MEETING & INCENTIVE EVENTS IN VENICE

Made up of 118 islands in the northern Adriatic Sea, Venice. The principal sites in Venice are located on the island city of Venice (Centro Storico) and for that reason this island is an absolute honeypot for visitors. Out of peak season and with cruise ships now banished to more distant ports, the crowds are entirely manageable, and the city is alive throughout the year.

The popularity points to the allure of Venice as a meeting or incentive destination - specifically, that there are few, if any, locations in the world with comparable concentrations of culture and history as Venice. Those enjoying a 2 or 3-day event programme will spend their time feasting on the culture & atmosphere and visiting sites by foot or water.

Venice is an island which is packed with many of the world’s most famous monuments. One of the most Instagrammed locations on the planet, the island is pure eye-candy. Yet whilst the Rialto or San Marco draw the crowds, every corner of this stunning landscape offers a treasure – ateliers are found next to local bars, restaurants neighbour with museums. 

Venice is entirely car-free, everything is moved by water from people to cranes and groceries. Water taxis, ferries and gondolas ply every metre of waterfront in Venice. Even the airport transfer is unique & magical – step out of the terminal and onto a water taxi, skimming across the lagoon as the Venice skyline looms larger & larger until docking at a central hotel.

For those looking to experience more than the central sites of Venice city, Murano is a magical island reached by water and hosts the world-famous glass industry that goes by the same name. Tours can be arranged and there are several wonderful sites to explore and venues to host events within Murano, including in the workshops.

Avoiding the huge visitor numbers of Venice, Murano is popular all the same, with visitors drawn to the historic glass foundries, producing the finest glass in the world. People also come for the canal-side shopping and entertainment, open squares, and views onto Venice – Murano is a magical place to explore.

Lido is an island to the south of Venice, which acts as a barrier between the Adriatic and the Venetian Lagoon. A spit of land that created the lagoon, Lido looks one way onto Adriatic and the other onto the lagoon. Lido is connected by regular ferries from the main island and events can utilise Lido as a base for accommodation or else as an activity or meeting venue from Venice.

Lido is home for many Venetians, giving it a very different feel to the well-trodden streets of Venice city. This is an island of grand villas and money, a place of coastal bike trails and cars. Electric buses are exclusively used on the excellent local transport network that runs north to south.

Lido is long and thin, and fringed by beaches on the east coast, and a lagoon waterfront on the west coast – visitors are never far from the water. The beach resort of the Venetian islands, Lido has an upmarket, feel to it with a casino and some excellent hotels. The central area around Santa Maria Elisabetta has shopping, entertainment, and gorgeous villas.

Host of the Venice Film Festival, Lido is the centre of world cinema each August / September, adding serious style to the island (and wider Venice), as the celebrities move around the lagoon. As an event backdrop, Lido isn’t as dripping in history as Venice, but rather has serious Italian beach style.

Restaurants are the cornerstone of evening entertainment in Venice. The vibrant nightlife of Venice often begins on a restaurant terrace, enjoying fine cuisine and wonderful regional wines. From the waterfront to the side streets of Venice, there are endless options for dining on magical terraces.

Venice streets are as vibrant during the evening as the day, offering a wonderful atmosphere for group events. There are exquisite, historic venues to meet and enjoy a Prosecco in, but Venetians also keep it simple with clusters of wine-drinkers gravitating around historic landmarks – street wine Venice-style.

Protected from development, Venice is forced to adapt its entertainment to the existing built environment. For bars that means either outdoor terraces, or wonderful, intimate bars amongst the labyrinth of streets. Sunset cruises are another way to enjoy a drink amongst the splendour of the Venetian backdrop.

The nightlife highlight of the Venetian calendar is the Carnevale di Venezia or Venice Carnival, a world-famous gathering of boats, costumes, and dazzling venues, with masks providing an anonymity that has captivated these occasions for centuries.