From Intimate Gatherings to Grand Celebrations – Find Your Perfect Venue
What Makes a Large Celebration?
Large celebrations have a magic of their own, as they often bring together more than 100 guests, which means logistics like staging, catering teams and professional planning come into play. And yet, the goal of creating unforgettable moments while keeping the experience effortless for guests remains the same as for smaller celebrations. Examples of large-scale celebrations include:
- Business-related: annual general meetings, corporate anniversaries, gala dinners, award ceremonies, product launches, industry conferences, trade shows, after-parties, and charity fundraisers are common business-related events.
- Personal events: weddings, destination weddings, reunions, cultural festivals or seasonal balls, alumni galas, concert-style private parties, and city or community celebrations such as New Year’s Eve are classic examples of personal events.
From Intimate Gatherings to Grand Celebrations – Find Your Perfect Venue
Celebrations are the milestones that honour both our personal and professional journeys.
They remind us to pause, reflect, and rejoice. Some of these occasions are large and magnificent, others small and intimate, but all deserve the same thought and attention.
Large celebrations have a magic of their own, as they often bring together more than 100 guests, which means logistics like staging, catering teams and professional planning come into play. And yet, the goal of creating unforgettable moments while keeping the experience effortless for guests remains the same as for smaller celebrations. Examples of large-scale celebrations include:
- Business-related: annual general meetings, corporate anniversaries, gala dinners, award ceremonies, product launches, industry conferences, trade shows, after-parties, and charity fundraisers are common business-related events.
- Personal events: weddings, destination weddings, reunions, cultural festivals or seasonal balls, alumni galas, concert-style private parties, and city or community celebrations such as New Year’s Eve are classic examples of personal events.
What About Small Celebrations?
Small celebrations thrive on intimacy. They will often have less than 50 attendees and they focus more on personal connections than on the formality of grand-scale events. What matters most is the atmosphere – aiming for warmth, privacy, and attention to detail. Examples of small-scale celebrations include:
- Business-related: executive board dinners, client appreciation events, leadership off-sites, team holiday dinners or office Christmas parties, farewell parties, product reveals, press launches, department milestones, and networking cocktails.
- Personal events: family reunions, milestone birthdays, engagement parties, graduation celebrations, baby showers and retirement dinners.
Choice of Venue – What Matters Most?
The choice of course depends on what kind of celebration you are planning but the key elements to consider are the guest count, budget, the atmosphere you want to create, and the objectives of the event.
It also comes down to the experience you want to create. Small events create intimacy, where you can speak to everyone in the room and build lasting personal connections. Large events provide energy and spectacle, leaving guests with the shared excitement of being part of something bigger. Ultimately, it’s the purpose behind your event and the atmosphere you want your guests to feel that will guide the right choice.
For smaller celebrations:
In Berlin, Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin shows how a smaller celebration can still feel impressive. Its flexible meeting rooms and cosy dining spaces work beautifully for intimate dinners, small workshops or family reunions with the buzz of Germany’s capital just outside for guests to explore.
In Munich, Pullman Munich offers flexible event spaces to fit smaller or larger groups and is well-suited for team dinners, off-site workshops, or milestone celebrations. The hotel’s relaxed yet modern style, keeps the focus where it needs to be: on your guests. Located just steps from the English Garden, Munich’s cultural landmarks, beer gardens and café life, can all be enjoyed with ease.
For larger celebrations:
In Paris, Pullman Paris Montparnasse is a flagship hotel for large events – and for good reason. With three entire floors dedicated to event spaces, the hotel offers expansive, flexible spaces suited to conferences, product launches and gala dinners. High-tech facilities, modern designs and the Skybar rooftop overlooking the city are only a few features of the hotel, which undoubtedly add a variety of options for events to seriously impress, all in the vibrant heart of Paris.
In Bordeaux, the Mercure Bordeaux Château Chartrons offers a versatile setting for gatherings of every size. Its 11 naturally lit meeting rooms and spacious atrium can host everything from strategy sessions to celebratory dinners. Between meetings, guests can relax in the garden, enjoy local cuisine beneath the glass roof, or try the hotel’s A320 flight simulator – a memorable team experience in the heart of the Chartrons district.
In Monaco, the Fairmont Monte Carlo adds Riviera glamour to every occasion. Overlooking the Mediterranean and steps from the Casino, it offers refined spaces for meetings, dinners and celebrations, including the Grand Salon – a 15,607 sq ft ballroom that can host up to 1,500 guests or even large-scale car launches. Guests can unwind by the rooftop pool, indulge at Nobu Monte Carlo, or recharge at the Spa for a moment of calm between events.
And in Amsterdam, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam brings history to life. Once a royal residence, it now hosts large weddings, diplomatic receptions, and gala evenings in its elegant halls, set among the peaceful canals in the heart of the city.
Tips for Planning Any Celebration
Whether you’re hosting 20 guests or 200, the essentials for a great event remain the same:
- Match the venue to the mood. Daylight-filled boardrooms can feel warm, inspiring, and personal, while glittering ballrooms create that razzle-dazzle effect. Taking time to match the venue with your event’s purpose helps to set the right tone from the moment guests arrive.
- Stay closely connected with the hotel team. This ensures everything needed for your event runs smoothly, from audio-visual support to floral design. Their experience often sparks ideas you might not have even considered.
- Make food part of the memory. A menu full of local, seasonal flavours or a lavish, full banquet can transform the mealtime into a core highlight of the event. Thoughtful presentation or storytelling behind the food, adds another layer of refinement and delight to any event.
- Prioritise technology and comfort. Guests feel the difference when seemingly obvious things such as Wi-Fi, sound and seating simply work. Paying attention to these essentials lets everyone focus fully on the celebration, with nothing getting in the way of the experience you’ve planned.
- Consider sustainability. Many of our hotels have eco-certifications such as “Green Key”, focusing on energy, water, and community impact. From food waste reduction initiatives to plant-based menus and locally sourced ingredients, we always try to integrate responsible practices.
Your Celebration, Our Expertise
Our event teams at Accor are here to help navigate the best choice of venue for your celebration. We listen, translate ideas into possibilities, and guide you towards the right space for your event. We know that success in organising events comes from matching the idea and personality of the celebration with a venue that elevates it, turning the occasion into something unforgettable.
Whether it’s a small executive dinner in London, a birthday celebration in Madrid or a product launch in Marrakesh, our portfolio offers spaces that feel custom-made for the occasion. Large or small, every event is treated with the same care, creativity and professionalism.
Explore MyALLMeeting and find the hotel, the team and the expertise that will bring your next celebration to life – creating not just an event, but an experience your guests will remember.