Toucy, June 13th, 2018
THE MEETING OF THE CENTURY

The Citroën brand was launched on June 4, 1919 with the official presentation of the A-Type. In 2019, Automobiles Citroën will officially celebrate its 100th birthday. The brand will celebrate this centenary through various events throughout the year 2019. And it will also be an opportunity to bring together customers, collectors and enthusiasts with a special event : THE GATHERING OF THE CENTURY.

– The event is organized by “Amicale Citroën & DS France *” in partnership with “L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS **”, and actively supported by Automobiles Citroën. This time-limited meeting will be the convergence in a central single meeting point for all worldwide Citroen enthusiasts.

– Located in La Ferté-Vidame, in Eure-et-Loir, the Meeting of the Century will be held in a highly historical location for Citroën. It is also a valuable place regarding logistics issues for many national and international participants.

– The save-the-date in the agenda for the Meeting of the Century is July 19th, 20th and 21st, 2019.

– The terms and conditions of registration and participation to the Meeting of the Century are now open on the website http://www.citroencc.com , in order to gather a maximum of Citroën vehicles, whatever their age and type.

The “Meeting of the Century” is officially included in the Citroën 2019’s plan of festivities. “It will have to be up to the ambitions that would have had André Citroën to celebrate the 100 years of its brand”, states Alain Thuret, president of the Amicale Citroën and DS France. The taste for innovation and creative technology has always aroused enthusiasm among thousands, even millions of fans, who admire the progress made by Citroën in the automotive mobility sector. As thanks for their passion, the brand supports this gathering of the century, which will allow every enthusiast to meet and celebrate.

The realization of the event was entrusted to the Amicale Citroën & DS France which created the “Centenary Celebration Citroën” association, in charge of implementing this event with the active support of “L’Aventure Peugeot Citroën DS ” throughout all its various aspects : program, organization, financing, communication and production.

The starting point of this ambitious project dates back to June 9, 2015 and was endorsed by “Amicale Citroën & DS France” via the official creation of the “Commission 100 ans” in February 2016. A video ad was first broadcast on August 13th, 2016 at the 16th ICCCR *** as a “save the date”. If the echo of this event in France will go live through the “Amicale Citroën & DS France” which brings together about fifty clubs dedicated to the chevrons brand and more than 10 000 French collectors, the impact of this event on the international scene will be broadcasted by the “Amicale Citroën International” which counts in its ranks more than a thousand clubs dedicated to the Citroën brand and 70,000 collectors around the world.

La Ferté-Vidame: Indeed, back in 1938 Citroën decided to install its test track to develop and test its vehicles in this discreet village of Eure-et-Loir. Ideally located in Europe, the La Ferté-Vidame site offers many advantages in terms of space, but also bears historical connotations for collectors and amateurs of Citroën. In addition, various partnerships have been established between the municipality of La Ferté-Vidame, the PSA test track team located near the venue of the event, and the Eure-et-Loir department.

The dates of 19-20-21 July 2019 were quickly selected by Citroën brand and the Amicale Citroën & DS France. At the very heart of the summer of 2019, this period favorable to holidays and family travel allows the largest number of participants to register with their Citroën vehicle, or to spend a day or 2 with family or friends in a bucolic setting, to live a moment in the history of the double-chevron brand and to be present on the big family picture.

Registration details are now online, on the site dedicated to the event “Le Rassemblement du Siècle” http://citroencc.com/ in French or http://citroencenturycelebration.com/ in English.

As exceptional as it may be by its magnitude, this event is also a family event, therefore registration fees remain low : € 100 for one vehicle and two people on board for the full event (three days) ; rates are valid for all registrations until November 12th, 2018. Details of the options are available on the dedicated website. It contains all the useful pieces of information, including accommodations in the surroundings, the campsite that will be installed especially for the event, the program of animations, or the merchants’ platform.

The site http://citroencc.com/ is in a “Responsive Design” mode and includes an electronic ticketing. It is bilingual French – English for the main pages, and in four languages for the registrations pages (F, GB, D and NL).

So let’s all amateur or Citroën fans meet on July 19th , 20th and 21st , 2019 in the park of La Ferté Vidame’s Castle !


Note: The ACI does not organize the event but supports it and sponsors it. For any inquiries on travel, access, accommodation, selling, … please contact the organizers directly via their website:

https://citroencc.com/blog-detail-citron.php?BlogID=580

Thank you!


Question and Answer (Q&A)

How many participants do you expect on this event?

Based on large-scale demonstrations of Citroën clubs already realized such as the “ICCCR” or “National 2CV” or “World 2CV” meetings, we expect a participation of about 7000 to 10000 Citroën vehicles of all types and of all ages, and 12,000 to 15,000 registered participants, to which can be added daily visitors coming to live a historic moment with family or friends, which represents about another 3000 people each day.

Is this event limited to France?

No, it is an international event. Based on large-scale demonstrations of Citroën clubs already realized such as the ICCCR, we estimate about 35% French participants, 60% other European ones, and 5% for the rest of the world.

Have you taken the necessary steps to manage such flows of people and vehicles?

That’s all the work we do prior to the event, which has already started since 2016. We know from experience that we can rely on the volunteerism of club members who want to get involved in the project. We will have at the peak of the activity, during the 3 days of the event, around 450 volunteers present on the spot, especially to manage the welcome desk, the reception and the flow of people and vehicles, the parking spaces management, the entertainments and the day-to-day event management.

What do you do in terms of safety ?

The safety of people and cars is one of our major concerns and we are already working on it. Of course, we will respect all legal and mandatory regulations in terms of safety: rescue station with a number of medical personal fit with the size of the event, heliport area, vehicle traffic management on the site, quick evacuation of the ground if necessary, among others. All this is done in cooperation with our partners (PSA Peugeot-Citroën, the Department of Eure-et-Loir, the Prefecture, the Municipality of La Ferté Vidame, the gendarmerie). The land will be supplied with water, equipped with hydrants, and a buffer parking with several entrances and exits capable of evacuating 5000 vehicles in 30 minutes.

Are you sure to have enough hotels or accommodation solutions to accommodate as many people?

The event will take place in the heart of a region with a strong touristic attractiveness. In fact, there are numerous facilities located near La Ferté Vidame (amusement parks with accommodation, leisure villages, …). We will also set up a campsite with 2500 places because we know from experience that a great number of Citroën collectors also choose campsites : this is also linked to the story of one of our most popular models, the 2CV which symbolizes a certain art de vivre made of simplicity . At present this campsite can host 2500 vehicles, but in case of a higher demand we can increase the capacity. All necessary sanitary facilities (showers, toilets, …) will be provided in sufficient numbers. Finally, this region abounds with BnB solutions or charming lodgings just waiting to be discovered.

Only three days, isn’t it a little too short?

It is both short and long. It is short when we consider the organization needed upstream to manage this meeting, and it is long if we consider that most club meetings are held over 2 days only. Let’s not forget that we will be in the heart of summer, it may be for some participants the start of their holidays, while others will be on their way back. Everyone can feel free to organize his summer journey aboard his Citroën, upstream or downstream of the Meeting of the Century.

The castle park La Ferté-Vidame can it accommodate as many vehicles?

The Château de La Ferté-Vidame site has an area of 150 acres in one piece, with a possible extension of 50 acres. 90 acres will be reserved for the festival and the animations. A first implementation study estimates the capacity of the land to 6500 vehicles, and depending on the number of vehicles registered, we will be able to add a supplementary ground to increase the capacities of vehicles.

Will there be an opportunity for me to drive my Citroën on the PSA test-track of La Ferté-Vidame ?

In agreement with PSA Peugeot-Citroën, participants will be able to ride their Citroën on a loop of the PSA test-track on about 10 Miles ride which will be specially organized for that purpose. There, one can meet classic Citroën vehicles, but also racing prototypes, coaches, or even Citroën trucks. Needless to say that driving on the test track will have to be done at a reduced speed.
What experience and expertise does the Amicale Citroën & DS France have in terms of event organization to manage an event of this magnitude? The Amicale Citroën & DS France unites the largest French Citroën brand clubs, which in their turn have already had the opportunity to organize several major events such as: – the two ICCCR events (International Citroen Car Club Rally) of 1978 in Chartres with 800 vehicles, and the one of 1995 in Clermont-Ferrand with 5000 cars ; – Annual National 2CVs Meeting and Mondiale 2 CVs meeting which bring together up to 7000 Citroën twin-cylinder vehicles, organized by the Association of 2CV Clubs of France (A2CF) ; with more than 20 years of experience and professionalism, A2CF is a methodical volunteer organizer of the first order. Thus Amicale Citroën & DS France created an association to manage the meeting of the Century. This association, called the “Citroën Centenary Celebration” is made up of members from several clubs capitalizing a strong experience in terms of car meetings. In addition, it will also be assisted by an event agency.

What do you plan for the food and drinks ?

The “Meeting of the Century” will gather 12,000 participants and 15,000 visitors, spread over 3 days. There will be a lot of catering facilities inside the site (traditional catering , fast food to take away, Food Trucks, …) In addition there will be a Gala dinner on Saturday evening (with prior registration required, check on the website http://citroencc.com/ ). Needless to mention all the local restaurants located near the castle park, which will also play their role.

What do you plan for sanitary facilities?

Sanitary points will be installed in sufficient numbers and distributed throughout the site for the comfort of our participants and visitors. These are temporary installations specially designed for this type of event. Of course, the site will not suffer any residual pollution related to these facilities after the event.

Have you planned a repair zone for vehicles in case of breakdown?

A vehicle repair area will be set up for routine operations (tire replacement and quick repairs that do not require specialized tools). For heavier repairs, we will rely on the local official Citroën aftersales network, or even on local car repairers. Waste recycling will respect regulations. Of course, the site will not suffer any residual pollution related to these facilities after the event.

You say you call to volunteers during the event, can you tell us more? This meeting of the Century is made for the clubs and by the clubs. Without clubs, this event would simply not happen. With nearly 450 volunteers at the heart of the event to welcome thousands of Citroën vehicles and the 15,000 visitors expected at this international meeting, we call to volunteers to help us manage the event. We know from experience that we can count on the members of the different clubs of the Brand. Upstream of the event, nearly 70 volunteers are already mobilizing around the event, led by a central coordination unit of the “Celebration Centenary Citroën” office.

What type of entertainment can the visitor expect to meet on site?

As we concretize the different exhibitions or animations, our website http://citroencc.com/ is a reflection of these updates. This website is upgradable and we encourage you to browse it regularly, until the date of the event. However, there will be some must-haves, such as :

– The Citroën temporary Scenic Museum. There, one can see in particular :
Citroën models through the ages ; Citroën adventures and cruises ; Great coachbuilders who worked on the Citroën models ; Citroën factories in France ; Citroën assembled around the world ; The men and women from Citroën ; Citroën in the race and in the rallye-raid ; Trucks and Citroën transport solutions ; Citroën engines ; Citroën toys exhibition and children’s playground, model cars ;

– the Movie theater which will play historical Citroën commercials and movies, movies extracts featuring Citroën models, talk shows … – Merchants platform for Spare parts, used parts, catalogs & brochures, accessories, …

– The library of the Citroën Centenary, the Citroën books & comics from our library, the historians and book dedications, Terre Blanche (PSA digital archives) ; – The ” Automobiles Citroën ” showroom that will display the newest Citroën prototypes

What type of communication are you going to make for the meeting of the Century?

Communication around the event has already begun in 2016. This Press Release now details the dates, venue and format of the event. Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube are also targeted. The event will be relayed on the different shows or events for vintage cars in 2018 and 2019, both in France and abroad, relayed by the “Amicale Citroën Internationale”. Eventually, we will also communicate through specialized classic cars magazines, the specialized press dedicated to the Citroën Brand as well as through Citroën authorized distributor and repairer networks and their agents.