Contents
Key points
- Event agency: it organises everything, for a fee or a margin. Ideal for complex projects.
- Online platform: a catalogue of venues, quick booking; the sorting is up to you.
- Selection service such as Guide Séminaire: a few venues chosen for you, free of charge; you deal with them directly.
Three options, three roles
| Event agency | Online platform | Selection service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Designs and organises the entire corporate retreat: venue, transport, programme, activities | Presents a catalogue of venues and lets you request quotes or book | Selects a few suitable venues and forwards your request to them |
| Who pays | The company (fees or a margin on services) | Often the venue (commission), sometimes the company | The venue (commission), free for the company |
| Your contact | The agency, from start to finish | The platform, then the venue | The venue, directly |
| Ideal for | Large groups, complex programmes, international participants | Small meetings, simple and urgent needs | Corporate retreats for 15 to 150 people, when choosing the venue is the real question |
When an agency is justified
- More than 150 participants, or several venues to coordinate.
- Participants coming from several countries, with transport to organise.
- A full programme (speakers, staging, activities over several days).
- Nobody in-house to coordinate the project.
What the law says
In France, selling package holidays (for example transport and accommodation combined) is reserved for travel and holiday operators, which must be registered with Atout France, the French tourism development agency, which keeps the register of travel and holiday operators (articles L211-1 and L211-18 of the French tourism code, the Code du tourisme). A service that simply puts parties in touch, without selling anything or taking any payment, does not fall within this framework: this is the case for Guide Séminaire.
The questions to ask
- How are you paid, and by whom?
- How many venues will you suggest, and why those ones?
- Have you visited the venues you suggest?
- Are the prices the same as when booking directly?
- Who is my contact on the day?
- For a package: what is your Atout France registration number?
Guide Séminaire answers these questions on its transparency page. Describe your corporate retreat: the selection is free.
Sources and method
Information checked on 11 November 2026.
- Article L211-1 — Code du tourisme, Légifrance : activities subject to the travel operator regime
- Article L211-18 — Code du tourisme, Légifrance : registration in the register
- Immatriculation des opérateurs de voyages et de séjours — Atout France : mandatory procedure
Frequently asked questions
Do you need an event agency for a corporate retreat?
No. A company can book a venue directly. An agency mainly saves time and provides end-to-end coordination, which is useful for large groups, complex programmes or participants travelling from abroad.
Is Guide Séminaire an agency?
No. Guide Séminaire sells no packages or services and takes no payments: it selects up to three venues and forwards your request to them, free of charge. You then deal directly with the venue you choose. See how we work.
What should you check before entrusting a corporate retreat to an agency?
If the agency sells a package combining transport and accommodation, it must be registered in the register of travel and holiday operators kept by Atout France, the French tourism development agency (French tourism code, Code du tourisme). Ask for its registration number, its references and the details of how it is paid.
