On November 23, on the occasion of the second edition of We Are French Touch, we set out to discover those who are shaping the future of French cultural and creative industries. Reportage.

A festival for the senses. As soon as you arrive in the mansion on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, which is hosting the second edition of We Are French Touch, you are struck by the intoxicating smell of orange blossom. A symbol of ancestral French know-how, this fragrance is released by the young perfume brand from Grasse Geodora which displays its products at the entrance of the building. According to Gérard Gatti, its founder, “ perfumery is an art with a French accent. ". A vision which, associated with its eco-responsible positioning, explains its presence at this meeting of the cultural and creative industries. " Our approach is part of a sustainability perspective. Our products are designed in France, our aluminum bottles are reconditionable, we only use organic alcohol and we are a member of 1% for the planet. “, justifies the leader.

A few floors higher, it is no longer the sense of smell but the hearing that is in the spotlight with IRCAM Amplify. Comfortably installed on armchairs and sofas, a dozen people wearing headphones over their ears and blindfolds embark on an immersive sound journey. " We are here to exchange with the French Touch community, find partners, and demonstrate the powers of immersive sound. explains the communication manager of this Ircam subsidiary.

Among these partners, several image companies exhibit in the we are_ shows to demonstrate that French know-how also exists in the virtual world.
Timescope has thus installed one of its virtual reality terminals and offers the public who come in large numbers to travel through time and space. " We value heritage through digital “says the exhibitor. With more than fifty terminals installed in France or Belgium, the startup has an in-house 3D studio to design new content in order to " make you want to visit the territory differently ».

From the real world to the metaverse

After a tour of the lounges, head for the garden in which a giant tent has been set up to host the big stage of the event. Solo or in duo, a hundred top speakers follow one another to share their vision of the French Touch. Among them, Louis Cacciuttolo, Chairman and CEO of Vroom, takes advantage of its passage to announce the release date of the first metaverse platform dedicated to the entertainment world. " We give you an appointment on January 10, 2023 to show what we can do in France. There will be three concerts in the metaverse, followed by meetings between the artists and their fans and a DJ set. “, he explains. But beyond transposing the live performance into the metaverse, Vrroom aims to give everyone the opportunity to create their universe in a few clicks. " The particularity of our metaverse is that it allows each artist, broadcaster or producer to create their own universe, but above all to monetize their content.. ".

An application that appealed to Jean-Michel Jarre, also present at this event to share his " love at first sight for the metaverse. After experiencing the beginnings of electronic music and the emergence of digital, the artist is interested in a new disruption: that of immersion. But he qualifies all the same: The metaverse, we talk about it a little twisted and through, we mix NFT and cryptocurrency, business and creativity. And then lightning can be dangerous. The ethical aspect should not be neglected, the foundations will have to be laid as soon as possible. »

A subject discussed at length during a round table entitled “Towards a new ethical and responsible web? ". " The whole point of Web 3 is that we never give out our identity. We interact by creating a wallet, a digital wallet. In my opinion, it opens an ethical and responsible era, we become the owner of the data that we communicate and especially of those that we do not communicate. “says Lucie-Eleonore Riveron CEO of NFT Factory. A statement nuanced by Martin Signoux, Public Policy Manager at Meta: “ Beyond this absolutist view, when things become very mainstream, there is often a recalibration because there are legal obligations to meet. It is clear that in Europe, there is a desire on the part of the regulator to create a framework to avoid abuses. »

Finally, to close this day with debates, exchanges and sharing, a large place was given to music, with the live performance of Xavier Polycarpe (member of the Gush and Macadam Crocodile groups) before welcoming Axel Basquiat and Vincent Trémel of the group The Penelopes to resound loud and clear the anthem of the French Touch.