Fun and games

Renowned for its prowess in hosting international events across a spectrum of sectors, Paris is an established beacon of innovation.

Its blend of prestige, top-tier hotel capacity, outstanding infrastructure, and a perpetual spirit of rejuvenation means that events get on average 20 per cent more participation when held in Paris.

And the City of Light can expect an influx of visitors like never before when it stages one of the biggest events on the planet next year, the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

I recently got a sneak preview of what event organisers can expect from the Games when I attended a Rugby World Cup game at the Stade de France in September.

We arrived in Paris by Eurostar, which as well as providing sleek service and exemplary business class options, also offers exclusive coach hire and branding opportunities for group travel. In addition, Eurostar’s merger this year with Thalys means there is now one single rail network connecting France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK, always good to know.

The hospitality experience at the Stade de France is slick on a grand scale, catering for up to 12,000 guests at once yet still retaining that exclusive feel, as well as high standards of food and drinks before, during and after the game.

The day after the match we enjoyed a mini cruise on the Seine, a chic and sustainable way to show Paris off to your delegates. Green River Cruises offers group trips on board its new 100 per cent electric boats, allowing relaxing vibes and breathtaking views of the city, whether it’s breakfast with coffee and a croissant or cocktails at sundown.

Fancy something more hi-octane? Retro Tour will whisk your delegates by motorcycle around the city’s top landmarks. Kitted out in vintage garb, the tour guides look the part and know their stuff too, imparting wisdom from atop their trusty steeds. Hurtling around the Arc de Triomphe in a sidecar, the wind in your hair, a knowledgeable and friendly guide at your side; it’s a truly memorable – and social media-friendly - way to see the sights.

For big events and exhibitions, it’s hard to look past the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, just 15 minutes from the Eiffel Tower. Boasting more than 210,000 sqm of exhibition space across seven pavilions, it’s biggest single room is a vast 51,000 sqm alongside a 5,200 capacity convention centre.

A pair of recently-opened properties have boosted the site even further, a 205-room Mama Shelter hotel with a trendy, modern feel, and a 245-room Novotel (where I stayed), which is sleek and comfortable. Le Perchoir, the site’s rooftop bar and restaurant, is a welcome addition, bringing a spot of that famed Parisian chic to proceedings.

One of Paris’s premier exhibition spaces, the Grand Palais, has been undergoing significant renovation works since 2021, with the stunning 10,000 sqm Temporary Grand Palais, located at the base of the Eiffel Tower, serving as a more than adequate replacement while the original is out of action. The latter’s environmental credentials are bolstered by its wooden frame and the fact that it will also serve as an Olympic site, hosting the judo, wrestling, wheelchair rugby and para judo competitions. Grab a slice of the action while you can though, as the Temporary Grand Palais closes in 2024.

The refurbished Grand Palais will open in time to host the Olympic fencing and taekwondo, before reopening to the public in the spring of 2025.

The Grand Palais project is the perfect example of how Paris is always innovative when it comes to event products and venues. It also embraces major urban projects designed to make it easier to welcome visitors, from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

For example, since Paris was awarded the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, the city has committed 125 million euros to make itself more accessible. While some are frustrated that accessibility efforts will not target the city's most frequented public transport, the metro, up to 200 shuttle buses and 1,000 taxis will be accessible to wheelchair users by the time the Games kicks off.

“The strong values of resilience, responsibility, accessibility, and inclusivity define the visitor experience, and these indispensable aspects are a subject of constant work and improvement for the Paris destination,” says Corinne Menegaux, managing director of Paris je t’aime, the tourist office for the French capital.

“During the Olympic Games, Parisian event venues will inevitably be in high demand, as it will be an exceptional period, but it will still be possible to organise events during this period. It will be the opportunity for event managers to offer a unique/once in a lifetime experience to clients or guests.

The tourist board, alongside the City of Paris, has created the bienVenue2024 platform, its goal being to connect venues with event professionals for the organisation of events during the Games and other sporting events – like the Rugby World Cup. Some venues on the platform are open to events for the first time.  In addition, an official Paris 2024 hospitality platform, On Location, is offering packages including tickets, travel services, accommodation, gastronomic and cultural experiences.

“We hope that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will help us promote Paris as a leading destination for major events, that it will show to the world its modernity, its hospitality spirit but also its expertise in hosting big international events,” adds Menegaux. “Hopefully it will also highlight lesser-known districts to visitors and allow to discover all the richness of the Greater Paris territory, which will gain more momentum.