Effective Business Events Blog   •   April 2, 2017

The Best Event Destinations In Europe

There are some great destinations right across Europe and the rest of EMEA offering much to see and do whilst in conference or incentive mode. From diamonds in Amsterdam, to the beauty and history of Paris, Vienna and Rome. The glamour of Monaco and the lure of the sea in Barcelona, Lisbon and Athens. There is surely something for everyone among the diverse cultures and cities of Europe. So where are the best event destinations in Europe?

Northern Europe for the great Cities

In the north of the continent there is much to see and explore together with great hotels in which to stay and conference. Stockholm is a wonderful city, built on the water with some great sights such as the Vasa ship museum and the old town is beautiful. Stay and meet in some great Hotels such as the Grand www.grandhotel.se/en  but also the more modern Nobis  and for value on the waterfront.

Paris needs no introduction, a day spent simply walking up one side of the Seine and then back down the other is a joy in itself, add in a a boutique hotel such as Hotel de Sers www.hoteldesers-paris.com/  or luxury afforded by www.fourseasons.com/paris/ or perhaps a large meeting in the Intercontinental by the famous Opera. Paris has it all and is especially easy to get to via train.

Prague is another city well served by the airlines and perfect for a short stay, with the flatter squares and Jewish quarter on one side of the river, and the Castle district on the other. There is another good Intercontinental for meetings here www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/prague/prgha/hoteldetail   as well as a Four Seasons. Budapest is laid out in the same way, with even more hotel choice such as the Kempinski Sofitel and Ritz Carlton all well situated for exploring the city on foot, meetings, incentives and events in the centre or perhaps cruising on the Danube.

Munich needs no introduction at the heart of Europe in so many ways and famous for it’s Bierfest or Oktoberfest www.oktoberfest.de/en/  which somehow starts in September?!!

Vienna is perhaps it’s more beautiful neighbour. The architecture and buildings are stunning here. The city is small enough to walk around the Ring and enjoy the history www.hofburg-wien.at/en/ , the culture, the music and the cakes especially the Sacher Torte . Often forgotten Vienna is a winner. www.austria.info/uk/where-to-go/cities/vienna

Southern Europe for the food and the weather

Who would not want to stay in Monaco for 4 days whether on a Corporate Retreat or on Incentive? The yachts in the harbour, the Beach club, Casino square and the Hotel de Paris or Hermitage www.hotelhermitagemontecarlo.com/  all famous in their own right, add in some wonderful restaurants, a cruise to Villefranche or a stay at Le Meridien www.lemeridienmontecarlo.com/  during Grand prix week, it’s perfect for all occasions. Don’t discount Cannes it’s glamourous neighbour either, you just turn left out of Nice airport rather than right, that’s all. There’s a great range of Hotels to choose from all along the boulevard Croisette, the Majestic Barriere may be the best.

Barcelona and Lisbon offer much Iberian culture and wonderful food, tapas lunches and designer dinners in uber cool Barcelona restaurants ca.disfrutarbarcelona.com/  and Hotels such as the new www.w-barcelona.com/ . Gartner www.gartner.com/events/emea/barcelona-symposium hold huge IT and Comms events here every year as do IBTM www.ibtmworld.com/about/ .

Lisbon can delight with competitive pricing, golf www.penhalonga.com/en and sailing as well as the Fado traditional dance to entertain. The sun shines most of the time or at least it seems that way at both, the Estoril Palace is our pick www.palacioestorilhotel.com/.

Rome is just magnificent, with the Coliseum and Vatican lending huge presence. The famous sights and sounds always delight, it is a truly wonderful city with some great hotels www.westinrome.com/  and a foodie paradise. Athens is a great value destination, especially just outside the City centre at Divani Apollon divaniapollonhotel.com/en/. For smaller groups you might want to try one of the islands….

…Talking of Islands

Ibiza, Majorca, Cyprus and Crete should all be worthy of consideration for smaller groups and Tenerife, with it’s whale watching, volcano visits and golf courses is another strong contender. The Grand Melia resort is absolutely stunning and has the largest swimming pool in Europe www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/tenerife/gran-melia-palacio-de-isora/index.html

So there’s your next 15 years of Corporate retreats, EMEA conferences or Incentive travel rewards sorted out!! And we haven’t even mentioned Dubai the Middle East and Africa….next time!

We know where the best conference venues and meeting venues are in Europe another benefit of using an event management company.

What’s your best event destinations in Europe?