Prestigious places: Parisian heritage in celebration

By opting for the French capital, organisers seek to give meaning to their event, while giving it a unique, refined and original feel. But be careful: flashy and bling-bling are a no-no," says Christine Gouvion Saint-Cyr, General Secretary of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Customers organising an event in Paris for the first time will spontaneously choose an emblematic venue: the Château de Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, Fouquet's, Maxim's, the Grand Palais or the Ritz... Faced with this type of demand, the great national monuments have now also adapted to host professional events. "For a dozen of our sites, we have developed Prestige tours, a product specially formatted for companies. The package includes a private visit outside public opening hours with, depending on the time of day, a breakfast or a glass of champagne accompanied by mignardises".says Sylvie Vial, Head of the State Resources Development Department.

In Paris, breakfast can be held at the top of the Arc de Triomphe - with or without a speaker - while the Panthéon can be reserved for private parties in the mornings and evenings. On the Ile de la Cité, the Conciergerie is perfectly suited to gala evenings for up to 600 people. Its neighbour, the Sainte-Chapelle, probably the most beautiful church in Paris, is only suitable for breakfasts of no more than 25 guests. In the evening, this Gothic jewel hosts concerts...

In the immediate vicinity of Paris, two other national properties are also ideal for VIP events: the Château de Vincennes, which boasts the highest dungeon in Europe, and, on a completely different note, the Villa Savoye in Poissy. Designed by Le Corbusier, the latter can be fully privatised. Also close to the capital, the Château de Versailles, which is not part of the Monuments Nationaux but symbolises the France of the Enlightenment, allows some of its areas to be privatised, with or without guided tours. Gala dinners, cocktails, concerts, water games, fireworks, country picnics... the options are endless!

The lights of the city
Another national symbol, the Eiffel Tower also welcomes groups in its 300 square metre Gustave Eiffel reception room or in one of its two restaurants. On the second floor, the Jules Verne offers gourmet meals 125 metres above Paris. All supervised by another national monument, Alain Ducasse. On the first floor, 58 Tour Eiffel organises lunches for up to 280 people in a chic picnic atmosphere, with dishes laid out in wicker baskets. In the evening, the restaurant transforms into a brasserie for dinners of up to 190 guests, served to a background of lounge music in a subdued atmosphere.

The atmosphere is just as cosy in the legendary Maxim's restaurant, where history, culture and gastronomy blend harmoniously. Groups are welcomed in the midst of an astonishing Art Nouveau collection by Majorelle, Gallé and Tiffany, as well as works by Toulouse-Lautrec. The setting lends itself to all kinds of events: shows, dinners, cocktails, dance evenings, business meals, product launches... Another of these prestigious addresses, Restaurant Laurent, on avenue Gabriel, is ideal for gala evenings or business lunches for up to 60 covers. This establishment, where Michelin-starred Alain Pégouret officiates, has five lounges with picture windows overlooking the gardens of the Champs-Élysées. Some have terraces and balconies.

1-Private visits and smaller events can be held at the Villa Savoye, a national monument built in Poissy by Le Corbusier in the late 1920s.
2-First demonstration in ParisThe Eiffel Tower, the symbol of the French capital around the world, is one example.
3, 4, 5-Whether they are organised at the ConciergerieFrom the medieval vestige of the ancient kings of France, to the gilded panelling of the Opéra Garnier, to the 1900 glass roof of the Grand Palais, events are given an extra dimension by the historical content of these prestigious venues.

For larger events, but still organised in a renowned venue, the Eurosites group offers a variety of spaces, such as the Hôtel Particulier, in the 9th arrondissement, or the Salle Wagram, close to the Arc de Triomphe. For cocktail parties, these two venues can accommodate 150 people and 1,300 guests respectively. "The Salle Wagram, a listed historic monument, has been completely renovated. In fact, it retains its original decor while boasting state-of-the-art technical equipment".says Alain Mollé, Sales Director. As for the Hôtel Particulier, behind its Second Empire façade, the 2,000 square metre space features a succession of small lounges where a skilful combination of noble and natural materials - marble, iron, wood and glass - reigns supreme.

Museums, galleries and Parisian chic
When companies first set up in Paris, they are initially tempted to organise their event in one of the city's most emblematic monuments. However, when they return to the French capital, they want to retain their 'prestige' image and get off the beaten track. To meet this demand, many sites open their doors to them exceptionally. Museums, art galleries, haute couture ateliers... Foreign companies, fond of the French art of living, particularly appreciate the decor and bourgeois atmosphere of private mansions.

This is the case at the Hôtel d'Évreux, with its Salle des Tirages featuring high windows, a glass ceiling set with a sculpted frieze and lounges opening onto the famous Place Vendôme. It can accommodate up to 350 people for a cocktail party and 275 for a conference. In a different style, but just as popular, is 24 place des Vosges. This seventeenth-century private mansion, still inhabited and renovated like a Buddha Bar, offers receptions surrounded by works of art, with the added bonus of an uninterrupted view over the old Place des Vosges. "Place Royale sometimes even in the presence of its guests. For larger events, the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, is a perfect alternative. It has 3,900 square metres available for private hire, as well as a huge park on the very spot where the President of the Republic, Paul Doumer, was shot dead in 1932.

Places with a strong cultural connotation are also very popular with organisers, with museums at the top of the list. Orsay and the Louvre, for example, offer private tours and open the doors of some of their rooms for receptions. There are even packages available in partnership with Yachts de Paris and the Art en Thèmes agency for cruises. "Museums along the river. The service includes a private yacht with a cruise on the Seine, a stopover at a museum of your choice with a tour guide, followed by a gourmet dinner on board. The Jacquemart-André museum is unique in that it offers lunches and evenings for up to 500 guests in the heart of its private collections. With furniture by Carpentier, works by Fragonard, David, Rembrandt and Van Dyck, Italian sculptures from the 15th and 16th centuries, tapestries and precious oriental objects! The only requirement is that the museum hosts around a hundred events a year, so bookings must be made well in advance.

1-Old hunting lodge Restored by Hitorff during the redevelopment of the Champs-Élysées under Napoleon III, Restaurant Laurent is a true institution of French gastronomy, hosting fine dinners and business lunches in its lounges.
2, 3-The Panthéon like the Château de Vincennes have opened up to hosting events. Recent recognition of the event potential of major national monuments.
4 Completely renovated after the fire at the Théâtre de l'EmpireThe Salle Wagram has been restored to its former role as a venue for events and festivities since the Second Empire.
5-True myths of photography and portraiture the Harcourt studio also immortalised professional meetings.

In a different style - but what a style! -The Baccarat gallery-museum, housed in Marie-Laure de Noailles's former town house, can be entirely rented out. With its boutique, its gallery-museum and its Cristal Room restaurant, nearly 3,000 square metres of completely magical space are dedicated to luxury and French savoir-faire. Of course, customers can book only the restaurant, where Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin officiates. In this case, around forty guests can be invited, as the hotel as a whole can accommodate 300 people for a cocktail party or 90 for dinner.

For even more prestigious events, companies can even treat themselves to the Opéra Garnier or the Opéra Bastille, as Pascal Riu, head of the corporate department of the Association pour le rayonnement de l'opéranational de Paris (AROP), points out. "Our packages start with an invitation for two with a glass of champagne at the reception followed by a performance, and go all the way up to full privatisation of the opera house, with or without a performance... But in that case, you have to book a year in advance! " Companies that are members of the AROP club can opt for a package that includes a performance accompanied by an intermission cocktail and dinner. For small groups of around thirty people, backstage tours of the Garnier or Bastille operas are also available. And since this summer, the Opéra Garnier has had its own restaurant, designed by a great name in architecture, Odile Decq: the Opéra Restaurant. Located in the "glacier rotunda - In red and white tones, the 788 square metre establishment is divided into three areas: the dining room, the Martini bar-lounge and the lamezzanine. It has a capacity of 180 covers, or 200 including the terrace. For the moment, full privatisation is not accepted, but should be possible during 2012.

Macaroons and precious furniture
Ladurée, on the Champs-Élysées, is a temple to gourmet delights, with a number of small salons on the first floor decorated with precious furniture, and antique marble and friezes from the Napoleon III period on the ground floor. The entire complex can be booked for 100 people or more, and up to 180 guests. As an extension of the establishment, companies can also organise an event in the astonishing Ladurée Bar, 140 square metres left to the imagination of decorator Roxane Rodriguez. The result is a curious blend of the dreamlike and the naturalistic, with chrysalis-shaped stools, an eighteenth-century four-poster bed gilded in fine gold, honeycombed stained-glass windows with butterflies fluttering about, and a central bar made of glass resin that can seat 33 guests.

For organisers in search of originality, Paris has plenty of other surprises in store. Starting with Le Cercle. Located in the 2nd arrondissement, this super-cosy club with its English decor is perfect for cocktail parties of up to 150 people or dinners for 60. Just as innovative is Showcase, located under the arches of the Alexandre III bridge, a stone's throw from the esplanade des Invalides. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this totally atypical venue is now one of the most emblematic addresses on the Paris nightlife scene. It comprises a single 1,800 square metre modular space with a 64 square metre stage. It can accommodate up to 1,500 people for a cocktail reception or gala dinner.

Originality is not lacking either in designer Philippe Model's stunning flat on Place du Marché Saint-Honoré. Groups are welcomed for a variety of VIP events, including dinners, cocktails, fashion shows and press presentations, in a clever jumble of revisited period furniture and heterogeneous objects."We regularly organise very upmarket evenings here for executives who already know a good number of classic addresses and who want to discover a prestigious, offbeat venue. In this chic and elegant setting, guests are taken on a whimsical journey!"says Stephan Leyshon, artistic director of Madgicprod.

1-Bunuel, Man Ray and Giacometti In their day, many of the world's most famous figures frequented this private mansion, where Marie-Laure de Noailles enjoyed throwing sumptuous parties. Now the Baccarat Gallery-Museum, it is the perfect venue for prestigious events amidst the collections of the famous crystal manufacturer.
2-Stunning baroque loft in the former Frigos buildingThe Parisian pied-à-terre of photographer and decorator Paolo Calia can accommodate up to 150 people for a cocktail reception.
3-Hot spot for Parisian nightlifeThe Showcase club is making its dance floor available to organisers. For festive evenings in a unique setting, under the vaults of the Alexandre III bridge.

This agency specialises in events featuring magic and special effects in prestigious settings, and has other extraordinary venues in its address book. For events that are out of the ordinary while retaining a classic spirit, Madgicprod offers a prestigious hotel residence, La Réserve, located at the Trocadéro. Its ten private flats, ranging in size from 130 to 300 square metres, offer breathtaking views of the Eiffel Tower. In the same spirit, the famous Harcourt studio uses all its talent to light breakfasts, lunches and dinners for up to 100 guests, with the option of offering guests an unforgettable souvenir portrait. We also offer guided tours and photo workshops. But if you're a real fan of the unusual and chic, you'll want to visit the studio of artist photographer, painter and decorator Paolo Calia. This former assistant to Fellini welcomes visitors to his 300 square metre baroque loft in the former refrigerated warehouses of the 13th arrondissement. Swinging between Venetian and Oriental inspirations, the whole place is absolutely crazy! Real chic and real shock for events destined to leave a lasting impression. And, of course, it works every time.