GL events acquires French conference organizer MCO Congrès

The French listed events group GL events has completed the acquisition of MCO Congrès, thereby strengthening the healthcare sector within its trade fairs and congress division. The transaction was finalized on July 28, 2026, meaning the Marseille-based company is now wholly owned by the Lyon-based group.

MCO Congrès is a Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) specializing in the organization of scientific and medical congresses and conferences. The agency was founded in 1990, has approximately 33 employees, and generates an annual turnover of about 14 million euros. In over thirty-five years, it claims to have organized more than 1,500 congresses in France and abroad.

Further expansion of Health & Science division

According to Olivier Ginon, Chairman of the Board of GL events, the acquisition aligns with the group's ambition to further expand the Health & Science division, particularly through the organization of congresses, while simultaneously increasing the international appeal of the Marseille region.

Villa Gaby remains headquarters

The headquarters of MCO Congrès remains located in Villa Gaby, a nineteenth-century villa in Marseille that serves as a conference venue for the medical and scientific community. The property is owned by the Marseille hospital group AP-HM, which awarded the management to MCO Congrès in 2015 following a tender process.