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 FACC-Chicago                                                                                            February 2014
Read this publication on www.facc-chicago.com.

Innovation, by the Consul of France Graham Paul  

 

The inauguration of Silicon Valley French Tech Hub, by Francois Hollande 

 

3.Illinois Breaking News  

 

Innovation 

Top 20 countdown: Innovations in Chicago that changed the world 

 

Illinois Innovation Index: The role of universities in driving new business starts 

 

Chicago's new hotspot for tech startups   

 

 

Welcome to our

New Members!

 

 Miss Nyet Publishing

Mrs.Delphine Pontvieux 

 

 GKI Incorporated  

Olaf Klutke 

 

Hélène Filser-Anderson

 

Rail Europe Inc.
Frank Schneider

Sydney Castelvecchi

   

Thank you to our

Renewing Members!

 

Mr. Antoine Babule

Ludovic Vallet

Ms. Loretta Kuss

Mr. Bernard Quancard


To learn more about FACC-Chicago membership, visit our Membership Page. 

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1.Editorial

Editorial
Chers Amis, 

The FACC-Chicago started 2014 with a New Team and its spirits geared towards innovation and growth.

 

2013 marked a year of multiple internal changes. They add value and worth to our organization.

In January, our FACC Board re-elected its President, Mr. Juan-Luis Goujon and our dynamic Executive Committee.

For its 21st edition, our traditional Nuit des Etoiles Gala opened its doors for the first time to a Department de France, the Dordogne to everyone's (culinary) delight.

Throughout the year, we welcomed several new partnerships to offer our members new and diverse events: with the Chicago Council of Global Affairs for the anniversary of The Elysée Treaty, with the Quebec Delegation, GPF and the Alliance Française for our seminar "Words that make cents" during Le mois de la Francophonie.

Thanks to our enthusiastic W4W Committee, we were fortunate to host our Première Panel Discussion on Gender Diversity at the Chicagoan prestigious Law firm of Baker & McKenzie in the presence of exceptional French and American corporate and institutional experts.

And finally we celebrated with many of you the largest and biggest Passport to France ever.

 

In 2014, Innovation will be the Maître-Mot: And who better that Mr. Graham Paul, the Consul General of France in Chicago, to inaugurate this new vision as we are launching our Monthly Luncheon Guest-Speakers at the Sofitel? You will find below his inspiring speech on the subject of French Innovation.

FACC's innovation will carry on showing throughout the year starting with the Première of a Chicago French Week from May 9 to 16, including a new Implementation Forum offering French Companies with an investment project in the US the possibility to put their vision to the test with our local experts, partnerships with our French Institutions as we welcome the fourth edition of la Fête de la Science in Chicago and a series of innovative events with Ubifrance, Invest-in-France, the opportunity to present France's Innovation to Chicagoland at a week-long Marché at the French Market, a special French Menu offer from our local French Restaurants and much more...

And in May also, La Nuit des Etoiles will be the occasion to remember and give thanks as we will celebrate the Normandy Region and commemorate the 70th Anniversary of D-Day.

June will welcome an enhanced annual Golf (& Tennis) tournament and Passport to France's objective is to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a few surprises!!...Mark your calendars: November 20, 2014!

 

The FACC is delighted at the perspective of engaging each one of its members and contributing to the growth of the French-American Community in the Chicagoland area

Merci for your constant support

 

A bientôt  

 

Bien amicalement,

 

Emmanuèle van Houdenhoven


Foreward2. Foreword
 

Innovation

 

By Mr. Graham Paul, Consul General of France.

 

 

I would like today to be a little bit bold. Before talking about France, let me talk about Chicago. Both France and Chicago do face a similar challenge: image. They both have a positive image but they lack strength and focus.

When you think about Chicago, if you are a European, what are your first thoughts? The stunning architecture, Al Capone, the meatpacking industry, the CSO, the Art Institute, the Bulls... If you are a little more knowledgeable, you will be aware of the diversity of the local economy, you will refer to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and to the presence of large Fortune 500 companies based in Chicago from McDonald to Kraft, and if you are an insider, to Boeing and Groupon. But you will still face a challenge. What is the main economic feature of Chicago? If San Francisco is linked to the digital economy, Boston to the bio tech and Los Angeles to the entertainment industry, what does Chicago stand for?

This image challenge is somewhat similar for France. Apart from tourism, wine, cheese, fashion and perhaps movies, what sectors stand out when you think about France? Is it aeronautics and space industry, food and agriculture, nuclear energy, luxury goods, health, digital sector? France is a leader in all of them. Some countries are better at branding themselves than others. Look at Germany with the slogan "German engineering" or Italy with the design. But what is the French trademark? Does it exist? My answer is yes. What do the most successful French companies have in common? What is the smallest common denominator between a French bakery, Airbus, Veolia or Lanvin? My answer is innovation.

According to the 2013 Thomson Reuters report, 12 French groups (from EADS, SAFRAN and THALES to L'OREAL, SAINT GOBAIN, ALCATEL LUCENT and ARKEMA) are in the top 100 global innovators. France comes third after the U.S and Japan. No Chinese or British companies are ranked among the 100. Let us take another example. In Deloitte's 2013 list of the 500 fastest growing startups in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, for the fourth year in a row, French companies dominate (87 French companies including Ymagis at the top spot, last year it was Criteo which is now quoted on Nasdaq). President Hollande who is today in Washington DC for a State visit, will fly tomorrow to San Francisco, to officially open a "French Tech Hub" demonstrating our commitment to digital technology.

These examples of French successes are due to a dynamic R&D ecosystem and to strong public support. Innovation is today the French government's number one priority. You have perhaps heard about the 71 innovation clusters associating universities, enterprises and research centers, about the great number of initiatives, including the investment for the future program and a "worldwide innovation challenge" supported by 300 M € from the public investment bank, and last but not least, the largest research and development tax credit in the industrialized world. That explains why innovation is the key word for any image campaign that we are currently implementing.

In that context, let me conclude with a word on the French Week which will take place from May 9-16. The Consulate is a proud partner of this event initiated by the French-American Chamber of Commerce. It is an appropriate platform to showcase France and French innovation. That is why, we are featuring a Science fair and scientific presentations as well as an event at the 1871 incubator specifically dedicated to innovation.

To quote President Obama and President Hollande's joint article published in the Washington Post on February 9: "As entrepreneurial societies that cherish the spirit of invention and creativity, we need to do more to lead the world in innovation".

  

 


FrancoisFrançois Hollande is inaugurating the French Tech Hub at the Silicon Valley.

 

HIGH-TECH - This hub will help the French SMEs grow in California.

It's been 30 years that a President have not been to the Sillicon Valley during an Official Visit. A long time ago, François Mitterand met Steve Jobbs. Wednesday, François Hollande had a lunch with the Google, Facebook, Twitter and Tesla CEO's.

 

In San-Francisco, François Hollande inaugurated the French Hub, an incubator which is mostly financed by the French regions. This French hub is supposed to help 60 French companies to grow in California. The French President declared: "France has to cultivate his spirit of initiative". In particular, he promised a boost to the Crowdfunding popularized by Kickstarter. "For instance a setting up project could receive 1 Million of Euro of loans from different sources of funding ".

The purpose is as well to create added value in France.  

 

 
3.IllinoisIllinois Economic Breaking News

TopTop 20 countdown: Innovations in Chicago that changed the world

    

When we consider Chicago's future, we evoke its past. So we've put together a Top 20 list of innovations that Chicago can claim since its beginnings on a frontier crossroad. We invite you to read along, tell us what we might have overlooked, and challenge our findings- some of which are based on rough historical accounts that may border on myth. We encourage your suggestions, questions and ideas. It's all part of drawing from the past to solve the future.

 

1

The nuclear reaction (1942)

 

11

The farm silo (1873)

2

The Skyscraper (1884)

 

12

The Ferris Wheel (1893)

3

The cell phone (1973)

 

13

Deep dish pizza (1943)

4

Open-heart surgery (1893)

 

14

Consumer preference research (1928)

5

Balloon frame construction (1833)

 

15

The mechanical dishwasher (1886)

6

Mass-producing the McCormick Reaper (1848)

 

16

Pullman sleeper car (1864)

7

First gay rights group in the US (1924)

 

17

The softball game (1887)

8

Reversing the Chicago River (1900)

 

18

The Zipper (1893)

9

Televised political debate (1960)

 

19

Mail-order retail (1872)

10

FermiLinux (1998)

 

20

The vacuum cleaner (1868)

                                                                                                                                         Learn More  


indexIllinois Innovation Index

 

The role of universities in driving new business starts

The journey from identifying a promising idea to building a thriving business relies on many components, such as talent, mentorship, capital, access to infrastructure, and connections to industry. As the Q4 2013 Index demonstrated, universities are in a unique position to aggregate these components to support the creation of new companies.

To gauge the performance of Illinois universities in facilitating start-ups, the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) conducted its first annual University Entrepreneurship Survey, which examines the role of educational institutions in launching new ventures by supporting research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship centers. While the Q4 2013 Index explored the role of tech transfer in commercializing university-generated research, this issue of the Index features proprietary data and analysis on the resulting number of Illinois start-ups created through university resources as well as the research parks that provide a nurturing ecosystem once the start-up has formed. The ISTC's data suggest that Illinois universities are making an important contribution to the state's innovation ecosystem and helping to elevate the profile of Illinois and Chicago, which has included headline-makers such as Braintree, Cleversafe, and GrubHub.
 
 



ChicagoChicago's new hotspot for tech startups

When Dan Wagner went looking for bigger space for his fast-growing startup, Civis Analytics Inc., he wanted cool, affordable loft space downtown near other tech companies.  
Sounds like River North, right?   
Yes. But increasingly it also describes Chicago's newest tech hot spot, the Near West Side just beyond the Kennedy Expressway, which is where Mr. Wagner found a place with exposed brick walls and ceiling timbers, hardwood floors, a wide-open floor plan, a fat Internet pipeline and bicycle storage-all at a rent about 10 percent cheaper than in River North or the Loop.  
So it was goodbye to the East Loop, where Mr. Wagner had been subleasing space for his data-analytics firm, and hello for his 40 employees to the seventh floor of a 106-year-old building on West Jackson Boulevard that had been home to Braintree Inc.



Growing
Chicago Growing, Fourth Quarter 2013

 

During the fourth quarter of 2013, companies large and small expanded and located in Chicago, from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) to Sustainable Solutions LED (SSL). 

ADM chose to move its global headquarters to Chicago. "I am pleased to welcome ADM to Chicago and I look forward to the company's continued success out of their new home," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "As I said throughout this process, our goal was to put the city's best foot forward and highlight Chicago's strengths: an outstanding workforce, globally renowned transportation and infrastructure, and excellent quality of life. These strengths will help ADM as it continues its growth in the future just as they continue to drive our economy forward every day."

 

Throughout ADM's Site Selection process, Mayor Emanuel marshaled all of the city's economic development entities toward the goal of attracting ADM, including World Business Chicago, and the city's Department of Planning and Development. 

Smaller companies such as SSL also chose Chicago for their growth. SSL moved its offices and showroom (15 jobs) from Hinsdale to downtown Chicago with plans to add an additional 20 technical, engineering, sales and project management jobs over the next two years.  

 

"Being headquartered in Chicago places us in the epicenter of the greatest concentration of sustainability-conscious businesses and organizations," said Bill Ryan, CEO of Sustainable Solutions LED.

Ryan noted that the City's commitment to sustainable buildings and access to highly-skilled talent were key reasons the company chose to relocate in Chicago.

This quarter's Chicago Growing map shows additional companies that have grown or expanded in Chicago through December 2013.

Learn More 


ranks
Chicago ranks 9th attractive economic city in the world

PricewatherouseCooper's 2012 Cities of Opportunity report lists Chicago ninth out of the 27 global cities researched. The report has Chicago high in the rankings for "technology readiness." Above-average scores in other areas where enough to push Chicago into the top 10. While the top 5 cities in the report flexed their muscle in some areas, all of them trailed Chicago in at least two indicators.


takes

Chicago takes on the World

 

 

How does Chicago stack up? City seeks to show global corporations it's an evolved place to do business. Are they buying the pitch?

Not long ago, Torsten Gessner, a top executive at a German manufacturing giant, had to decide where to locate the company's new North American headquarters. Consultants offered up a short list with some obvious candidates: San Francisco and Boston because of their tech talent pools, New York because it remains the world's economic epicenter.

The city at the top of the list puzzled him. Chicago? "I was surprised," said Gessner, CEO of ThyssenKrupp's North American subsidiary. Still, in late 2011, the German maker of elevators and auto parts with $68 billion in sales chose Chicago, in part because of the city's proximity to ThyssenKrupp's client base and its status as a major transportation hub. "I think it's a marketing issue," Gessner added. "People don't know how good this place really is."

Long ago Chicago morphed from a lumbering industrial behemoth into a global city competing on the world stage, a hub for corporate powerhouses tethered to Asia, Europe and Latin America. Chicago didn't go the way of Cleveland and Detroit - it evolved and innovated.

 Learn More


White
White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett Participates in Conversation with Business and CommunityLeaders in Chicago

 

 

 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and World Business Chicago (WBC) on Monday welcomed White House Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, for the discussion Strong Cities, Strong Nation. This conversation was presented to nearly 300 corporate and civic leaders at the University of Chicago Gleacher Center.

 

The presentation came little more than a week after President Obama's State of the Union address, where he outlined the administration's plan to make 2014 a "year of action" by ensuring opportunity for all Americans and boosting the economy. Jarrett discussed the important role of Chicago and other cities in realizing these goals and was introduced by Mayor Emanuel, WBC Vice Chairman Michael Sacks and University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer. The discussion was moderated by Vice President for U.S. Programs, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Julia Stasch.

 

"In order for our country to succeed, our cities must succeed and Chicago has set a clear framework for economic growth and job creation so our City can thrive," said Mayor Emanuel.   

Learn More 


Showcase

Chicago to Showcase its Talent at SXSW  

 
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and World Business Chicago (WBC), in conjunction with Choose Chicago, the official tourism organization for Chicago, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Illinois Office of Tourism will promote Chicago's technology, music, and film industries at South By Southwest (SXSW) for the first time March 9 - 12. The group will collaborate on Chicago Made; an initiative designed to educate SXSW attendees about Chicago natives who have made an indelible mark on their respective industries while living and working in Chicago. 

"From music to movies to the latest tech companies, Chicago is home to the best and brightest in the industry," said Mayor Emanuel. "Chicago Made will bring local artists and influencers from across the city to South by Southwest to showcase our city's creative, home-grown talent."

Chicago Made events will include an exhibit booth at the SXSW trade show, a private reception for business leaders, and an official SXSW Chicago music showcase. The effort aims to increase awareness for Chicago as a business and tourism destination and showcase the city's technology and cultural industries.

"This is not your typical trade show booth," said Melissa Cherry, Choose Chicago Vice President of Cultural Tourism & Neighborhoods. "The entire concept is Chicago Made and we're going to put Chicago out there in a big way, since this is our first time at SXSW."
Learn More

 


residential

Residential sector boosting construction comeback

 

 

When Tom Gilbertson starts fielding calls from builders fretting about falling hammers or two-by-fours, the construction market is getting healthier. You don't need to worry about shielding pedestrians from items dropped from above when there's nothing to build.

Mr. Gilbertson's Gilco Scaffolding Co. is getting calls these days. Revenue at the Des Plaines-based company grew about 15 percent last year, in part because of deals to install canopies over the sidewalks along 111 W. Wacker Drive, where Related Cos. is completing a 60-story luxury rental tower. "It's a little too early to say what's going to happen in 2014, but I think it's going to be a good year," he says.

Signed contracts for development hit their highest level in five years in 2013. And those in the industry think this year could top that. The expansion is a welcome turn for executives who had to scramble to find work during the lean years, suppliers sunk by the dearth of new building projects and workers who got up each morning with no reason to put on a hard hat.

Learn More 

 


industry

The Revolution in Chicago's ad industry  

 

 

Take your pick: Today's advertising agency leaders resemble A) newspaper publishers in the '90s, before the bottom fell out of classified advertising; B) AOL executives in the early 2000s, before broadband demolished dial-up; or C) horse dealers in the early 20th century, before Henry Ford perfected his Model T.

The answer, of course, is D) all of the above.

"All of these industries were profiting by big margins and had no incentive to invest in the future," says Andrew Swinand, a former president of media-buying agency Starcom MediaVest Group, who now runs an advertising-oriented venture firm called Abundant Venture Partners in Chicago. "By the time they saw it coming like a freight train, it was too late."

The advertising business, which employs nearly 24,000 people in Chicago, is in the midst of a dramatic upheaval that threatens the basic agency model that has served blue chip clients since before Don Draper tasted his first drop of Canadian Club. Soon some jobs will be gone-and the ones that replace them will bear little resemblance to those of yore.

"Our business has changed more in the last five years than it has in the previous 50," says Ron Bess, CEO of Havas Worldwide Chicago, who has spent four decades as a local ad man. "We're riding a rocket ship of digital and social change."


culinary
3 Chicago cookbook authors among finalists for culinary award

Three cookbooks by Chicagoans are among the finalists for a prestigious culinary award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

 

"Prep School," a book compiling James P. DeWan's cooking method and technique columns that have appeared in Good Eating the past eight years, is a finalist in the compilations category. "The Art of French Pastry" by Jacquy Pfeiffer, who is dean of student affairs at the renowned French Pastry School in Chicago, was nominated in the baking category. And "The Sardinian Cookbook: The Cooking and Culture of a Mediterranean Island" by Viktorija Todorovska was recognized in culinary travel.

 

The IACP is a group of chefs, restaurateurs, writers and other professionals from the food and beverage world. The association's cookbook awards, which were announced Tuesday, are well-regarded as a stamp of quality and innovation.

 

The cookbook award winners, along with those for food journalism and digital media, will be announced March 15 at the association's annual conference, which will be held in Chicago.

DeWan, whose column appears monthly in Good Eating, is a culinary instructor at Kendall College.  Pfeiffer is co-founder of the French Pastry School and an instructor there. Todorovska is a food and wine consultant (http://www.olivacooking.com/ ) and cookbook author.

Learn More 



rate
Chicago Metro Unemployment Rate Down in December

This morning, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released preliminary December 2013 unemployment rates for all Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). The unemployment rate measures the percentage of the local workforce that reports itself as being out of work, information that the government collects by surveying households.

Illustrated in the map and chart below, in December, an estimated 418,721 people in the 14-county Chicago metropolitan statistical area (MSA) were unemployed out of a labor force of approximately 4.889 million, resulting in a preliminary unemployment rate of 8.6% (seasonally adjusted). The December rate was down from the prior month (8.7%), and the lowest since January 2009 (8.1%). 

  • Between November 2013 and December 2013, the Chicago MSA gained an estimated 5,705 employed residents, increasing total regional employment to approximately 4.470 million (seasonally adjusted).

312 of 380 U.S metros experienced a decrease in the unemployment rate from November to December, after seasonal adjustment (including Chicago); 22 metros saw an over-the-month increase, and 46 experienced no change. 

 


Midwest
 Midwest Job Openings & Hiring Activity

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released December 2013 figures from its Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which tracks job openings, hires, and separations (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations including retirement).


The seasonally adjusted ratio of unemployed persons per job opening - an indication of labor market activity and competitiveness - has generally improved in the US and the Midwest, falling from around five candidates per job opening in winter 2010 to around three in December 2013. However, these rates are still above pre-recession levels, which were closer to two candidates per opening.

 


Story
The Story Behind 150 North Riverside, the West Loop's Newest Skyscraper


Most of the i's are dotted, and many of the t's are crossed, and by this time next year, we should see a shiny new skyscraper and lush new park rising along the banks of the Chicago River in the West Loop.

The building is 150 North Riverside, designed by friends of the blog, Goettsch Partners, and being developed by O'Donnell Investments.  It will rise 53 stories on a chunk of land that has been mostly railroad tracks for at least a century.  An 1898 map of Chicago shows one small six-story warehouse there, and the rest industrial wasteland used as space for for unloading ships.

The block's industrial past will be concealed beneath a large public park, with the tower rising in the northeast corner of the property bounded by Lake Street, Randolph Street, Canal Street, and the Chicago River.  North West Water Street goes bye-bye.

Steven Nilles is a partner at Goettsch Partners working on 150 North Riverside.  He describes his role as, "I work with design director Jim Goettsch and senior designer, Joachim Schuessler from day one in developing our design concepts, collaborating with our engineering and specialty consultants, general contractor, subcontractors and material suppliers."

  

Learn More 

FACC4.FACC Activity

Interview
An interview of our member of the month,Barclais CPA, represented by Sidney Barclais,Partner at Barclais CPA

 

 

FACC: In a few words, can you present Barclais?

 

Sidney Barclais: Barclais CPA is an independent firm providing auditing, accounting, tax and transactions services to American subsidiaries of French groups. We assist companies in various industries (retail, software, biotechnology, animal health, services, packaging...) throughout the United States from our offices on the east and west coasts (New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco).

 

FACC: What are your specialties?

 

Sidney Barclais: We are definitely focused on the Middle Market and are able to adjust our level of services to the needs of our clients. Thanks to our comprehensive service offering, we are able to assist and advise our clients throughout their development in the US. Clients with revenues below $10M are usually handled by our Accounting & Advisory Department while clients with revenues over $10M are usually handled by our Audit Department.   

 

FACC: What links does Barclais have with France?

 

Sidney Barclais: Most of our clients are owned by French individual or corporate investors. In addition, our staff includes professionals with a dual expertise in France and in the US. Finally, I am a CPA both in France and in the US.    

 

FACC: Why opening an office in the Midwest.

 

Sidney Barclais: After over a decade in New York, Hugues Retif moved to Chicago with his family to open the Chicago office in 2012. This strategic move into the Midwest is supported by our strong belief in the great potential of the Midwest for Foreign investors.  We believe companies too often make the simplistic choice between US East / West coast when settling operations in the US.  Chicago is the US's third largest city, and the Midwest is home to the headquarters of some of America's most important companies.  We felt it was important for our organization to have a presence here.

The physical presence in the US is an important aspect of a Company's strategy, and Barclais is able to assist our clients with our offices covering most of the US (Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco).

 

FACC: Why opening an office in the Midwest.

 

Sidney Barclais:

After over a decade in New York, Hugues Retif moved to Chicago with his family to open the Chicago office in 2012. This strategic move into the Midwest is supported by our strong belief in the great potential of the Midwest for Foreign investors.  We believe companies too often make the simplistic choice between US East / West coast when settling operations in the US.  Chicago is the US's third largest city, and the Midwest is home to the headquarters of some of America's most important companies.  We felt it was important for our organization to have a presence here.

The physical presence in the US is an important aspect of a Company's strategy, and Barclais is able to assist our clients with our offices covering most of the US (Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco).

      
For further information on Barclais, Mr. Hugues Retif,Director Accounting & Advisory Services, can be contacted at

 

Barclais USA
Tel:   646-330-5312 ext 200
Cell:  312-282-5752
Fax:  646-706-7136
email: 
hretif@barclaisusa.com
 

Event
FACC PROFESSIONALS NETWORKING EVENT 
 

March 19th 2014
5.30pm-7.30pm
at the


140 East Walton Place
Chicago, IL 60611 


Save
SAVE THE DATE!
FACC Gala
"La Nuit des Etoiles"
May 16, 2014


Normandy-Chicago
1944-2014

At the

20 East Chestnut St
Downtown 60611 CHICAGO,
United States
Tel: (+1)3123244000

French

A French Week "Marché" during the NEW Chicago French Week ,May 9th-16th  

 

 

Photos from the Concourse at Ogilvie-Metra Station during Christmas

 

 

 

As you know, Chicago FACC will organize its first "French Week", from May 9th to May 16th. The concept is to showcase French Innovation. Many events will be held all week long, dedicated to Sciences, Technologies, Business, and Culture of France.

 

Among these events, we will be opening a "French Week Marché" in the concourse of the Ogilvie-Metra Station in the Loop (about 50,000 commuters every day during the week) to show France, its products and its innovation capabilities to a wider public. About 15 stands are available to French brands and French products.

For more information, please feel free to contact us at 312-578-0444 or at evanhoudenhoven@facc-chicago.comor volunteer@facc-chicago.com 

 

  

 

FlashFlash privilèges Février 2014


5.EventsEvents and Ads

Sofitel  




For Love Eventlove
 
 

The French Pastry School | 226 West Jackson Boulevard | Chicago, Illinois 60606

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Million

troquet

Award       
      
        
       

Air Air France unveils its new Business class seat:  
a cocoon in the sky

 

- A unique design for more comfort and freedom  
- A fully flat seat bed for perfect sleep  
- Direct aisle access for each passenger  
- A 16-inch (41 cm) high definition touch screen with over 1,000 hours of entertainment

 Air France is continuing its move upmarket and is today unveiling its new Business class seat, for a completely renewed travel experience.

In total, 2,102 seats will be installed between June 2014 and summer 2016 on 44 Boeing 777,the core of Air France's long-haul fleet.

Every detail has been specially modelled to give the seat its unique design. The passenger is instantly enveloped in its graceful curves into a cocoon-like state of special care.

This real cocoon, with its particularly refined finishing touches (leather upholstery, topstitching) provides an ideal level of comfort and offers the prospect of a perfect sleep.

The new Air France Business class seat was developed around the concept of 3 "F":
* Full flat - the seat converts to a fully flat bed - for crossing time zones without fatigue;
* Full access - direct access to the aisle, regardless of the seat's location in the cabin;
* Full privacy - a protected area through the seat's enveloping curves, providing a true bubble of privacy in the sky.

Specially designed for Air France, this seat was developed in collaboration with Zodiac Aerospace, a world leader in the manufacture of aircraft seats. Its unique design was specially created by designer Mark Collins of Design Investment, specialized in the world of high-end transportation and by the design and branding agency, Brandimage.
Seeking to offer the ultimate in comfort in the sky, Air France engaged customers, company employees, designers and ergonomic experts in the seat's cooperative design effort.

 

A 16-inch (41 cm) high definition touch screen with more than 1,000 hours of entertainment

 

In the Business cabin, customers have a wide touch screen offering a high definition image. This 16-inch (41 cm) screen offers a unique onboard navigation experience similar to a tablet. With a completely redesigned user interface and available in 12 languages (French, English,Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian and Arabic), choosing an entertainment program from over 1,000 hours of entertainment has never been so easy and intuitive.

 

 


 

FACC-Chicago Women Mentoring Women (WMW) Committee Accepting Mentees
     
 
The case for developing, retaining, and advancing women is strong and continues to get better. Leaders make gender diversity a priority because they see the prize: a talent advantage that's hard to replicate. Sponsorship and mentoring is a unique way to help women navigate through their career and organization and open doors for them for new opportunities.
 
Contact us for more information.
  
 For more information and for any questions about this publication or our organization, or to be added or removed from our mailing list, please contact us.

French-American Chamber of Commerce Chicago Chapter
Phone: 312-578-0444 · Fax: 312-578-0445
 information@facc-chicago.com · www.facc-chicago.com