United.b: the art of reinventing the corporate plenary
For two years in a row, United.b has entrusted Acmé with turning its major presentations into memorable moments. In 2025, at the annual convention of the Mulliez Family Association, sixteen speakers engaged 600 shareholders in a narrative-driven, scenographically designed plenary session. In 2026, Acmé orchestrated the announcement of the share value—a moment of great significance—in front of 500 employees gathered at Boulanger’s headquarters and 13,000 employees watching live online, reimagining the event around a TV studio concept. Two events, two contexts, one conviction: with the right setup, every corporate communication can become a memorable experience.
-
Every year, United.b faces the same challenge: how to give its major presentations the impact they deserve? In 2025, the goal was to stand out during a marathon of presentations in front of demanding shareholders. In 2026, the goal was to make a lasting impression on an entirely different audience: thousands of employees, who were also shareholders in their company, eagerly awaiting the announcement of their share value. In both cases, the pressure was the same: to rise to the occasion when it really mattered.
-
For both editions, Acmé got involved well in advance of the big day. Content structuring, narrative coherence, speaker coaching, stage design: every detail was carefully planned to ensure the message came across clearly and with impact. In 2025, a unifying conceptual theme tied together sixteen on-stage presentations. In 2026, a recreated TV studio set transformed an institutional announcement into a modern, fluid, and engaging event, broadcast simultaneously to thousands of employees across France.
-
Two successful events and a relationship of trust built over time. The fact that United.b chose Acmé again in 2026 speaks volumes: this kind of support goes beyond a one-off service. It involves understanding a corporate culture, mastering its codes, and amplifying its voice, year after year. These two plenary sessions illustrate a unique approach, at the intersection of strategic consulting and creative design, capable of adapting to radically different contexts.
Two demanding situations, two distinct challenges
In 2025, United.b was scheduled to speak at the annual convention of the Mulliez Family Association: two intense days of plenary sessions, bringing together more than 600 shareholders at the Cité des Échanges in Lille. The context was overwhelming: results, figures, multiple presentations, and the audience’s attention—precious and fleeting. How could we maintain the interest of a room already bombarded from all sides? How could we make the United.b ecosystem—this constellation of complementary companies—clear and accessible without further weighing down an already packed schedule?
In 2026, the nature of the event was quite different. Gathered at Boulanger’s headquarters in Lille, 500 employees watched the announcement of the share price live—a moment eagerly anticipated each year by the group’s employee-shareholders. Behind them, 13,000 people were connected via a live stream. A solemn event with strong symbolic significance, but one that had previously been perceived as too institutional. The challenge: to give it a new dimension without compromising its seriousness.
In both cases, United.b chose Acmé to take on the challenge.
A conceptual theme for each edition
In 2025, Acmé structured the plenary session around a powerful metaphor: a journey through the city of United.b, with its various neighborhoods, each representing a division of the group. This narrative thread helped bring overall coherence to the various presentations, made the ecosystem easier to understand, and kept the momentum going throughout the two-and-a-half-hour conference.
In 2026, the concept was reinvented: a recreated TV studio set. Breaking away from the usual conventions of corporate town hall meetings, this setup breathed new life into an event that had previously been very formal. The format itself conveyed a message: United.b speaks to its employees the way a brand speaks to its audience—with care, clarity, and a modern touch.
Structuring and coaching public speaking
In both editions, one of the cornerstones of Acmé’s approach was the preparatory work with the speakers. In 2025, sixteen speakers took the stage—CEOs, managers, and frontline staff—each receiving individual coaching to refine their storytelling, pacing, and presentation style. In 2026, CEOs and key speakers received specialized training to effectively convey a message that was both meaningful and eagerly anticipated by thousands of employees.
In both cases, this coachinghelped avoid the pitfall of a series of disjointed monologues and gave the entire presentation a clear structure. Each speaker took the stage—or stood in front of the camera—knowing exactly what to say, how to say it, and why.
Staging the message
In both editions, the presentation style played a decisive role. In 2025, the challenge was to hold the audience’s attention for two and a half hours: motion design, sound design, rhythmic videos, and synchronized slides came together to create a cohesive and dynamic visual experience, a far cry from the patchwork effect all too often seen in this type of project.
In 2026, the set design of a recreated TV studio transformed a corporate announcement into a true editorial event. Lighting, set design, graphics, and live production: every detail was carefully planned to ensure the event made just as strong an impact on the 500 people in the room as it did on the 13,000 employees tuning in remotely. The staging enhanced the message and gave it the prominence it deserved.
Engage your audience,
, whatever it may be
One common thread running through both editions: rejecting a top-down approach. In 2025, faced with shareholders accustomed to formal formats, Acmé incorporated interactive segments, quizzes, live feedback, and testimonials to break the ice and foster a sense of collective belonging.
In 2026, the challenge was even greater: engaging both a live audience and thousands of internal viewers simultaneously. The TV studio format naturally lent itself to this dual approach, with content designed to resonate with both employees present in person and those tuning in from their stores or offices across France. In both cases, Acmé’s involvement was based on the same dual approach: strategic advice on substance, and creative execution to engage audiences.
Two editions, “
” a lasting conviction
In both editions, the challenge was met. In 2025, the United.b plenary session successfully captured and held the attention of a discerning audience of shareholders, while making a complex ecosystem easy to understand. In 2026, the announcement of the share value took on a new life: solemn yet lively, institutional yet personable, broadcast on a large scale without losing any of its warmth or clarity.
The fact that United.b has continued to place its trust in Acmé year after year speaks volumes about this type of partnership. It’s not simply about producing an event; it’s about understanding an organization, amplifying its voice, and evolving its communication strategies over the long term. These two plenary sessions illustrate a unique approach: at the intersection of strategic consulting and creativity, individual coaching and collective coherence, substantive rigor and formal ambition. Proof that major corporate communications no longer have to be burdensome exercises; they can become moments we look forward to, experience, and remember.
Customer Information
United.b is the joint holding company for Boulanger, Electro Dépôt, Krëfel, and Hifi, four major retailers of consumer electronics in Europe. As subsidiaries of the Mulliez Group, they share a common vision centered on collective performance and employee ownership.