As the global UNESCO leader with 50 World Heritage Sites, Italy is the ultimate showcase of art, culture and antiquity.
Protected icons include Venice; the historic centers of Rome, Florence and Siena; and Milan’s 15th century Church of Santa Maria dell Grazie, home to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Breathless, too, is the count of overall historical and cultural sites, including 40,000 forts and castles, and 5,600 museums and archaeological sites.
With peerless cuisine and wine, carefree living—and an inveterate passion for romance, cinema and high drama—is fundamental to the Italian way. To meet here is to be inspired, even transformed.
After dissolving the short-lived National Convention Bureau in 2012, Italy’s MICE industry is seeking its own renaissance after introducing the new Convention Bureau Italia last summer.
Described as a “historic milestone” by Carlotta Ferrari, president of the Rome-based bureau (and director of the Florence Convention Bureau), the privately run organization will promote Italy internationally and lift the country in the global rankings. As North American corporate, association and incentive delegates have long known, the experience is unforgettable.
“Numerous international airports; modern infrastructure including high-speed rail; state-of-the-art meeting facilities; and breathtaking scenery make Italy the perfect destination for conferences, events and incentives,” says Eugenio Magnani, North American director for the Italian National Tourist Board. “From the Dolomites to the depths of the Mediterranean, Italy offers thousands of memories to create.”
From high-end corporate programs in its major cities to retreats and incentives in its regional centers, Italy is a bella figura (beautiful figure) for groups.
Meetings Maestros
As the saying goes, “all roads lead to Rome,” the modern metropolis that beguiles the senses with monumental reminders of its past as seat of an ancient global empire.
To stroll through the ancient Forum, contemplate the engineering (and notoriety) of the Coliseum, look up in St. Peter’s Basilica or engage in any of Rome’s myriad other marvels is to lose oneself entirely—the essence of travel. When in Italy’s capital for a meeting, event or incentive, the spell only deepens.
Serving as a filming location for the latest 007 adventure Spectre (starring famed Italian actress Monica Belluci), Rome offers blockbuster venues such as the legendary Cinecitta Studios. Created by Benito Mussolini in 1937, “Hollywood on the Tiber” famously produced Ben-Hur (1959), Cleopatra (1963) and more recently, Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York. The permanent sets and sound stages are available for events, creating dream stages for corporate groups.
Spectacular, too, is Auditorium Parco della Musica, one of the world’s largest multifunctional complexes. Hosting some 1,200 cultural events and 300-plus business events each year, the venue’s allure includes a 6th century Roman villa and a preeminent collection of musical instruments.
Steps from Vatican City, Auditorium Conciliazione offers four versatile venues, including space for up to 1,763 people in the Sala Grande. Dating to 1471, the magnificent Capitoline Museums offers private tours and exclusive events for up to 300 attendees.
Leading group properties include the Visconti Palace Hotel, with rooftop event space, and atop the Spanish Steps, legendary Hotel Hassler and its Michelin-starred Imago restaurant.
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Principal center of prosperous northern Lombardy, Milan is a world capital of finance and haute couture, with Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace all headquartered here.
With its fashion shows attracting global attention, Milan is also a conference and tradeshow magnet. Key venues include Milano Congressi (MiCo), Europe’s largest convention center, with space for up to 18,000 delegates, and the sprawling Fieramilanocity and Fieramilano exhibition and trade fair complex on the city’s outskirts.
From May to October, Expo Milano 2015’s World Fair-themed “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” show will showcase tradition and innovation in food from some 140 participating countries, with 20 million visitors expected from around the world.
Hotel Principe di Savoia Milano (1927) and Grand Hotel et de Milan (1863) are historic choices for meetings and events, while signature attractions include La Scala Opera House; the towering Il Duomo; and the Quadrilatero d’Oro (“Golden Triangle”) retail district, home to the stunning Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II mall.
The capital of Tuscany and “Cradle of the Renaissance,” Florence is forever enchanting. The city’s tourism infrastructure bolsters its MICE appeal with plentiful hotels and signature attractions that include the Uffizi Gallery, Medici Chapels, Boboli Gardens and Il Duomo. Plus, there are Michelangelo’s David sculptures, the original in the Galleria dell’Accademia and its replica in Piazza della Signoria, overlooked by the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio.
Three distinctive venues form the Firenze Fiera Congress & Exhibition Center, including the 16th century Fortezza da Basso, which recently hosted BTC, Italy’s MICE show.
Group activities include private rowing instruction along the Arno River and excursions to Tuscan and Umbrian gems like Pisa, Siena, Gubbio and San Gimignano.
Supporting Pillars
Regional destinations include surprising Sicily. With its own convention bureau, this legendary island, the largest in the Mediterranean and home to Mount Etna, is its own open-air museum of antiquity. Catania and Palermo are the primary group bases, along with Agrigento, famed for its hilltop Greek temples, and fairytale Taormina, founded in 743 BC.
Opened last month in magical Venice, the 266-room JW Marriott Venice Resort and Spa offers 11,000 square feet of meeting space, plus a rooftop pool and Wine & Cooking academy. Major event venues include the museum-auditorium trio of Palazzo Grassi, Punta della Dogana and the Teatrino, and the multivenue Venice Convention Center, home of the Venice Film Festival.
Other MICE destinations include Turin, offering the Lingotto Conference & Exhibition Centre; Bologna and its Nuovo Polo Congressuale for large conferences and events; and emerging locales such as Naples, Genoa, Bari and Padua.
Longtime Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman's favorite memory of Italy? Climbing Stromboli at dusk as the volcano, north of Sicily in the Aoelian Islands and active since ancient times, thunderously shot lava and rocks into the sky.
