Meeting News - March 9, 2009 - (Page P17)

Destination the Bordeaux region produces one of the world’s most popular wines, where touring the vineyards and wine tastings are a must. Farther north, Normandy’s importance during World War II continues to draw American groups, while inland are the chateaux of the Loire Valley, ideal for a daytrip from Paris or as an unusual setting for a special event. No doubt about it, Paris hotels are among the world’s most elegant. Consider, for example, the 18th-century Hotel de Crillon, former mansion of the Count de Crillon right on the Place de la Concorde, with stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, the Obelisk of Luxor, and the Louvre. Or the Hotel Lutecia, which still retains its Art Deco feel (the hotel was the first Art Deco hotel in all of Paris). Smack dab in the literary and artistic center of France, the hotel has been home away from home for such celebs as artists Matisse and Picasso, writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and the celebrated dancer Josephine Baker. While Paris hotels can claim their own celebrated meeting sites, it’s also easier than ever for planners to organize off-site meetings and events now that Viparis markets 10 of the city’s prime meeting and event sites. A sampling of spaces includes those in envious historic locations such as the Carrousel du Louvre, a natural for prestigious events given its locale in the heart of the Louvre Museum, or the Espace Grande Arche, with its central location at the foot of the Grande Arche at La Paris Diary Europe Defense, as well as large-scale meeting venues, such as CNIT Paris La Defense, with three amphitheaters and 36 meeting rooms for up to 540, and full-out exhibition halls like the Paris Porte de Versailles, site of more than 200 annual exhibitions in its eight exhibit halls. When it comes to special events, just about all the notable and historic sites in Paris can make some accommodation for groups— consider a dinner among the world’s finest sculpture at the Louvre, cocktails in the incomparable Eiffel Tower, a wine tasting at the Wine Museum, housed in the former cellars of a monastery, a fashion show and luncheon at a fine Paris department store, such as Le Printemps or Galeries Lafayette. And new venues mean that groups can be among the first to experience one-of-a-kind highlights like Pavillon Cambon, the newest venue of the caterer Potel & Chabot, with reception space for 1,000, a 371-person auditorium, and three meeting rooms; or La Cour du Marais, a former private 17th-century mansion with a paved courtyard for dinners as well as elegant dining/meeting rooms and a vaulted stone cellar for wine tastings. I Successful Meetings/MeetingNews/Incentive / MARCH 2009 17 http://convention.parisinfo.com http://www.parisinfo.com http://www.parisinfo.com

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Meeting News - March 9, 2009

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