On October 3, 2007, in cooperation with the French Embassy Trade Office, the French-American Chamber of Commerce hosted a panel discussion that addressed Créativité: Revolution by Design.

Ketty Maisonrouge, Founder, Ketty Maisonrouge & Company, Inc., CCEF, President of the Luxury Education Foundation, and Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, explored the historical dominance of French creativity in the luxury market. While France has successfully combined its unique heritage and product quality to achieve this position, Ms. Maisonrouge suggested that globalization and increased competition from other countries must encourage French luxury firms to continuously modernize their marketing concepts and overall approach to luxury.

Gerard Smith, Executive Vice President, Director of Planning, Publicis, addressed the importance of brand identity. When attempting to revive a brand, for instance, three key elements must be considered: its functionality, the image it projects, and its overall value.

Joe Caturla, Founder, Caturla Design and Jean-Baptiste Ducruet, Founder, Atmosphere, drew on their own experiences to discuss the challenges and opportunities surrounding the promotion of French luxury in the United States.

The panel discussion was moderated by Guillaume Gauthereau, President & CEO, Lalique North America.