Organising a Seminar or Incentive in Lyon

Anyone planning a seminar in Lyon starts with an advantage: it is a serious business city that also knows how to receive guests. It lies about two hours from Paris by TGV, is linked directly to many European cities, and has an international airport at Saint-Exupéry connected to the centre by a dedicated tram. For a company with participants arriving from several countries, the city is easy to reach and easy to leave.

The setting is also coherent. Two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône, frame a peninsula of elegant squares and Renaissance streets. The historic district was listed by UNESCO in 1998, and the table is taken seriously at every level, from the family bouchon to the grand dining rooms. This identity gives a programme a natural narrative without any need for artifice.

The city has a deep offer of business and luxury hotels. The InterContinental Lyon Hôtel-Dieu occupies the historic Grand Hôtel-Dieu, a former hospital on the banks of the Rhône, and brings the character of a monumental building to a modern hotel. The Sofitel Lyon Bellecour is central, close to Place Bellecour, while the Cour des Loges combines several Renaissance buildings in the old town and is better suited to boutique groups. Villa Florentine, on the Fourvière hill, offers views over the city and a quieter atmosphere for executive meetings.

For larger gatherings, the Lyon Convention Centre and Eurexpo handle conventions and trade events, and hotels in the Cité Internationale district, such as the Crowne Plaza and the Lyon Marriott, are practical for groups that want to remain near the centre. Capacities and configurations should always be checked with each venue at the time of the request.

Lyon is often described as the capital of French gastronomy, and the argument is easier to make here than elsewhere. The covered market named after Paul Bocuse, the traditional bouchons and the city's culinary schools offer many ways to turn the table into an activity rather than a simple dinner.

Formats that suit corporate groups include:

• A cooking workshop led by a chef, with teams preparing a regional menu that they then share.
• A guided market visit followed by a lunch built from the products discovered that morning.
• A dinner in a bouchon, with a simple menu and a convivial atmosphere that encourages conversation.
• A tasting of Beaujolais and northern Rhône wines, either in town or in the vineyards a short drive away.

The new International City of Gastronomy, installed in the former Hôtel-Dieu, adds a cultural dimension to these programmes and is worth considering for a group with a particular interest in food.

Lyon rewards a walking group. The traboules, covered passages that cross courtyards and connect streets, are a feature of the old town and of the Croix-Rousse hill, and a guided evening through them can finish at a restaurant or a private courtyard. The Roman theatres on Fourvière, the basilica and the Musée des Confluences at the tip of the peninsula show the range of the city, from antiquity to contemporary architecture.

The rivers can be used for a private cruise, which offers a calm evening for a welcome drink or a farewell dinner. For a longer incentive, a stay combining Lyon with the Rhône valley, its vineyards and its river towns gives participants a broader view of the region.

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is warm and lively, with long evenings that suit outdoor cocktails. Around 8 December, the Festival of Lights transforms the city with installations on façades and in public squares. It is an extraordinary time to visit, but hotel rooms are heavily requested and prices rise, so groups should reserve many months ahead if they wish to be there. The same caution applies to the major trade fairs held at Eurexpo, which can fill the hotels of the city on certain dates.

A practical point: Lyon's best tables are small. For a group of more than thirty, a private room or a privatised venue is usually necessary, and the choice of restaurant should be made early. We suggest alternating one memorable dinner with simpler evenings so that the group is not overwhelmed by rich food over several days.