“Monaco Unexpected” played host to 21 agency clients at a weekend away in the Cotswolds at the Fish Hotel on the Farncombe Estate, the meetings and incentive travel news site meetpie reports. The weekend was hosted by Stephan Degueurce-Roberge, managing director at Monaco Tourist Authority and his team made up of regional sales manager Rebecca Petit-Jean and executive assistant Noemi Guy.
Agencies attending included Ashfield Meetings & Events, CL Venues, Pure events, Banks Sadler, Advantage Meetings & Events , Principal Global events, Active consultancy , Grass roots Meetings & Events and American Express meetings & events.
Managing director Stephan Degueurce-Roberge said: “We are extremely pleased at how the event went. We received amazing clients’ feedback and we are already working on two enquiries.”
The first evening started with a gin-tasting, followed by an extensive rural food buffet. Saturday morning began with individual meetings, followed by a gardening activity where the agencies had to make a creative aromatic garden.
The task was set up to demonstrate that Monaco is one of the most sustainable countries in the world, with the Principality Monaco launching a new project, “Terre de Monaco” that consists of cultivating gardens and vegetables, as well as beehives at hotels or on private rooftops . The production is then distributed in restaurants or at the Condamine Market, the famous local fruit and vegetable market in Monaco.
The activity was followed by a picnic. After lunch, clients were put into different teams to compete against each other in four activities taking place in four districts of Monaco. “Fontvieille” – creation of a Cocktail, “La Condamine”– blind tasting of Monaco local products, “Monaco Ville” – a game of pétanque and “Monte-Carlo” – a festival-themed activity.
Martina Aberle from CL Venues said: “I absolutely loved the hotel and the location, and I found out so much more about Monaco that I would have [done] in a ‘normal’ presentation at a workshop or an exhibition – it was really a wonderful way to bond and bring us all together. Monaco is now definitely on my radar and I also hope to be able to come and visit soon, and will definitely keep it in mind when clients come through with suitable briefs.”
Monaco Partners who attended were Laura Guerin from the Columbus Monte-Carlo, Sabrina Caputo from Lafayette Travel, Julie Caprini from the Grimaldi Forum, Juliette Cairo from Monte-Carlo SBM and Camille Trenda from the Fairmont Monte Carlo.