How well do you think you know Florence?

A Renaissance but smart city altogether
Listed as a UNESCO heritage site, Florence is the cradle of Renaissance. Not only it capitalizes on its past history but also thinks about and invests on its future. Florence is a smart city: its “green" transport network includes electric buses, trams and cycle tracks which makes the city easy to get around. Thanks to an extensive municipal wireless WI-FI system, it also offers advanced technological services both to its citizens and tourists.

Easy access
In 2017 Florence will boast a new renovated airport, connecting the city with direct flights to and from international and worldwide destinations. It will become the third airport hub in Italy thanks to the recent merging with the airport of Pisa. Florence provides unbeatable value being located in the heart of Italy: at the centre of a fast train network, it is connected to Rome or Milan in one hour and a half.

Florence Convention Bureau’s 20th Anniversary
Florence Convention Bureau (FCB) is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015. In the last five years, it has come from strength to strength, registering a remarkable increase in the number of associate partners (which currently amounts to 165) and winning pivotal events and international congresses such as the International World Wide Web Conference that will take place in May 2015. Thanks to its institutional relationships FCB offers fabulous sites for welcome cocktails, such as the Palazzo Vecchio with its Salone Dei 500, one of the biggest municipal conference rooms in Italy.

The Firenze Fiera Congress Citadel
Firenze Fiera manages the three Florentine congress and fair venues: Palazzo dei Congressi, Palazzo degli Affari and Fortezza da Basso located in the heart of the city’s historical centre. The three venues can be seen as a “congress citadel” accommodating MICE events from 10 up to 10,000 participants. The Palazzo dei Congressi boasts a 1000-seats auditorium connected to an area of 920 sqm. Its other meeting rooms can host 50, 80 or 200 people. Palazzo degli Affari, a modern, multi-purpose building of 4,000 sqm, can host any kind of event and a total of 1,800 people. The 16th-century, monumental Fortezza da Basso is the ideal location for large conferences, with 100,000 sqm, more than a half of which covered.

Up-to-date technology
The new wireless WI-FI system covers the whole congress area with 200 access points. Delegates have the possibility to download two official apps, one created by Firenze Fiera, and the other by Florence Convention Bureau, both providing extensive information about events or the hosting of events in Florence. FCB also offers a congress card helping the delegates during their stay with specific offers and discounted rates at restaurants, boutiques, museums, etc.

The Florence Congress Booking System
Gathering the majority of the city’s hotels, it is the first website entirely dedicated to hotel bookings for congresses, fairs and other events. The system’s reserved area can be accessed during the event’s dates and offers discounted rates of at least 5% compared to the Best Available Rate from other websites. Delegates can select the best prices with convenient cancellation policies and customized services. This way associations and PCOs will not risk losing individual online bookings anymore.

www.florencecongressbooking.com
www.conventionbureau.it
www.firenzefiera.it