They chose La Cité…
1st EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting - 3rd - 9th October, 2011 / 1,535 delegates
« As it was a pilot project for the two organisations, there were a couple of issues. It was somewhat difficult because it was the first time to have a joint meeting. Americans prefer plenary sessions, whereas Europeans prefer parallel sessions, so we were a little bit worried. We had to arrange to have a compromised facility, and flexibility was needed at all levels. On this matter, La Cité Nantes Events Center and the planners were marvellous.”
“We got many positive reviews. We organised a big banquet for the scientists and got the 12-meter high elephant to accompany the participants to dinner. This huge elephant walked with us along the harbour! It's something the participants will never forget. Jim Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters emailed me to say he would certainly be willing to come back for another joint meeting.”
Olivier Grasset, local host and Deputy Director of the Laboratory of Planetology and Geodynamics - University of Nantes.
« It was a wonderful experience and a great pleasure for us to be in Nantes and work with you. The excellent support during the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 was absolutely outstanding.
The meeting would not have been such a great success without the excellent services delivered by La Cité.
In case you are not aware of the numbers yet: we had 1535 participants (!!!) from 42 different countries (first top three countries were the United States, France and Germany) and this does not even include the Press & Media people.
I have also recommended La Cité here in our company for future upcoming meetings. We will of course consider La Cité in case we are looking for a venue that can host a meeting exceeding 1000 participants. Usually, the decision about a venue is taken by the Scientific board and is not taken by us but we can of course recommend convention centres. However, we would definitely be delighted to return to Nantes. »
Mario Ebel, Conference Manager – Copernicus (Göttingen Germany)
22nd conference of the European Association for International Education – EAIE - September 2010 / 3,650 delegates
“The decision to hold the conference in Nantes came down to the huge support behind the bid from the 19 Grandes Ecoles of the region. Due to the nature of our conference, it is crucial that the EAIE Conference is supported by higher education institutions. Activities such as the Information day visits rely on this close link. Our staff experienced great service and attention by the staff of La Cité. They were extremely professional and organised and almost always reacted within minutes to urgent problems and requests. Unlike many other conference centres, they were very flexible and showed this when faced with challenges and solving problems. Their helpful, professional and English-speaking staff is definitely La Cité main strength. The layout of the building and the location of the Grande Halle (where we set up our Exhibition) relative to the session rooms provided great traffic for the exhibitors. The various foyers (large and small) facilitated networking as well.”
Lisa MacPherson - Conference Manager, European Association for International Education. Conference sponsored by the "Grandes Ecoles des Pays de la Loire".
5th national meeting on tourism and outdoor sports and activities - May 2010 / 750 delegates
La Cité was chosen as the venue of the 5th national meeting on tourism and outdoor sports and activities thanks to its capacity to support the organizers, the Loire-Atlantique departmental council and the Pays de la Loire regional council, in their eco-design approach.
We were particularly attracted by La Cité's strong standing in the application of event engineering to the ecodesign of the event.
The chronological and methodological approach designed to help the organizer in the preparation of the event with a dedicated eco-consultant, persuaded us to select this venue.
While showing great respect for the purpose and the objectives of the event, La Cité also prompted some reorientations or proposed changes, in a spirit of constant dialogue with the organizers. In particular, La Cité was able to identify service providers in the region, who are eco-responsible or who have adopted their own environmental initiatives.
Thanks to its committed, creative, available and attentive staff, La Cité offered the right response to all our expectations in terms of ecological good practice.
The 5th national meeting on tourism and outdoor sports and activities innovated by adopting an approach based on sustainable development and meeting the growing expectations of its public and its partners.
Jean-Luc Chesneau - Director of sports, youth and popular education - Loire-Atlantique departmental council.
Amnesty France Congress - March 2010 / 750 delegates
"The Amnesty France congress organized by the regional groups on 12-13-14 March 2010 at La Cité Nantes Events Center met with numerous very positive reactions. The rooms, with their modular capacity, are set in a pleasant environment. The different possible configurations, which allowed us to showcase Abbas Bani Hassan's Wall of Human Rights, were much appreciated. The technical staff was always at hand to help us organize round tables, which were open to the local population, in an atmosphere conducive to listening and dialogue with the delegates, who gave an enthusiatic reception to the presentations made by our international guests. The good coordination between the stage masters also contributed to the success of the Dogora concert. Finally, our main contact was present and available at all times throughout the event, a fact that allowed us to concentrate on our essential business."
Roland Borgniat - Coordinator of the local team in charge of the congress.
3rd International Forum on Maritime and Port Risk Prevention (MaRisk) - October 2009 / 350 delegates
"In October 2009, we organized the 3rd International Forum on Maritime and Port Risk Prevention at La Cité. This high-ranking event, promoted by the the Port Atlantique Nantes Saint-Nazaire authority and the National Merchant Navy School in Nantes, has become a must for French- and English-speaking decision-makers in the maritime and port sector. In 2009, it was attended by 350 participants from 30 countries. Round tables and conferences chaired by international experts were held during the 2-day event. The congress also included an exhibition, which was a platform for exchanges, networking and business.
We received excellent support from all the staff at La Cité throughout the preparation of the forum and during the event. They gave us a lot of advice on the layout and the use of the available space and always provided us with clear and prompt technical information required to set up and execute the operations. We also found the facilities at La Cité to be welcoming and functional thanks to their variety and modularity. They can be ideally adapted to events of all shapes and sizes.
And I must say a word or two about Nantes. A welcoming place that offers visitors the right balance between its peacefully provincial character and its dynamic, international attitude. Thank you La Cité for this pleasant experience and for the contribution you made to our event's success! And I'll see you again soon at the 4th MaRisk, which will take place in September 2011!"
Bruna Bertolini - Accounts Manager - MCI France (PCO), in charge of the event, sponsored by the Port Atlantique Nantes Saint Nazaire authority and the National Merchant Navy School.
Nantes ICCA International Workshop a resounding success! - april 09
"For me this is the most efficient way of doing business. Truly a one stop shop, with very good possibilities of networking and doing business. Last but not least the meetings are of high quality!"
Quote from a participating member
15 members and 15 clients attended the recent Sector Venues Client/Supplier Business Workshop for decision makers and influencers of international conferences. The quality of the clients was very high and all participating members felt that it was a good investment of their time and money.
Participants at the Nantes Workshop at the Les Machines de Lile
The Workshop took place in Nantes, France from 2-4 April and was hosted by La Cité Nantes Events Center Nantes – Métropole. Carolin Marboeuf and her colleagues were superb hosts and took great care to make every participant feel welcomed. The networking evening began "On top of the Elephant" at the "Machines le l'Ile" which was a unique location and participants were given a tour and explanation of all the different machines as well as the opportunity to participate in the demonstrations which was very entertaining!
The Workshop the following day gave all the members the opportunity to meet and discuss with each client their conference requirements and whether there was a possibility to host their international conference. After the Workshop both members and clients participated in separate debriefing sessions and then returned to the hotel before the evenings networking and farewell dinner.
The Friday evenings networking reception took place on a boat while participants were taken along the beautiful river Erdre to the magnificent "Chateau de la Poterie" where they enjoyed a very special farewell dinner. The whole programme was thoroughly entertaining and the culinary exquisite. ICCA would like to say a huge thank you to Carolin and her colleagues for their tremendous hard work and hospitality, they did a great job!
Claire Jackson, Project Manager Membership Services
ICCA, International Congress and Convention Association
3rd Congress of the European Society of ColoProctology - ESCP - September 2008 / 600 delegates
"All of the European organizers and the delegates from near and far expressed their complete satisfaction with the quality of service.
The event, which welcomed almost 600 coloproctology surgeons and specialists from all over the world for 4 days, was managed to perfection by La Cité. The configuration of La Cité was perfectly suited to an international event of this kind and the center was compared with other convention centres in Geneva, Lisbon or Bologna, which hosted the congress in the past. The comfort of the facilities, which were all located in the same place, was also highlighted: a large conference room, workshops and an exhibition hall that was very popular with both sponsors and participants, who were able to meet and talk in a welcoming setting.
La Cité was also chosen for its attractive prices and suitable location, a fact that was confirmed during the event itself. Nantes was perceived as a welcoming and lively city that many of the participants were happy to discover for the first time. We organized a very fine gala evening at the Nantes Museum of Fine Arts. It was a great success, much to everyone's satisfaction!"
Professor Lehur - Nantes University Hospital - September 2008, sponsor of the congress, which was organized by Integrity International Events LTD.
La Folle Journée de Nantes - French annual classical music festival Since 1995 / over 128,000 tickets issued each year
"Would "La Folle Journée" exist without La Cité?
Probably, but certainly not on the scale that has made this festival exemplary. The talent of the festival's designer, René Martin, could have been expressed at another time and in another place, but political will was necessary for the adventure to take place. And this will was provided by Jean-Marc Ayrault in 1994, when he tasked La Cité with producing the festival. So the magic trio came into being. The format imagined by René on the basis of the architectural configuration of the building, with its covered alleyway, the Great Hall, which leads to the concert halls, the central square with its kiosk, a forum where the audiences' paths cross and where the public can meet the artists, and, of course, the Great Auditorium, with its outstanding acoustic qualities, had found the perfect setting to become a reality. The rest was pure magic. La Cité quickly distinguished itself through the skills of its technical, administrative, communications and management teams. All of the teams at La Cité do their jobs with that extra bit of soul that has made La Folle Journée one of the great international popular festivals of classical music since 1995."
Michèle Guillossou - Managing Director, SAEM La Folle Journée
