Corporate events & special interests

One of La Verrière’s specialities is its ability to accommodate professional offsite strategy meetings, leadership seminars and corporate retreats. Hidden away amongst the sweeping Provencal landscape, you can get away from everything, allowing you to focus without unwanted interruption.

In a working world of hyper distraction, the best ideas and most powerful innovations come from taking time and space from the day-to-day demands to come together with the colleagues and clients who matter most.

Why you should choose La Verrière for your professional retreat

La Verrière blurs the lines between work and play. Here you have the opportunity to mix creative games, energising entertainment, fine wine and five-star food, with training, learning and development courses; senior management and team building; wine education and small conferences.

Your host, Nicole, spent many years as Director of Programmes in the think tank world, working with top CEOs, Ministers, professionals and thought leaders to enable top ideas and new, inspiring content to be created.

The aim of Nicole and her team, therefore, is to offer you a springboard for discussions of substance; to furnish you with a confidential setting in which you can engage with professional peers or clients. Equally, she and her team simply want you to have a good time.

For any successful business, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Which is why a custom plan of bespoke group activities - such as adult quests, treasure hunts, and themed team building exercises - can be created by the on-site specialists.

Top executives also benefit from the vineyard backdrop and the chance to partake in a number of wine-related team activities, such as competitive wine blending or getting involved in the harvest. Elements of the world-renowned Chêne Bleu Extreme Wine course are adaptable to the needs and interests of your corporate group, if needed.

Previous client case studies

[The following information is top secret, so keep it to yourself:] European royalty, Middle Eastern royalty, Fortune 500 company tycoons, senior world politicians, and global celebrities have all enjoyed La Verrière’s unique set of circumstances (whilst preserving their anonymity, of course!)

One particular custom-made programme that La Verrière hosted in recent years was for a team of top executives from Google. They briefed Nicole to provide them with a challenging offsite weekend so that they could think outside the box, in an environment where they could brainstorm and create.

Disruption was the key to success.

Taking inspiration from La Verrière’s Medieval location, guests were given knight’s costumes upon arrival, complete with swords and shields. The outdoor kitchen was transformed into King Arthur’s forest and activities were themed around the Knights of the Round Table transforming the outdoor kitchen into King Arthur’s forest.

Two of the top Chêne Bleu wines made at La Verrière are named after the famous Medieval lovers, Pierre Abélard and Héloïse d'Argenteuil, both great disruptive thinkers of their time. Likewise, the Google executives were told to take advantage of this ancient setting; to aim higher and further with their collective thinking; and to leave with big ideas that would make the world a better place. As with almost every stay at La Verrière, there were also a few surprises along the way (sharing is spoiling, though).

A Tour de France-themed birthday meal prepared for an avid cyclist; a 1960s party which transformed La Verrière into the Age of Aquarius headquarters of Woodstock on the Rhone, advocating wine, not war; a top-ranked US College seeking advice from its international board of trustees, and a technology company putting their fancy phones aside and donning monk tunics as a reminder of how, since the middle ages, people here survived on their skill and wit, not electricity or the internet, to solve problems...these are just a few examples of events we have enjoyed hosting.

La Verrière has also been the stage for:

Discussion of research findings
Agenda-setting for key international events
Culinary demonstrations
Strategic planning and annual stakeholder meetings
Charity and association board meetings
International politics and policy forums
Academic and cultural exchanges
Executive incentives and awards
Board of Director meetings
Brainstorming retreats
Wine industry events and tastings
Focused symposiums
Client entertainment
Weddings

Rooms, Spaces and Function Areas

When hosting your event at La Verrière, there are several meeting, training, and conferences spaces at your disposal. The ancient sections of the property have been meticulously restored to combine 9th-century charm with 21st-century comfort. Although you might not always notice it, the rich history that surrounds you can help fuel the subconscious during your discussions.

For a change of pace and place, the cutting edge facilities in the wine tasting space work well for casual meetings; with, or without, wine. You’ll be equipped with a presentation screen, conferencing resources, whiteboards, and comfortable, adaptable seating for small groups of up to 40 people.

In the main house, the spacious Grand Vaulted Hall is a logical venue for cocktail and dinner parties, meetings and themed events. The Medieval reception room is also set up to host group discussions and presentations. The onsite home cinema room and library of books in a variety of languages are yours to make use of at your leisure.

Download the meeting room measurements, set-up dimensions and capacities. Personnel are on call to assist with your technological needs.

In all, there are six outdoor areas for intimate gatherings or events:

The Caveau Rooftop
The Medieval Reception
Tasting Room Terrace
The Al Fresco Terrace
The Covered Terrace
Poolside

Casual outdoor meetings can also be held at Woodhenge, a shaded circle of arched oak benches created by renowned Provencal sculptor, Marco Nucera, as well as a number of other agreeable locations on the property.

There are many things to do outdoors at La Verrière or in the vicinity which will also turn your company’s away day, function or event into a fun leisure day out.

Find out more about the other facilities at La Verrière.

Accommodation at La Verrière

When booking the whole house for a private event, all seven guest rooms are reserved for up to eighteen guests. Additional guests or accompanying staff can sometimes stay in the Winery Wing rooms or in the neighbouring village of Crestet.

Find out more about the Bed and Breakfast facilities at La Verrière.

Concierge and services

You can welcome your guests as a host in your own home, or have the La Verrière team assist you with any, or all, of the following options:

Travel and transport arrangements
Agenda and program content for meetings and discussions
Extracurricular program planning
On-site and local excursions
Custom programs for partners and children
Tickets and advance bookings for local events
Enhanced seclusion, security and privacy
Staffing requirements: meeting facilitator, cultural advisor, regional wine expert, event supervisor, technical support

Rates for Corporate Bookings

Contact us to discuss your needs and we will provide a comprehensive quote or a set of à la carte options.

Travel to La Verrière

For whole house exclusive bookings, chauffeur services can be arranged for guests arriving into the airports or train stations at Nîmes, Marseille or Avignon. The property also has its own helipad for a quicker, more direct and scenic route. Find further information on the how to get to La Verrière page.