Paris, November 12, 2012 – Defacto, the state-owned body responsible for managing the La Défense business district in western Paris has announced that, following a competitive tender process, it has awarded the contract for advertising and non-advertising street furniture to JCDecaux, the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide. Defacto owns all the public space in La Défense, an area that is home to 2,000 companies and 1,500 corporate headquarters, with 150,000 employees and 20,000 residents, attracting over 8 million visitors every year.
The premium street furniture developed for this contract strengthens the range of digital and traditional advertising solutions targeting business audiences that JCDecaux has designed for exceptional, high- profile locations. These include the media space in the network of 32 airports managed by JCDecaux in France and at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre in Paris.
Katayoune Panahi, Chief Executive Officer of Defacto, said: “Our decision to choose JCDecaux reflects Defacto’s determination to inject a new dynamism into La Défense! Our priority is to develop services for all key stakeholders and these new street furniture solutions will give us the essential communication tools to reach all the people using this business district. This contract award reflects our drive to promote innovation and we are delighted that JCDecaux has offered us a range of street furniture specifically designed for La Défense. Following Forme Publique, the biennial dedicated to street furniture design, and pending the publication of the master plan for our public areas and the development of the open-air museum, this contract represents a major milestone in the achievement of our goals.”
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “We are delighted that Defacto has chosen JCDecaux to operate the street furniture assets of La Défense, underlining JCDecaux’s expertise and commitment to quality and innovation. As a result of this contract, La Défense, the number one business district in Europe, will benefit from a powerful array of cutting-edge digital advertising solutions. This new contract further strengthens JCDecaux’s national network and our position as the number one street furniture company in France, benefiting our clients and their branding strategies.”