Launch of new measures to promote mobility in Provence

Leaving a country or region for professional reasons is often a family decision. The new adventure will have an impact on the spouse and children. To quell any fears linked to the change, Provence Promotion has published a series of guides featuring the 16 "living areas" in the Bouches-du-Rhône département. The Parcours France exhibition, being held on October 11 in Paris, will kick off this totally new communications campaign.

Who hasn't been confronted with the fear of change? To help employees and their families make that first step into their new environments, guide them in their choices (where to live, schools, family doctor…), Provence Promotion has come up with a range of practical tools, to be unveiled at the Parcours France exhibition on October 11.

For the first time ever, a French economic development agency is addressing the issues surrounding employee mobility. "We act early on to convince, by designing lifestyles," explains Philippe Stéfanini, CEO of Provence Promotion, which has invested €130,000 in the scheme.

In a series of video clips, new arrivals talk about their integration into their new environment and their daily lives, with glimpses of leisure activities, work and family life. The bilingual (French/English) "Living & Working in Provence" series gives a detailed description of life in the 16 living areas in the region, from Port Saint-Louis du Rhône to the Huveaune Valley. The guides are full of practical information designed to assist employees and their families in choosing where to live in Provence and to dispel some of the common preconceptions about Marseille.

Tailored assistance – The example of Pernod Ricard

Provence Promotion, in partnership with the City of Marseille, also helped Pernod Ricard, who wanted to transfer the group's support department from Créteil, near Paris, to the Marseille district of Sainte-Marthe. It turned out to be a long-drawn-out process, 18 months between the first announcement and the new office opening. "We had 70 vacancies for the Marseille office and wanted to fill as many as possible from within. We worked hard to promote the Marseille way of life by showing staff around the different neighborhoods while giving a realistic picture of the city. We really wanted it to work," explains the group's HR director Stéphane Dehlinger. In the end, 29 staff members chose to move south.

Henceforth, these new tools will be made available to prospective clients and at the exhibitions and events at which the Provence Promotion teams are present: Pollutec, Mobile World Congress, International Paris Air Show…

> Watch the videos "Living & working in Provence"
https://youtu.be/D8cB2ln6HHI
https://youtu.be/tF3JRHP34Bs

> Download guides "Living & working in Provence"
bit.ly/1X3JfBN