Located beneath the world’s most visited museum, Les Salles du Carrousel is one of Paris’ most distinctive event venues. Operated by Viparis, the leading holder of congress and exhibition venues in Paris, the site combines historic architecture with contemporary event facilities, offering 6,635 square metres of modular interior space capable of hosting conferences, product launches, exhibitions and gala evenings. The three primary spaces, the LeNôtre Suite, the Soufflot Suite and the Foyer, recently underwent a comprehensive technical FOH revitalisation delivered by Magnum, a Groupe Novelty company, the official technical operator of the venue.
The FOH of the last two venue spaces, the Delorme Suite and the Gabriel Suite, will also benefit from an upgrade this summer. On top of that, all Suites now benefit from a new generation of integrated sound, lighting, rigging and network infrastructure designed to streamline event production while improving safety, operational efficiency and sustainability. “The spaces now offer a completely redesigned technical infrastructure, which includes changes on every level,” says Pierre-Marie Tournier, Magnum’s business manager for Les Salles du Carrousel. The LeNôtre Suite, the largest of the renovated spaces, offers 1,900square metres of flexible event space and includes retractable bleachers capable of seating between 500 and 1,600 guests. Adjacent toit, the 925-square-metre Soufflot Suite provides an adaptable environment suited for conferences, workshops and exhibitions. The third renovated space, the Foyer, spans 1,310 square metres and is distinguished by a curved ceiling constructed from more than 3,000 wooden elements. With its vaulted ceiling and oak parquet flooring, the 750 sqm Gabriel space provides a large and cosy venue. It can be combined with the last Suite, Delorme, which spans over 1600 sqm and is specially designed to accommodate large-scale scenography for up to 1,200 people.
Magnum, a major technical production company founded in 1986 and part of Groupe Novelty since 2016, specialises in designing and delivering technical systems for events and venues across France and Europe. With around 300 staff and a strong presence in the Paris events market, the company combines event production services with permanent integration and venue technical management. “At Les Salles du Carrousel, Magnum has implemented complete technical room packages,” Tournier explains. “We’ve provided turnkey systems that include sound, lighting and video for events. These specially designed packages deliver valuable time savings for every event organiser using the space. “Central to the revitalisation was a total overhaul of the venue’s rigging infrastructure. New-generation curved trusses from Alu Soudure Diffusion (ASD) were installed and with motorised GIS D8+ chain hoists using SONOS Altimate control systems to enable precise and secure lifting operations. In total,120GIS LP500 D8+ electric chain hoists were deployed across the technical grid, while Altimate load monitoring systems were integrated at each rigging point to provide real-time supervision of suspended equipment.
LED indicators on the load cells allow technicians to monitor loads instantly, improving operational safety during event setup and production. “The electrical network has been completely rebuilt using StageSmarts power distribution units,” Tournier notes. “This provides reliable, scalable distribution perfectly suited to the diversity of events hosted here. “Lighting across the spaces was modernised using Robe ESPRITE and LED Beam 200 fixtures, providing lighting designers with flexible creative tools, while maintaining an elegant visual aesthetics suited to the surroundings”. Magnum delivered audio reinforcement in all suites via a d&b audiotechnik Compact Cardioid Line Array configuration, with in total 18 clusters of three CCL12 loudspeakers supported by10CCL-SUBsubwoofers positioned according to the geometry of the spaces. “The Robe fixtures deliver both creative and elegant illumination, while the d&b audiotechnik Compact Cardioid Line Array system guarantees consistent and intelligible sound coverage throughout the space,” says Magnum’s audio director Edouard Dubus. The cardioid configuration provides controlled sound dispersion and uniform coverage across the audience area while minimising unwanted low-frequency spill into adjacent spaces. “This configuration aims to deliver consistent coverage to the area, with controlled sound levels and seamless integration into the venue’s scenography and operational requirements,” Dubus explains.
The d&b audiotechnik system was specified by Edouard Dubus, working closely with d&b on the system design. The CCL series was selected based on the practical advantages it offers to event professionals: precise directivity control for consistent audience coverage, energy-efficient operation and d&b audiotechnik’s Product Carbon Footprint programme, which enables clients to quantify the environmental impact of their system choices. The selection was further informed by d&b’s own sustainability credentials. The manufacturer draws49.1% of its total energy consumption from renewable sources. The installation also made use of d&b’s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programme, which provides professionally refurbished equipment at equivalent performance to brand-new products while delivering an 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to purchasing new. Supporting the entire technical environment is a new audiovisual network built on a spine-leaf architecture using Netgear and Luminex switches. The network supports multiple professional AV protocols, including AVB, AES67, ST2110/IPMX and Dante, enabling full interoperability between systems. “Technical teams now benefit from instant interconnection between the different spaces thanks to a centralised nodal system,” says Fabrice Gosnet, Magnum’s AV network director. “The paging sound system has also been redesigned around a Yamaha MRX7-D matrix and PGM1 microphones, all controlled through an intuitive interface developed by Magnum.” Additional infrastructure improvements were incorporated into the renovation as well. “The control rooms have been redesigned to guarantee optimal comfort and safety,” Tournier says. “Workstations are secured with guardrails, and the overall ergonomics have been significantly improved.” Sustainability was paramount for this upgrade, and Magnum was able to count on Groupe Novelty’s expertise in this field, whose environmental commitment has been accelerated by managing director Christophe Piette. His drive fora formalised environmental strategy resulted in Groupe Novelty’s attainment of ISO 20121 certification, the international standard for sustainable event management.
This reflects a structured commitment to reducing the social and environmental impact of its operations. “This transformation is part of a precise eco-responsible approach,” says Christophe Piette. “The new equipment is designed to be more energy-efficient, supporting the sustainable development goals fromour clients and partners.” For Magnum and Groupe Novelty, the revitalisation reflects a broader strategy of combining engineering, logistics and innovation to deliver sustainable and future-ready event environments. With its upgraded technical infrastructure, Les Salles du Carrousel is now equipped to support a new generation of events, offering organisers faster setup times, greater creative flexibility and a highly reliable production environment in one of Paris’ most iconic locations.
