Kactus (corporate events): reviews, contact details, and practical information

What to know about Kactus, a French platform for corporate event planning

Origins and founding of Kactus

Kactus is a French firm founded in 2015 by Anne-Sara Budowniczy, an ESSEC business school graduate, and Thomas Cottin, an engineer from École Polytechnique. Originally known as Event Corner, the startup quickly pivoted to the B2B market, building a platform dedicated to organizing professional gatherings like meetings, seminars, conferences, and office parties. The Kactus headquarters are located in Paris at 29 rue Taitbout, in the 9th arrondissement.

Evolution and key milestones

Since its inception, Kactus has seen significant growth. In 2017, the company raised 1.5 million euros (about $1.6 million) to accelerate the development of its platform. In 2022, Kactus merged with Bird Office, another company specializing in booking professional spaces, to strengthen its position in the B2B event market. This merger helped Kactus become a major player in France, reporting 80 million euros (about $87 million) in revenue in 2022 with over 30,000 listed clients, including 10,000 repeat users.

Current offerings and services

Today, Kactus offers an online platform that allows companies to easily coordinate various types of professional events. The site lists over 19,000 venues and activities, providing services for:

• Meetings
• Seminars (day or residential)
• Training sessions
• Conferences
• Corporate parties
• Team building

Kactus aims to provide a high level of service by combining technology with human support, assigning a dedicated team of experts to each project.

Focus on seminars: The flagship Kactus offering

Seminars represent the core of the Kactus business. The platform helps users find venues tailored to any requirement, categorized on the site by city or theme. Whether you need a seminar in Paris, a rural retreat, a mountain location, a luxury setting, or something unconventional, you will find several rental options.

Available choices include houseboats, lofts, chateaus, 5-star hotels, spas, and mountain chalets. Kactus provides filters to refine your search based on location, guest capacity, available equipment, and budget.

Beyond booking the space, Kactus offers supplemental services such as catering, lodging, team building activities, and event logistics management. The goal is to simplify seminar planning by centralizing every step on a single platform.

Geographic footprint

Kactus is primarily active in France, with a notable presence in Paris, Lyon, and Bordeaux. The platform lists venues across the country, allowing companies to organize events in diverse regions. Since its merger with Bird Office, Kactus has also strengthened its presence in Belgium and plans further European expansion to meet the needs of international clients.

Strengths of Kactus

Key highlights of Kactus include:

• An intuitive platform and user-friendly interface that simplifies searching and booking venues and activities.
• A vast selection of venues and activities, with over 19,000 listings.
• Personalized support from a team of event planning experts.
• Competitive pricing, with a promise to match direct-booking rates.
• Centralized event management, covering invoicing, purchase orders, and payments.
• A commitment to sustainable development, including a partnership with the GoodPlanet Foundation and signing the Climate Act.

Differentiation from competitors

Kactus distinguishes itself from competitors through its blend of technology and human support. Unlike traditional agencies, the platform enables fast and transparent online booking while providing personalized follow-up. Furthermore, Kactus has integrated innovative features, such as booking team building activities directly on the platform, and is experimenting with artificial intelligence to automate tasks like writing venue descriptions.

Finally, Kactus emphasizes corporate culture and employee engagement, offering events designed to strengthen team cohesion and facilitate shared experiences outside of the usual professional environment.

Perspectives and ambitions

Kactus has strong ambitions for the coming years. The company aims to become the European leader in the MICE market (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions). To achieve this, it plans to expand its geographic reach, invest in new feature development, and continue innovating to meet the evolving event needs of companies.

With a staff of 100 and sustained growth, Kactus intends to continue its expansion in France and Europe while maintaining a high level of client satisfaction.

Will you entrust your next events to Kactus? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a review below.