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In the city where glamour and romance are as natural as breathing, the ultra-luxe Engage! Wedding Industry Summit unfurled more of its allure this past July with Engage!23 The Paris Experience, setting a new standard for opulence, inspiration, and meticulous craftsmanship in the event industry world. Already a canvas of timeless beauty, the city of lights became the ethereal backdrop for an unparalleled gathering of industry titans, event planners, designers, and visionaries under the creative direction of Alejandra Poupel Events, who, along with her network of the absolute BEST artisans and event professionals in France, delivered the ULTIMATE “Ooh La La” from start to finish. As someone who enjoyed attending this extraordinary summit, I confidently say Engage! Paris wasn’t just an event—it was a masterfully curated experience that left an indelible imprint from start to finish. Kudos to the entire team, and thanks to Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce, co-founders and executive producers of Engage! Summits for including me as a media guest. Also, a big shout out to the dedicated “Team Engage!” for all the front-and-behind-the-scenes aspects of running a seamless event. It was an experience I will never forget.
Truthfully, there is so much to share that I have to break it all down into three posts. It feels like three months of visual eye candy for a three-day event, so let’s begin with Day 1, which includes the Registration/Gifting Experience, The Opening Session, and The Welcome Party.
The event kicked off with The Gifting and Registration Experience, which took “When in Paris” to another level with attendees receiving products from the best of the world’s fashion capital, including items from Hermes, Dior, St Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and Longchamp in addition to an assortment of other luxe goodies including custom-decorated cookies and the most beautiful paper lanterns I’ve ever seen! (Full credits below.)
Following registration, the Opening Session of speakers took place at the absolutely extraordinary Le Meurice Hotel (where I stayed.) Rebecca and Kathryn of Engage! officially welcomed us to Paris before introducing the management of the Dorchester Collection host venues for the event. Creative Director Alejandra Poupel took the stage (accompanied by her core team of creative event pros and event sponsors) before the rest of the speaker line-up delivered their presentations. We also enjoyed a fun catered break with treats from world-famous pastry Chef Cedric Grolet. Grolet is the executive pastry chef at Le Meurice and became so acclaimed for his treats that he opened a separate boutique just around the corner from the hotel.
For the opening night Welcome Party, we all dressed in our best “Parisien” looks for a beautiful party aboard a luxury boat cruise along the Seine. What set this evening apart was the unbelievable experiential entertainment that we witnessed in the most unexpected locations! We were all STUNNED in the best possible way when the magic unfolded from the shoreline and atop Paris’s famous bridges. As our boat glided along the Seine, the entertainment revealed itself above and alongside us before the evening came to a beautiful end with the Eiffel Tower aglow as night fell on Paris.
Stay tuned for more to come on Day 2 and Day 3!