Despite Mr Sarkozy's tough talk on crime and immigration, the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen remains a threat (although he has yet to secure the 500 signatures needed to appear on the ballot paper).
The event, which runs Sunday through Tuesday at the Le Centre Sheraton, is expected to draw more than 500 people involved with the precious-metals business.
In a statement earlier, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that 3, 700 French troops were engaged in Operation Serval, 2, 500 of them on Malian soil.