture designed from recycled and recyclable materials. This approach is accompanied by optimized energy management: the site is 100% equipped with LED lighting, considerably reducing its carbon footprint. CNIT Forest is also part of one of the first buildings to rise from the ground at La Défense in 1958 thanks to the architectural prowess of Nicolas Esquillan, perfectly embodying the conversion of the business center into a versatile space that meets the needs of contemporary professional events.

“At CNIT Forest, we have made eco-responsibility a central pillar of our offer by using, for example, materials from responsible supply chains. These rigorous choices allow us to offer prestigious events with a reduced carbon footprint, meeting the expectations of companies that are increasingly concerned about their environmental impact," declares Céline Sampic, Director of CNIT Forest. 

A premium hotel offering

The hotel establishments at La Défense are specially adapted to the needs of the business world: locations in close proximity to event venues and transportation, a large capacity and and cutting-edge facilities. 

The hotel offer is particularly complete, with 17 hotels totalling more than 2,600 rooms. It covers a wide range of accommodations, from apart-hotels to the most exclusive institutions such as the Renaissance Hotel, the Pullman Hotel and the Meliá Paris La Défense. The lifestyle hotel offer stands out with establishments such as OKKO Hotels Paris La Défense, Hilton Paris La Défense 4*, MGallery Nest 5* and Mama Shelter Paris La Défense.

Congress and corporate event attendees thus benefit from a high-end experience, complemented by the numerous happenings around the venue throughout the year: Christmas Market, Garden Parvis, Jazz Festival... Flagship events that contribute to making La Défense a remarkably lively place. The commercial and cultural offering is equally diverse, with the Westfield Les Quatre Temps shopping center (one of Europe's largest with 250 stores including 50 restaurants), Westfield CNIT (76 boutiques), and the UGC cinema complex.

In addition to this wide range of services, at the heart of La Défense is the Cité de l'Histoire. With its exceptional setting and four immersive journeys through time, the Cité de l'Histoire allows visitors to live a life-size version of history. This venue offers unique and playful activities, can host professional events, and provides a surprisingly realistic human and cultural experience.

A destination focused on the future

La Défense continues to reinvent itself through ambitious urban and architectural innovation projects. The transformation of the Esplanade into a 5-hectare urban park by 2028 illustrates this vision of the future. The stated objective is clear: to become the "world's first post-carbon business district."

Recent urban revaluation is also manifested by a renovated Parvis, expanded vegetation, and the implementation of Paris La Défense's "Nature in the City" approach. Since 2019, more than 10,000 m² of green spaces have beautified the landscape. A third of the district's pedestrian areas are now green!

La Défense also distinguishes itself through its CSR commitments, with initiatives in favor of sustainable development, adoption of the smart city concept, increased use of renewable energy, and particular attention paid to accessibility for all, whether for buildings or transportation.

Mobility also continues to improve: the transportation offering will be completed in 2031 by line 15 of the Grand Paris Express, an ambitious project that will connect 36 stations to the Île-de-France transport network, further strengthening the district's connectivity.

"We are supporting La Défense in its transformation into an exceptional area. Urban innovation, the hotel and cultural offer, massive greening... Each initiative contributes to making this district a real tourist and event destination.", says Aude LAURENT, Head of the territorial and international promotion department Paris La Défense.

More than just a business district, La Défense asserts itself as an international hub for business and events, constantly evolving to meet future challenges while offering a top-notch living and working environment.

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