Destination Focus – Paris
“Ahhh Pahree” you whisper, as you swirl deep red Beaujolais in your crystal-clear wine glass, sitting in an old café on the cobbled streets of this magnificent old town, the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air as swarms of Parisians cycle past, ripping off chunks of hot, crusty baguette as they make their commute to work. The sun is shining as the morning dew rises, the sound of traffic gets lost amongst the surrounding canopy of beautiful birdsong, only to be broken as they scatter to the sound of the ringing church bells above. The city of light, the city of love, a city we love...and you should too.
A capital city steeped in history, dripping in art and doused in culture, beautiful architecture and incredible cuisine, Paris is right up there, trust us on that, I mean, who couldn’t love copious amounts of wonderful wine, served with warm fresh bread, delicious cheeses and cured meats all day - it’s basically heaven already. Outside of London, it must be the best city in the world, somewhere we love to go and will never tire of visiting, but it’s not just a great tourism hotspot, Paris offers excellent opportunities for staging events, with excellent infrastructure and transport links, plenty of affordable accommodation options and a vast array of venues, conference halls and exhibition spaces to match any other major metropolis, but Paris oozes an unmistakeable charm, and perhaps it’s a perfect choice for staging your next event?
It’s no secret, Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world, playing host to a wealth of super attractions, there are tons of famous landmarks and monuments, there are plenty of interesting museums, loads of public parks, gardens and open spaces, all of which add to this magical city’s charm and seductiveness. If art and culture isn’t your bag, how about shopping? With the Haussmann-Opera-Saint-Lazare, the historic centre of Paris retail, an entire city quarter dedicated to shopping therapy, and of course the Champs-Élysées, a (roughly) mile long avenue of high-end megastores and shopping boutiques, one of the world's most famous commercial streets.
Paris is a diverse city, sophisticated and hip at the same time, appealing to both the wealthy and those on a smaller budget too, with countless landmarks and monuments adding to the spacious boulevards and charming cafes. With a dynamic fashion scene, as well as a thriving art and music vibe, this city and the surrounding area is packed with things to do, so being bored is an impossibility here, but let’s look into what this amazing city has to offer with regards to hosting your event.
Paris is a both ancient and modern city, boasting incredible old buildings and state of the art modern sites too, catering to whatever size event you have in mind, so we assure you there is a venue to suit.
As an example, for a larger event of more than 2,000 people, we love ‘The Pavillon de Bercy, Musée des Arts Forains’, a cabinet of curiosity, a huge venue that can hold up to 4,000 people. Situated in an old wine warehouse, with stunning architecture and four large rooms, each themed differently with the style of funfairs and classic 1800/1900’s Paris theatre, including big outdoor spaces and crammed with authentic period features and curious objects, this venue is an attack on the senses, and even includes its very own indoor merry go round, a beautifully finished and very cool venue that’s sure to wow your invitees.
Or perhaps you are looking for something bigger? How about a modern masterpiece, constructed with cutting edge technology to portray a vast concrete ship floating on the river. With huge meeting spaces and a grand auditorium which can hold up to 6,800 people, this venue surely hits the mark! Boasting the biggest stage in France, with ultra-modern staging equipment ‘La Seine Musicale’ will surely be on your list if your financial budget is big enough.
There is also a wealth of smaller, though just as beautiful and special venues to hire should you wish your event to be more intimate. Take ‘The Maison de la Mutualité’ for example, situated in the Latin Quarter, this wonderful venue was built in 1930 in the art deco style, and will be a sure fire winner should you wish to entertain or host an event in style. Spread over three floors, this uniquely flexible space can be divided up to meet the requirements of your event, with a 220 m² stage, which can host up to 1,725 seated people, and is equipped with the latest technology in terms of sound, lighting and video projection, and an ingenious seating system enables the chairs to slide under the stage to free up 800 m² of space for receptions, gala dinners, and of course, your awesome Goho style party!
Smaller still, but no less remarkable, on the roof of the Pavillon 6 at Parc des Expositions, is the rapidly redeveloping Porte de Versailles district, ‘La Serre’ which provides a panoramic view of the biggest urban rooftop farm in Europe! Designed with a garden theme, this stunning rooftop venue, with its imposing glass structure, boasts a huge 500-metre terrace. The indoor area is stylish, light and airy, and big enough for events of up to 400 people, ideal say for a cocktail reception, or for up to double that number if coupled with the outside space, an iconic venue that provides a great space to create a memorable and incredible event.
Let's not beat about the bush, Paris offers many amazing huge venues, and literally hundreds of perfect smaller ones too, there is no shortage of cool bars, cafes and restaurants that can easily supply the vibe you are trying to achieve with your event. But why not push the boat out, literally? ‘Le Chalet des Iles’ is a charming, chalet-style restaurant located on an island in the lower lake of the Bois de Boulogne. To access this restaurant, you row boats or take the small ferry boat, which is available from the car park. Instantly romantic, your guests will make the final leg of the journey to your event by candlelit rowboat, - how cool is that! Or how about ‘Paris Clandestin’, previously the wine cellar of Louis XIV, but now part of a larger event venue that offers three distinct spaces, a lounge, a speakeasy, and a dance floor? A venue that’s perfect for smaller groups of up to 200 people, and the in-house catering will take care of the delicious French cuisine for you.
Paris is an absolute maze of event venues, and there is a site for every size and budget, with hundreds of world class hotels, all offering beautiful meeting and banquet spaces of all sizes, and, as we have covered, literally thousands of smaller but just as magical venues dotted around this enchanting and magnificent city. Along with an excellent (and beautiful) ‘Métropolitain’ underground rail network, Paris has world class venues, excellent cuisine, unique spaces, great transport links, and is only a short and cheap train ride from London, what more could you ask for? Wine, yes more wine! Paris really is one of the best cities in the world, and gets Goho’s stamp of approval for sure, in fact we’ll probably be heading there soon...
