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| Venice: new conference facility under construction at the Lido |
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Famous for its canals, noble residences and the islands of its Lagoon, Venice is one of the world’s most sought-after conference destinations, boasting top hotels and facilities. Now the island of Lido is home to an outstanding project: the new Palazzo del Cinema e dei Congressi, a purpose-built venue scheduled to open in 2011.
 
Venice attracted 20 million tourists in 2007 alone. These hordes are both its delight and despair, because they are mostly day-trippers who jeopardise the beauty of this fragile city. Conversely, culture and meetings are considered major attractions for quality tourism. Countless projects have been devised to capitalise on these assets. On the cultural front, these include the reopening to the public in 2006 of Palazzo Grassi, a museum and art exhibitions venue, following a facelift designed by Tadao Ando. The Japanese architect has also undertaken the conversion of Punta Dogana, the 15th-century building opposite Saint Mark’s Square, which will be transformed into a centre of contemporary art, scheduled for completion in 2009.
On the meetings front, work has begun on the building of the new Palazzo del Cinema e dei Congressi, which will host the famous international festival as well as meetings and conferences. The new building, also called “the stone” because it is completely covered in glass mosaic work in shades of earth, sand and gold, will be located next to the current Palazzo del Cinema, and will have a 2,400-seat main hall (and a total of 3,300 seats divided into ten rooms) and a large 3,700 sqm covered “square”. The venue, requiring an investment of EUR 73 million, will be managed by Venice Convention, which already runs the current Palazzo del Cinema, Palagalileo and Palazzo del Casinò, the three integrated conference facilities on the Lido.
Venice is also an inexhaustible source of inspiration for events: for an immediate experience of the bond that it enjoys with water, what better than private boats waiting for guests as soon as they reach the airport. Water is the way to travel all over the lagoon, with hundreds of islands that can be reached by bragozzo, the traditional flat-bottomed sailboat used by fishermen and traders. Crafts and history interweave in visits to the islands of Murano (famous for its master glassblowers) and Burano (renowned for its lace). Not to mention the other islands: Torcello, with its magical Byzantine atmospheres; Le Vignole with its luxuriant vegetation; Sant’Erasmo, the kitchen garden of Venice since ancient times; and mystical San Francesco, inhabited only by ten Franciscan monks.
The VeneziaMarcoPolo association offers programmes inspired by a different Venice: itineraries roaming the alleys or “calli”, museums, theatres, typical nooks and private palazzos, sharing themes like art, legends and mysteries, landscapes, culture, music and lots more besides. The association also offers weekend courses dedicated to ancient Venetian traditions, like printing and pottery, partnered by local craftsmen.
Fun in Venice is the key for the DMC Iantra, which has conceived activities that include a Treasure Hunt Amidst “Calli” and “Campielli”, in other words a team game with quiz questions, a map and a camera, evolving along predefined itineraries, offering an alternative system for discovering the city. Then there is Gondolier for the Day, a real gondolier training course, with rowing trials in the lagoon and a diploma at the end, taught by Venetian oarsmen. Or guests can be an Artist for the Day, studying and applying the techniques of papier maché mask decoration, hosted by one of Venice’s most famous mask workshops. |
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 Front row seats on the canal
Venice has almost 4,000 guestrooms in 4 and 5-star hotels, most located in some of the most fascinating buildings anywhere in the world for history, architecture, lavish furnishings and canal vistas. For years they have been authentic icons on the Venetian hotel scenario, many also used by meeting and event organizers because they offer opulent salons and specialist services: the Westin Excelsior Lido, for example, in a Moorish building on the Lido; the Gritti Palace Hotel, a conversion of the 16th-century palazzo that once belonged to Doge Andrea Gritti; the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, with meeting areas derived from Venice’s first casino and a haunt of Casanova’s in the 17th century; the famous Hotel Danieli, located in the 14th-century Palazzo Dandolo and which, from this year until 2010, will undergo refurbishments to the tune of EUR 45 million, but guests are assured there will be no inconvenience.
The range of hotels has increased, with some exceptional additions: the 19th-century Molino Stucky opened in 2007 on the Giudecca island flying the Hilton flag, and is now the biggest conference hotel in the city. Then there is Ca’ Sagredo, also opened in 2007: far smaller but with unmatched charm, this hotel-museum is located in a 15th -century palazzo overlooking the Grand Canal and displays masterpieces by famous Venetian painters on the premises. The Hotelphilosophy group opened its Palazzo Barbarigo City Hotel – a Design Hotels member – in the 16th-century building of the same name, conceived in a neo-Déco style. The most recent opening is the Una Hotel Venezia, the result of a refurbishment of 15th century Palazzo Benedetti: in the truest of Venetian tradition the effect is a triumph of stuccos, baroque fabrics, precious finishes and Murano chandeliers. |
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 Carnival all year round
The world-famous Venice Carnival could become infinite. CCI, the Venetian festival and event organizer, which also produces shows and performances, and sells and rents costumes, makes Carnival magic possible all year round. There are two themes: bespoke organisation of exclusive parties in aristocratic mansions and supply of a huge choice of masks and fancy dress for participants. In fact, CCI works with the Atelier Tiepolo, considered Venice’s smartest costume-maker and offering a collection of 400 top-quality outfits, on hire or on sale for balls and theatre-going.
For corporate groups CCI offers a selection of evening events or a full programme lasting several days: a theatrical performance with masks, singers, live orchestra and the narrating voice of Casanova, hosted in the Hotel Monaco & Gran Canal foyer; a Carnival ball organised in the sumptuous gothic salons of Palazzo Pisani Moretta, on the Grand Canal; a costumed dinner accompanied by the notes of a minuet in the exclusive setting of the Casino di Commercio overlooking St Mark’s Square; a baroque concert in the Scuola Grande dei Carmini 17th-century building; a period dinner, with dancing and surprises, in Palazzo Ca’ Zenobio; not to mention hot chocolate in costume, at the Caffè Lavena, Wagner’s favourite; a gondola tour of the canals; chance encounters with Carnival characters in Venice’s alleys and tiny squares; even the chance to choose a different costume every day, assisted by an image consultant, depending on the theme of the celebrations and on personal tastes.
January 2009 |
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