Ovation Spain DMC is proud to present Eric Mottard, CEO of Grupo Eventoplus. With offices in Madrid and Barcelona, Grupo Eventoplus is the largest meeting resource group in Spain. From online to print media, Grupo Eventoplus also organizes conferences and a trade show with innovative and play formats and the latest topics for meeting professionals.
Eric loves meetings and events; you know, he is one of those people who goes see an exhibition or theatre play and starts drawing conclusions, cool ideas, and new trends which apply to events.
He studied business administration in HEC (Paris) and started as a business consultant before launching Eventoplus in 2000. Since then, his life has been about informing, connecting, professionalizing the meetings and events industry as much as he could through Eventoplus’ activities: portal, newsletter, a magazine dedicated to event planning, and various events (a trade show, an awards ceremony, and two conferences) dedicated to meeting planners. Eventoplus also manages the IBTM world show daily and FITUR Daily, specific trade shows on-site publications.
Hi Eric! Describe yourself in three words?
Enthusiastic – unreasonable – curious
What is your professional background?
Studied business administration in HEC (Paris) and started as a business consultant for 7 years before launching Eventoplus in 2000.
What do you find most challenging about our industry?
The love of hospitality makes us forget sometimes about the importance of the business objective. We all love nice events but we are not here to feed and entertain people! Also, difficulty to standardize: each event is unique, which is not very efficient. Finally, we are dealing with live, unpredictable people. Being a live-action is the beauty and the beast of events!
What is the best thing about working for Eventoplus?
Without being biblical, we have a mission! We are here to inform, inspire, connect, professionalise, bring best practices and ideas to professionals. This makes it much easier to wake up to go to work. This love of what we do and love for our industry is a big part of our DNA.
What are the best attributes of Spain?
Human connections, no doubt!!! It is just so nice to interact with people here. Openness, love of life and of conversation, easy to connect. And if you combine this with a highly interesting population in the meetings and events industry, you get the best!
What is your favourite destination in Spain and Why?
I go to Madrid every week (based in Barcelona) and every trip is a wonderful boost, I love the energy of the city, meeting people, seeing places changing non-stop. But it is almost more home than a destination, so I would go for Extremadura, especially Trujillo, which is a stunning travel in time, a gorgeous but very peaceful place.
Did you have any mentors or people who deeply influenced your career?
Oscar Cerezales (Chief Operating Officer-Asia Pacific for MCI Group and member of the Board of Directors for PCMA) is my role model. Isn’t he everyones?
Proudest moment in your career to date?
The first edition of the Eventoplus awards, a moment of bringing together 500 great professionals, more than 120 applications, and help bring something to the meetings industry.
Favourite band(s)?
Overall: Pixies!!! Short bits of creative dynamite, pure energy.
Style: Jefferson Airplane is seriously cool.
Maybe for an event person, Pink Floyd is the most amazing: variation of styles (try their early albums!), very strong in concept albums, amazing in stage setups, with a strong spirit of exploration of instruments and technology, and beautiful tunes. If they had a bit of rock’n roll rage, they would be top of the list.
Favourite brand(s)?
I admire VW’s brand a lot for enabling the company to resist with a limited problem their recent scandal. It is an illustration of the strength a good brand gives you – so take care of your brand!!!
Favourite destinations?
Two sides: West, Chile is astonishing in natural beauty and variety, it is definitely worth a complete exploration, north and south. Eastward, I go regularly to Singapore whose dynamism, pragmatism, energy and slight paranoia (always strive to improve, or you will fall – just like a bike) we should learn from. But make no mistake: THE best place is Spain!!!
Eric, thank you very much for your time. It is an honour to know more about you. We wish you the best of the best for your professional and personal future!