| Nanka Kikalia |
What lies behind the things we create, build and consider valuable? Where do creativity and innovation begin? These were the questions at the centre of Pullman xChange, which returned for its second edition in Paris under the theme The Source Code.
Held at Pullman Paris Montparnasse on 24 - 25 June 2026, the invitation-only gathering brought together around 150 guests, including designers, entrepreneurs, artists, cultural leaders and travellers. I attended on behalf of TheDiary, joining two days of conversations, workshops, shared meals and experiences that unfolded throughout the hotel.
Pullman xChange first launched in Dubai in November 2025 under the theme Build What Outlasts You. Its second edition brought the format to Paris, continuing Pullman’s attempt to position its hotels not only as places to stay, but as spaces where people meet, exchange ideas and spend time together in a more considered way.
This year’s theme, The Source Code, was not presented as a technological idea. Instead, it referred to the less visible qualities behind meaningful work and creativity: imagination, curiosity, awareness, precision and courage. These ideas appeared throughout the programme, not only in the formal conversations, but also in the way the event was structured.
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The experience unfolded across different areas of the hotel. Participants moved between curated installations, interactive workshops, performances, sensory experiences, an apéro, dinner, brunch with contributors and a closing press conference. Rather than following the format of a conventional conference, Pullman xChange encouraged guests to participate, move through the space and engage with people beyond their usual professional circles.
One of the sessions I joined was Hotel Bar Confession, led by writer and community builder Monika Jiang. I had originally been assigned a culinary workshop and expected to spend the afternoon preparing French desserts. Instead, I found myself sitting at a hotel bar, being invited to share something personal with a stranger.
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The idea was simple, but the experience was not. Monika approached loneliness through a philosophical lens, speaking about the way we are always alone while remaining in constant relationship with ourselves, other people and the world around us. The session placed participants slightly outside their usual social habits. I should admit that when it came to making my own confession, I could not do it. That hesitation became part of the experience.
The program brought together contributors from a wide range of disciplines, including leadership expert Steven D'Souza, socio-environmental strategist Laura François, designer Gianfranco Chicco, immersive artist Lori Baldwin, writer and community builder Monika Jiang, and cultural entrepreneur Frédéric Jousset. Their conversations explored leadership, creativity, design, systems thinking and cultural innovation, reflecting Pullman’s belief that meaningful ideas often emerge through exchange.
The diversity of the participants was central to the format. Rather than focusing on one industry or one conclusion, the program placed different perspectives alongside one another, allowing discussions to develop across disciplines.
That same approach continued in the practical sessions. Artist Itchi led a collage masterclass in which participants worked with images, textures and fragments to create new compositions. The workshop became an exercise in collaborative visual storytelling, showing how an idea can change when several people contribute to the same process.
By chance, Itchi and I ended up working together on a collage of our own. The finished piece travelled with me from Paris to Tbilisi, where it now hangs in my home.
Co-created with the House of Beautiful Business, Pullman xChange brings together hospitality, business and culture. The House describes itself as a global platform and community working to make people more human and business more beautiful through conversations, experiences and an international network of contributors.
For Pullman, the collaboration provides a framework through which a hotel can operate as more than accommodation. Throughout the Paris edition, Pullman Paris Montparnasse functioned as a discussion space, workshop, dining venue and social meeting point, with the exchanges between participants becoming the central part of the experience.
The closing press conference offered further insight into Pullman’s direction as the xChange format continues to expand internationally. The project is being developed not as a single annual gathering, but as a broader platform capable of connecting travellers with local communities, artists, entrepreneurs and cultural figures.
Pullman xChange did not attempt to provide one answer to the questions behind The Source Code. Instead, the event showed how creativity can begin through exchange – between different disciplines, unfamiliar perspectives and people who may not otherwise have found themselves in the same room.
PH: Julien Scussel
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