FISE is a showcase that perfectly reflects Montpellier’s identity as “a young, innovative, open metropolis deeply committed to the next generation,” says Michaël Delafosse, mayor of Montpellier and president of Montpellier Métropole.
Generating €35 million in economic benefits, this hugely popular sporting extravaganza is a powerful economic driver and a tool for boosting the area's exposure.
From iconic event to business platform
Alongside the sporting competitions, Hurricane Group, in partnership with Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, organized the Urban Sports Summit, a professional gathering modeled like an economic forum. Over two days of professional meetings, the event brought together public decision-makers, federations, international urban sports stakeholders, and local businesses. Traditionally focused on developing urban sports, the Urban Sports Summit now has a broader objective: to build genuine economic ecosystems around major events.
Hervé André-Benoit, founder and CEO of Hurricane, explains, “This year, the Urban Sports Summit helped launch a new dynamic focused on the sports economy and the area’s appeal, with a metropolitan authority, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and regional government fully committed to creating more connections across major events, economic stakeholders, and local development.”
Sports as an economic resource
International openness, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and the ability to bring people together: the values championed by the FISE event resonate far beyond the world of sports and align directly with the challenges faced by businesses. The Urban Sports Summit seeks to strengthen ties with the local economic community and build bridges between stakeholders. Montpellier Métropole therefore plays a facilitating role in creating connections, supporting, and structuring the now-strategic sports sector. Montpellier has solid assets in this domain, including top-level clubs, recognized training programs, event management expertise, and a fast-growing sports-tech ecosystem. This local momentum is proudly exemplified by companies such as VOGO, Kinvent, and Wheere, among others.
“Montpellier is France’s second-largest city for sports after Paris, and already has a robust value chain built around sports. Our goal is to transform this strength into more projects, partnerships, and above all, jobs,” highlights Chahira Benzaoui, Deputy Director for Attractiveness and Outreach for Montpellier Métropole.
Urban Sports Summit 2026 marks a major turning point: following FISE, World Table Tennis 2026 will provide a new opportunity to sustain this momentum and mobilize ecosystems around sports, a nascent but already robust economic sector.
