Events integrated with the host city.
Italy is fabled for its beauty, and “Venice is the pearl of Italy. When the gaze falls on these marble palaces, on these bridges, on these churches, on this stupendous lacework of columns, balconies and windows, you can understand why we all come here” as Hippolyte Taine once wrote. The vast majority of foreign visitors fully agree with the opinion of the French critic and historian… which is why we weren’t in the least surprised when the EFCLIN president chose precisely Venice as the venue for the federation’s annual congress.
A city of art that has remained unchanged over the centuries, and with a vast offer of cultural attractions, Venice also has modern and efficient facilities that make it one of the most important Italian and international conference destinations.
With over 320 participants from all over the world, what was the best way for us to ensure that they could all live a true “all-Venetian” experience?
It has been said that conferences are often “all work and no play”, but the days in which delegates lived these events in isolation from the host city are long gone. Today’s delegates prefer to enjoy their conference destination directly, choosing it not only for the quality and efficiency they so obviously need, but above all for its cultural and touristic attractions, so that they take home with them not only professional knowledge updates and social interactions with colleagues, but also the experience of having explored the conference venue more intimately.
In our preliminary discussions with our client, we learnt that the theme chosen for the congress was “In the Footsteps of Marco Polo”, and this naturally meant that participants had to be inspired by Venice’s historic links with trade and the exchange of ideas.
Thanks also to the enormous attractions of the city’s vast historical and cultural heritage, it was not difficult to think of ways to make the gala dinner held during the congress a unique and memorable experience.
The venue chosen reflected the city’s art, with its central hall paved in Venetian mosaics, and we brought it to life with talented actors, singers and musicians who successfully transported the event back in time over the centuries.
For the entire evening, the masked guests interacted with Pulcinella, Harlequin, Pantalone and a host of other commedia dell’arte characters, living a Venetian dream together.
Want to see some photos from the event? You can find them here
