Student Associations

As in all the Grandes Ecoles, Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) has a very active community life, with no fewer than 21 associations.

Student Associations

As in all the Grandes Ecoles, Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) has a very active community life, with no fewer than 21 associations.
Nearly 700 events are organized every year, with budgets approaching 500,000 euros, and teams of up to 60 students. Taking part in the school’s associative life is all at once a facilitator of integration, a real field for professional experimentation, a meeting place and a place to live… associative life is above all a unique human adventure.

Associative pathway

In M1, by selection: this course enables you to devote all your afternoons for one semester to carrying out a project. An integral part of our differentiated pedagogy, this course is recognized as part of your curriculum and is subject to evaluation.

Support and training

Any student involved in an association can take a 15-day training course when they take up their new post, and obtain a “Management of Associations” Certificate attesting to the knowledge and skills they have acquired in association management. The modules cover a wide range of issues, including financial management, communication, negotiation and legal aspects.

Student associations

The associations reveal themselves in detail on our eligible website.
Below, you’ll find an overview of each one.

The Student office (The Bureau Des Elèves BDE in French)

The Student office (The Bureau Des Elèves BDE in French) is the association that acts as a link between the school and the 21 other associations, helping them to promote their events. This association, considered the backbone of the association corridor, is made up of 45 M1 members and organizes several events to liven up student life at Grenoble École de Management. This association also organizes the integration of new students through various events: GEM Days (integration weekend), Colocathon, Barathon, parade of associations, back-to-school party, SAT…
The BDE also organizes the biggest and longest BDE campaign in France: 6 months, 8 lists, 320 participants. At the end of the campaign, the members who stood out by demonstrating their organization and determination are elected.

Sports associations

Altigliss

Altigliss is a GEM association that organizes the GEM Altigliss Challenge, the student ski World Cup. Every year, this event brings together over 1,000 French and international students in a series of challenges during 1 week in March. Projects :
  • Ski market: sale of ski/snowboard equipment at reduced prices, for GEM students.
  • Critérium de la première neige: support for the Val d’Isère sports club during France’s first professional ski world cup event.
  • La Parad’ice: organization of a SAT at the top of the Bastille.
  • GEM Altigliss Challenge: the association’s main event; competitions, partner village, concerts, drinks…

The Sports Office

The Sports Office – Bureau Des Sports (BDS) in French organizes key events at GEM, such as the Derby Rhône-Alpes: a sporting confrontation with EM Lyon bringing together 900 students, the Montée de la Bastille: a day of integration through sport and its values, and the Kayathlon: a foot and kayak race. We also organize discounted ski trips, extreme sports outings and support sports teams in university competitions and the ESC Coupes de France. The Bureau Des Sports is above all 17 sports teams for over 30 sports.

Ici Commence l’Océan (I.C.O)

Ici Commence l’Océan (I.C.O) has been GEM’s sailing and water sports association since 1995.
Voted best sports association in France in 2021, it now has 50 members who share the same values: surpassing oneself and team spirit.
Their flagship events? The GEM Swimming Cup (GSC), France’s leading inter-student swimming competition, and the ESCale, a giant cruise under the Mediterranean sun.

In April, the entire association takes part in the Course Croisière Edhec (CCE) in the Sea Trophy (regattas) and Land Trophy (trail, triathlon).
Finally, throughout the year, ICO is sure to bring the sunshine back to the capital of the Alps with its many weekend events: Surftrip, Kayathlon, Cannoying, Sailing trips, Wakesurfing and much more…!

Professional associations

AMD Job Service

AMD Job Service, for Association de Marketing Direct, is an association that resembles an in-house temporary employment agency. Managed by a team of 50 students, its mission is twofold:
  • Enable Gem students to supplement their monthly income by carrying out a wide range of varied and challenging assignments.
  • Meet companies’ needs with quality recruitment and personalized follow-up.

Genius GEM

Genius GEM is Grenoble Ecole de Management’s entrepreneurship association. Ranked as the best innovative association in France in 2019, the association now has 50 members divided into different divisions with three main missions: to promote, support and connect the various players in the entrepreneurial world in the Grenoble area, but also nationally! A member of France’s leading confederation of student entrepreneurship associations since the end of 2022, Genius GEM is firmly rooted in the national entrepreneurial network, enabling it to develop its projects and create even more opportunities for students and entrepreneurs.
Projects :

  • Entrepreneurship Festival (conferences, round tables, meeting village, entrepreneurial competitions, etc.),
  • Services for startups (Labo cluster),
  • GET Talks, (interviews with project leaders)
  • Short- and medium-term support for project leaders (pre-incubation phase) (APP cluster)
  • Training (the art of the pitch, Photoshop, business plan/model, video editing, etc.)
  • Promoting social entrepreneurship (in collaboration with the Impact association).

GEM Junior Conseil

GEM Junior Conseil is the Junior Enterprise of Grenoble Ecole de Management. Akin to a consulting firm, GEM Junior Conseil supports SMEs, ETIs and major groups by advising them on their development issues, in all sectors. With 39 years’ experience, GEM Junior Conseil’s 27 consultants provide top-quality services to a wide range of clients, including L’Oréal, Schneider, the city of Grenoble, a government ministry and many others. Every year, GEM Junior Conseil carries out over sixty studies for its customers, generating sales of over €543,000! This places it among the top 5 Junior Entreprises in France in terms of sales activity. This year, the Junior-Entreprise celebrates its 40th anniversary, and aims to bring together its very active alumni network from Rotschild, Rolex, Societé Générale, Chanel, L’Oréal and many more!

GEM ONU

GEM ONU is GEM’s student association focusing on geopolitics, international relations and diplomacy. An association that works on prestigious events, and that maintains a year-round newspaper and YouTube page specializing in geopolitics.

We take part in and organize UN simulations (Madrid, London, New York) to develop our negotiating skills, relationships and diplomacy, all of which are essential if you want to work in an international environment in the future.
So join us if you want to fly to new horizons #UnitedWeStand

GEM Finance Society

GEM Finance Society is the finance association of Grenoble Ecole de Management. In 2018-2019, its activities unite 61 students of 18 different nationalities, around three major poles: market finance (via its investment club and the organization of a Trading competition), ethical finance (via micro-credit fundraising), and corporate finance. Keen to promote financial culture both inside and outside the school, the association regularly publishes analysis notes and takes part in numerous financial events (partner meetings in London, Luxembourg or Paris, networking evenings, conferences, etc.).

GEM Store

Created in 2011, the GEM Store is the official store of Grenoble Ecole de Management. It designs all GEM student’s goodies and also offers textile customization services as a Centrale d’Achats, and goodies thanks to its 2 3D printers. The GEM Store has become France’s 1st student purchasing center. Its sales staff are in contact with numerous suppliers, enabling them to offer a wide range of textile references and thus meet the multiple needs of its customers (associations, companies, preparatory classes, schools, universities, etc.). In short, the GEM Store is a highly professional association, enabling students to develop real skills!

Lovers of the table

Le Dahu

Le Dahu. Every year, the Le Dahu association publishes two guides (Le Dahu and Le Dahu des neiges) with a print run of 10,000 copies, which we distribute free of charge throughout the year in the Grenoble region and our partner ski resorts. Our project is simple: to highlight the best restaurants, bars and activities in Grenoble and 12 winter sports resorts, including L’Alpe d’Huez, Les Ménuires and Les Deux Alpes. The publication of these two guides is accompanied by two launches: the Dahu at Grenoble’s Jardin de Ville and the Dahu des Neiges at Alpe d’Huez with La Folie Douce.

Event associations

Le Gala

Le Gala is GEM’s events association. Every year, its 80 members work hard to bring their projects to fruition. Their initial project was to organize the graduation ceremony for the graduating classes, an event that brings together approximately 4,500 guests. With ceremonies, cocktails and a variety of artistic performances, the day is packed with highlights at Grenoble’s Palais des Sports.

The team also manages the Gala Agency: the junior events agency. Last but not least, the association is in charge of organizing GEM’s end-of-year ball and managing a yearbook.

Our aim is to anchor the GEM years in students’ memories, through prestigious and colourful events.

ESCapade

ESCapade is GEM’s promotion association.

It has 3 main functions:

  • The organization of the school’s orals during the eligibility period,
  • Management of a large part of GEM’s social networks (the whole of tiktok and more occasionally instagram) and
  • Promoting the school through ambassador missions.

In addition to these three missions, the association is involved in many other tasks: open days, parents’ day, and missions on the Paris campus. More recently, the association is planning a roadtrip to Morocco to promote GEM.

ESCapade also promotes the school, in collaboration with the BDS, through the supporters’ collective: the kop. It has a special relationship with our school’s administration, as well as with numerous partners. The association also organizes events for our students, such as the prom and two big ticket parties.

Enjeu

Enjeu has been GEM’s entertainment and game design association for over 30 years. The association participates in the life of the school by organizing numerous events throughout the year for GEM students: E-sport tournaments, Escape Games, Murder Parties and a Ticket Evening.

The association is also geared towards companies, for whom Enjeu’s members design Serious Games on requested themes to raise awareness or train employees.

In addition, Enjeu manages Oxygem, the GEM E-Sports team, which is recognized by the administration and represents the school in national competitions. The association also manages the GEM chess club, which organizes regular sessions and an end-of-year tournament.
Enjeu manages recruitment, training, registration and tournament travel for its two teams.
Enjeu is the fun way to learn about the world of business!

Millési’mets

Millési’mets is GEM’s culinary association. It is made up of different sections, so that all gourmets can find their place.

The gastronomy department produces a recipe book and organizes events to showcase its culinary talents (brunches, barbecues, etc.).

In oenology, tastings are organized both inside and outside the association, as well as oenological weekends in the estates. The cocktail/beer department is trained in mixology and makes its own cocktail: the Alchi’millé.

Last but not least, the service department. This highly professionalized unit offers buffets and handles the association’s events. Millési’mets also takes part in inter-school oenology and culinary competitions.

Communication associations

Planètes

Planètes  is the 1st student communications association in France (Aneo 2017).We are a communications and audiovisual association specializing in video , photography  and graphic design, operating in 5 poles:

 
  • La Komasso, which provides video coverage of all GEM association events, including the GAC, Derby and Gala.
  • Com entreprise, which handles professional contracts with outside companies, for example by producing ads, interviews or covering conferences.
  • La Com Photo, which covers all Gem’s associative events from a photo point of view, and produces some of the year’s projects, such as the calendar and yearbook.
  • Le Graph specializes in graphic design and animation, creating logos, posters, animations and even graphic charters for companies and associations.
  • The JT, which takes care of capturing the best moments of the GEM evenings, and then broadcasts them once in the auditorium. A word of advice: avoid the lights, or you might be surprised on the big day…

Every year, our 50 members are trained in the use of all Adobe software (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator…), as well as the equipment we have at our disposal (Canon cameras, drone, shooting equipment, Ronin…) to best meet the expectations of our customers (GEM, associations, TEDX…).

Everyone is welcome, whatever their skills and level in audiovisual, we’ll take care of the training. The main thing is to love creating, sharing emotions, and to be motivated and passionate about beautiful images!

The cultural associations

Zone Art

Created in 1990, Zone Art  is Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Bureau des Arts. With eight artistic poles and over 200 members, it is the first and largest BDA in France.

The association’s versatility is based on its various hubs, each of which specializes in a particular branch of art and culture: visual arts and fine arts (Artagem), fashion and luxury (Avant-garde), cinema (Frames), musical comedy (CoMu), general music (Jam’in), radio (Micro Ondes), electro music (Nymphony), classical and improvisational theater (Art’scénik), and last but not least, the Bureau is the branch of the Zone Art that coordinates these eight artistic branches.

Projects: By organizing over 100 events a year, bringing together spectators from all over the region, the Zone Art gives students an opportunity to explore all the arts.

 

GEM en débat

GEM en débat is GEMt’s student forum. It has some 60 members spread across the 8 divisions that make up our fine association.

Our aim is to promote debate on a range of political, economic, social and cultural topics through free events open to GEM students and the general public, especially Grenoble residents. Conferences, café-débats, a TEDx event, a satirical newspaper or participation in the national eloquence tournament… the plurality of our formats enables us to push personal reflection on current events and major contemporary issues ever further.

Aloha

Aloha is GEM’s international office. The association has two main objectives: the integration of international students and the promotion of different cultures among all GEM students.

In particular, Aloha organizes the Buddy Program, a sponsorship system between a French student and an international student, with a series of sharing and diversity events throughout the year. More generally, Aloha organizes events designed to forge links between students. In fact, it is the association that organizes the most SATs, including the biggest party of the year at GEM: the Woodstock, an exceptional open-air festival whose last edition drew over 1,300 people.

In short, it’s the combination of parties and diversity, as you’ll discover!

 

Committed associations

ImpAct

ImpAct is a student association at Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) that creates and promotes sustainable solutions to today’s environmental, social and economic issues.

We want to play our part in the effort to engage as many people as possible, to raise awareness, to promote action in favor of a global ecological and solidarity-based transition, to give visibility to sustainable approaches, to make sustainable alternatives accessible to as many people as possible, to help foster a more resilient collective consciousness.

We seek to develop concrete actions that bring about change, integrating new ways of thinking for a positive and lasting impact. Together, let’s take action!

Projects: furniture-making workshops using recycled materials, CSR consulting, ethical finance, awareness-raising among the very young, sale of fruit and vegetable baskets at school…

 

Savoir Oser la Solidarité

Savoir Oser la Solidarité is GEM’s humanitarian and solidarity association. Every year, it mobilizes 140 students in 10 projects: 5 local and 5 international. The local projects raise awareness and help the inhabitants of the Grenoble area, in particular disadvantaged children, pupils experiencing difficulties at school, overweight young people, the homeless and people suffering from respiratory illnesses.

The international projects involve building sustainable infrastructures and raising awareness of crucial issues such as education and contraception, over a 6-week period in all 4 corners of the world.

Throughout the year, SOS is also involved in various causes, such as breast cancer, with the Pink October campaign, and blood drives.