--- eventsindex_id: EI-04675 slug: la-ref-rencontre-des-entrepreneurs-de-france title: REF - Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France title_alt: - La REF - REF - La REF 2026 canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/la-ref-rencontre-des-entrepreneurs-de-france.html next_edition_dates: 2026-08-26 to 2026-08-27 next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: '2026-08-26' date_end: '2026-08-27' venue: Stade Roland-Garros city: Paris country: France organiser: MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) organiser_url: https://laref.org/ b2b: true vector: sector: - economic-forums audience: - ceos - entrepreneurs - federation-leaders - ministers - elected-officials format: - conference purpose: - networking - policy geography_scope: - Western-Europe season: summer meta_description: 'La REF 2026 by MEDEF, Paris Roland-Garros, 26-27 August: France''s flagship annual business leaders conference debating economic sovereignty and reform.' editorial_take: 'La REF est la messe annuelle du patronat français organise par le MEDEF : le moment ou les chefs d''entreprise et le gouvernement se parlent directement, devant les cameras. Son poids politique est reel : les annonces qui y sont faites conditionnent souvent les orientations de la politique economique de rentree. Pour les decideurs corporate, c''est un barometre de l''etat des relations entre le monde des affaires et le pouvoir politique.' generated_by: enrich-cowork (N1/N2/N3) last_verified: '2026-06-11' schema_version: v8.0 language: en --- # La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France > *La REF is MEDEF's flagship annual conference: two days in late August at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris where over 13,000 business leaders, ministers, elected officials and journalists convene to debate the economic and political conditions for French competitiveness and sovereignty before the political rentrée.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 26-27 August 2026 | Stade Roland-Garros, Paris 16e | MEDEF | 13,000+ (2025 edition, according to the organiser) | ## Definition La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France, known universally as La REF, is the annual summit of MEDEF, France's principal employers' federation. Held over two days in late August, it convenes the senior leadership of French business alongside government ministers, elected officials, public intellectuals and accredited press for plenary debates, roundtables and structured networking. The 2026 edition is the 8th in the series and takes place at Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, on 26 and 27 August 2026. Strategically timed to precede the French political and economic rentrée, it functions as the authoritative moment where the agenda of French business is publicly articulated and debated at the highest level. ## What is La REF and why does it matter in the French business calendar? La REF occupies a singular position in France's economic calendar. Taking place just days before the September rentrée, it is the moment when France's business community collectively signals its priorities to government, media and civil society before Parliament reconvenes and ministerial agendas are set. No other gathering assembles a comparable concentration of French economic and political power in one place at one time. The format combines large plenary sessions with thematic roundtables, allowing both high-profile public exchanges between MEDEF leadership and ministers and more substantive technical debates across sectors. With more than 700 journalists accredited in 2025 and the event live-streamed to a broader audience, each edition generates significant national press coverage and shapes the business narrative for the months that follow. ## Who attends La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France La REF draws a cross-section of French economic and political life rather than a homogeneous sector audience: - **CEOs and chairpersons** of large French corporations (CAC 40 and mid-cap) - **Entrepreneurs and founders** across all sizes of companies, from SMEs to scale-ups - **Presidents and directors-general** of professional federations and industry bodies affiliated with MEDEF - **Government ministers and cabinet members**, invited to engage directly with the business community - **Elected officials** (deputies, senators, regional presidents) across party lines - **Senior civil servants and institutional representatives** - **Journalists and media professionals**: over 700 accredited in 2025 - **Civil society representatives** and academics contributing thematic expertise The mix signals that La REF is less a specialist industry conference than a broad economic-political forum where the terms of business-government relations are publicly negotiated. The presence of press at scale also means sessions function partly as media events. ## What La REF covers programmatically The 2026 edition is organised around the question of whether France is ready to assume the collective effort required to remain a free, prosperous and solidarity-based nation. This framing reflects MEDEF's consistent focus in recent years on economic sovereignty, competitiveness reform, investment incentives and the conditions for productive employment. Sessions typically address: fiscal and regulatory reform proposals, investment conditions, workforce training and labour market flexibility, energy and industrial policy, and France's positioning in the European single market. Recurring subject areas across editions include the simplification of administrative constraints on business, the financing of the ecological transition, digital sovereignty, and the social model's compatibility with long-term competitiveness. Thematic roundtables run in parallel with the main plenary programme, covering sectors from construction and health to finance and technology. The editorial line is set by MEDEF and reflects an explicitly pro-business reform agenda, which gives the content a consistent orientation even as specific speakers and themes rotate annually. ## Edition history and context La REF was first held in 2019 as MEDEF's successor to earlier summer university formats, designed to be a more high-profile and politically engaged gathering. The 2026 edition is the 8th annual edition, with the series having grown substantially in scale: the 2025 edition at Roland-Garros was described by the organiser as a record-setting event, with over 13,000 participants and more than 125 partner organisations. Earlier editions were held at the Hippodrome ParisLongchamp; the move to Roland-Garros for 2025 and 2026 reflects both the event's expanded scale and a repositioning toward a larger, more media-friendly venue. The event's timing, one year before French presidential and legislative elections in the 2026 cycle, increases its political weight considerably. ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### Is La REF an invitation-only event or open to all? La REF is open to all, with registration available at two tiers: a standard public rate and a preferential rate for MEDEF member companies and federations. Accredited journalists attend separately. Registrations open in the weeks before the event; exact pricing for 2026 had not been published as of June 2026. ### Is La REF a French-language event? Yes. The entire programme, plenary sessions, roundtables and all published materials are in French. There is no simultaneous interpretation or English-language track. Participants should expect a fully French-language environment. ### How is La REF different from other major French economic forums? La REF is specifically the voice of organised business (the employer federation) rather than a neutral convening body. This distinguishes it from, for example, the Forum de Paris on Peace or France Digitale's events. Its agenda is explicitly shaped by MEDEF's advocacy priorities, which gives the content a clear institutional orientation. The political access it offers, with ministers debating directly with business leaders on live stages, is relatively unusual in the European conference circuit. ### Who is La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France NOT designed for? - Professionals seeking a neutral, academic or think-tank perspective on economic policy: MEDEF's position as an advocacy body means sessions reflect a consistent pro-business-reform orientation - Participants looking for English-language content or international tracks: the event is exclusively French-language - Specialists looking for deep technical workshops in a specific sector: while thematic roundtables exist, the dominant format is high-level plenary debate - Startups or individual founders without a connection to MEDEF's member network: the event skews toward established enterprise leadership - Attendees seeking a boutique or curated small-group format: at 13,000 participants, La REF is a mass gathering with the logistical character of a large public event ## The venue: Stade Roland-Garros Stade Roland-Garros, located at 2 Avenue Gordon Bennett in Paris's 16th arrondissement, is one of France's most recognisable sports venues, home to the French Open tennis grand slam. For La REF 2026, MEDEF has adapted the stadium's facilities into a conference environment with multiple plenary spaces and exhibition areas. The venue is accessible by metro from Porte d'Auteuil and Porte de Saint-Cloud stations (a few minutes' walk), with advance-reservation parking available at Jean Bouin, Parchamp and Porte d'Auteuil. Hotel blocks at preferential rates have been pre-reserved by the organisers near the venue. The choice of Roland-Garros, following its debut as La REF's host in 2025, reinforces the event's national cultural prominence. ## The organiser: MEDEF MEDEF, the Mouvement des Entreprises de France, is France's principal employers' federation, founded in 1998 as the successor to the CNPF (Conseil national du patronat français). It represents approximately 160,000 companies across all sectors and company sizes, organised through a network of territorial federations and sector-based branches. MEDEF is one of the five representative organisations that participate in French social dialogue, negotiating national collective agreements with trade unions and engaging with government on economic and labour policy. La REF is MEDEF's most visible annual initiative: a public-facing forum where it positions the collective voice of French business at the centre of the national economic debate. The organisation is also behind La REF Souveraineté, a complementary one-day thematic event (June 2026 edition), and supports regional REF events organised by territorial MEDEF federations across France. --- ## Editorial take *La REF is the defining annual rendezvous of French organised business, where MEDEF's 160,000-member federation convenes 13,000 leaders and ministers for a political-economic debate that sets the tone for France's corporate rentrée and makes it the highest-stakes business forum in the French calendar.* ## How to register and what it costs La REF uses a two-tier registration model: a public rate available to any professional wishing to attend, and a preferential member rate for companies and federations affiliated with MEDEF. Registration opens via the official website at laref.org several weeks before the event; exact pricing for the 2026 edition had not been published as of June 2026. The organiser has pre-negotiated hotel blocks near Roland-Garros at preferential rates, accessible once registration opens. Accredited media attend under a separate press accreditation process managed by MEDEF's communications team. With over 700 journalists present at the 2025 edition, the event operates as a major press event as well as a business forum. Participants travelling from outside Paris are advised to book accommodation early given the volume of attendees and the August timing. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### When does registration for La REF 2026 open? The organiser indicates that the registration platform will open in the weeks before the event. As of June 2026, exact dates and pricing had not been published. Check laref.org for updates. ### Where is the event held and how do I get there? La REF 2026 takes place at Stade Roland-Garros, 2 Avenue Gordon Bennett, 75016 Paris. The nearest metro stations are Porte d'Auteuil and Porte de Saint-Cloud (both a few minutes' walk). Advance-reservation parking is available at Jean Bouin, Parchamp and Porte d'Auteuil. Secure bicycle parking is also available on site. ### Is there a regional version of La REF for those who cannot travel to Paris? Yes. MEDEF's territorial federations organise their own regional REF events across France (for example, REF Hauts-de-France, REF Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). These events follow a similar format but are independent of the national edition at Roland-Garros. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://laref.org/ | | Organiser (MEDEF) | https://www.medef.com/ | | 2026 event page | https://www.medef.com/la-ref/laref26-2026 | | Practical info | https://laref.org/infos-pratiques/ | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-11 **Next review:** 2026-07-11 **Notes:** Attendance figure of 13,000+ is self-reported by the organiser (2025 edition). Venue confirmed as Stade Roland-Garros for 2026 (change from earlier editions at Hippodrome ParisLongchamp). Registration pricing and speaker roster not yet published as of June 2026. Creation year of 2019 is inferred from the 2025 edition being described as the 7th edition; this should be confirmed. The 2026 edition is described as the 8th. **Variables:** 41/58 **Concept definition:** not applicable