Why Lille? 
 
Marie-Catherine Vidal, Lille’s Convention Bureau Manager
 
Did you know?
 
The French touch at the crossroads of European capitals: Brussels, Paris, London and Amsterdam! Lille and the European Metropolis of Lille is proud of its festive traditions and its gastronomy. European Capital of Culture in 2004 (nine million visitors), Lille is now a major holiday and business destination and an ideal setting for your professional events. The European Metropolis of Lille has the main meeting facilities: Lille Grand Palais, Resort Barrière Lille*****, la Cité des Echanges, le Stade Pierre Mauroy, Stade Vélodrome de Roubaix et Halls de la Filature. These facilities are completed by 28 hotels with meeting rooms and the outstanding venues. In terms of accommodation, the European Metropolis of Lille offers more than 8 000 bedrooms, 50% located in 3, 4 and 5 star hotels and within a maximum walking distance of 10 minutes from the main Convention Centre: Lille Grand Palais.
 
The European Metropolis of Lille is the perfect choice for your congress or corporate meeting or event, offering a huge range of venues, an accessible location ...
 
Lille's Convention bureau informs you and advises you on what the destination has to offer, guides you to the best service providers for the type of event you wish to organize, prepares and sends out a call for tender to the service providers who are members of Lille Convention Bureau. More especially within the scope of a congress, Lille’s Convention Bureau helps you in the application file or bid book and presents and supports the bid before the decision-making committee.
 
 
 
 
Why choose Lille?
 
+ Location and access: in the heart of four European Capitals: Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and London
+ 2 railway stations: Lille Flandres and Lille Europe in the very centre of the city
+ Meeting facilities in Lille and the European Metropolis of Lille. Conference & exhibitions centre: Lille Grand Palais, located in the city centre
+ Large choice of accommodation: + than 8 000 rooms, 3 five star hotels
+ A unique “Art de Vivre”
+ A change of scene guaranteed!
+ Development directly linked to the economic clusters in the European Metropolis of Lille
+ Culture for everyone, everywhere: Lille European Capital of Culture in 2004
 
 
 
 
How to get there:
 
By train:
 
2 railway stations: Lille Europe and Lille Flandres (Eurostar, TGV, Thalys, SNCB, TGV Lyria and Ouigo)
 
4 European Capitals:
Brussels: 34 minutes, 14 TGV & Eurostars / day
Paris: 60 minutes, 26 TGV / day
London: 80 minutes, 9 Eurostars / day
Amsterdam: 160 minutes, 2 Thalys / day
And Geneva: 4 hours 09
 
And linked to main cities in France:
Lyon: 2h52, 11 TGV / day
Rennes: 3h50, 4 TGV / day
Marseille: 4h30, 6 TGV / day
Bordeaux: 5h00, 6 TGV / day
Montpellier: 5h00, 5 TGV / day
Strasbourg: 3h20, 1 TGV / day + 4 via Roissy CDG Airport
 
By plane:
 
International Airport Lille Lesquin: It has more than 50 destinations
National: Ajaccio, Bastia, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Figari, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Strasbourg, Toulouse,…
International: Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Algeria, Portugal… (Air France, Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling, Jetairfly, Hop !, Aigle Azur, Air Algérie, Easyjet and XLAirways)
 
 
 
 
Business connections:
 
+ Higher education and specialist institutions in science, business, engineering and medicine, home to Europe’s largest university hospital centre
+ 15 headquarters of International groups (Bonduelle, Lesaffre, Auchan, 3 Suisses International…)
+ Six economic clusters and areas of international excellence in the region, including ICT, life sciences, high tech textiles and chemistry
+ The European Metropolis of Lille judged one of the greenest cities in Europe (Ernst & Young comparative study).
 
 
 
Where to stay:
 
There are more than 8 000 bedrooms in Lille.
 
Five star category: 250 bedrooms
Four star category: 1 874 bedrooms
Three star category: 3 105 bedrooms
 
 
Whom to contact?
Marie-Catherine Vidal / Lille’s Convention Bureau Manager
Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Lille - 59000 Lille – France
TEL: 00 33 3 59 57 94 23
Email: mc.vidal@lilletourism.com
w w w. lille-meeting. com