Marseille has 2,600 years of fascinating history, the charm of a picturesque landscape and an idyllic climate to add to a long list of reasons why this is a great meetings destination.
ibtm world attendees will have the opportunity to discover more about the city whose popularity soared in 2013 when Marseille-Provence was named the European Capital of Culture. The city of Marseille has been working hard for the last fifteen years to make it the Mediterranean’s top business tourism destination. Over €660 million has been invested in several sectors in recent years to help Marseille find its rightful place among the great Euro-Mediterranean metropolises.
Not only is it easily accessible from most European capitals including London, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Madrid and Brussels, but there are also direct flights to New York and Toronto in the summer.
Following the 2013 award as the European Capital of Culture, Marseille has attracted the best architects to become a modern and exciting city. The Old Port was entirely redesigned by the Norman Foster architectural firm. The pedestrian zone has given this fabulous site the status it deserves in Marseille’s urban setting and added an ultra modern edge to a 2600 year old site.
Visitors can stroll from the Old Port to MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) and witness Marseille’s metamorphosis for themselves. The J4 esplanade, is now devoted to culture and is home to the magnificent space that is the 17th century Fort Saint-Jean refurbished by Roland Carta and linked by the now famous bridge to MuCEM, the glass cube covered in mesh by architect Rudy Ricciotti.
The J4 esplanade is also home to the Villa Méditerranée and its funny cantilever structure, the Musée Regards de Provence and the Voûtes de la Major teeming with shops and restaurants under the watchful eye of the Nouvelle Major Cathedral. Just steps away, the Terrasses du Port shopping centre overlooks the Mediterranean. All these sites are available for private hire. The Silo, a former silo for storing grain, has been transformed into a 2000-seater auditorium with a function room. These superb buildings, which we owe to today’s greatest architects, now stand tall together on the urban landscape.
Les Calanques National Nature Park is an XXL playground for outdoor sports and is ideal for team building and corporate activities: diving, kayaking, regattas, hikes, boat rallies and more.
When it comes to organising seminars, conventions and corporate events in Marseille, nothing beats the experience and expertise of the Marseille Congrès Convention Bureau team, your single contact. Over the years they have built a team of more than 80 professionals who strive to ensure each event is unique and unforgettable.
To find out more about this fascinating city, visit www.marseille-congres.com