Imagine meeting in the middle of the world, in the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by snowcapped volcanoes and breathtaking Andean Mountains, and less than a two-hour flight from the lush Amazon rainforest, miles of pristine Pacific Ocean beaches and the legendary Galapagos Islands. Only Quito, the capital of Ecuador, the most bio-diverse country on earth, can offer such a unique and varied combination of attractions, making for the most memorable meetings and incentive travel programmes.
Situated in an Andean valley, 9,350ft above sea level and at the foot of the Volcano Pichincha, Quito was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1534 and established on top of the ruins of a once thriving Incan city. Home to 2.2 million residents, Quito is located at latitude 0°0’0” in the middle of the world. Its year-round mild spring-like weather makes any month of the year a good time to travel to Quito.
Equatorial entertainment
Quito’s colonial centre is the largest and best-preserved in the Americas. Stretching over 44 blocks, its cobblestoned streets are bustling with life and lined with countless historic churches, monasteries and convents, museums, shops, handicraft stores, street vendors, restaurants, cafés and world-class boutique hotels.
Other popular attractions include the Cable Car ride over Quito, rewarding visitors with a breathtaking view of the city and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes, and the Middle of the World Monument where one can straddle the equator. La Floresta’s many gourmet restaurants serve new fusion cuisines, and the La Mariscal neighbourhood comes alive each night with Quiteños and visitors packing its restaurants, cafés and bars until the early hours of the morning.
Further afield, just a short drive outside the city, visitors will find countless day-trip options. In the Avenue of the Volcanoes an abundance of nature reserves offer hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, zip lines and more. Alternatively, visit a stunning rose farm, or shop at the world-famous Otavalo market, the largest indigenous outdoor marketplace in South America.
There are walks in a cloud forest teeming with more than 500 bird species, countless butterflies and orchids endemic to the region, as well as kayaking or rafting on rivers bordering the Amazon. In the village of Papallacta, relax in the rejuvenating natural hot springs fed from volcanic waters full of minerals and beneficial properties, and finish the trip with a steamed trout from a local restaurant.
Quorum Quito
Located along the equator line, the Quorum Quito Convention Centre and Alpha Point business centre are designed to meet the needs of the growing number of corporate, meeting and incentive travellers to Quito. It does this so well that Quorum Quito Business and Conventions is our Best Congress and Convention Centre, South America, 2013.
Situated in the heart of the Paseo San Francisco, the centre boasts an impressive and innovative entertainment and educational complex, with 208 shops and restaurants, an iMAX theatre, as well as a sports complex and an interactive museum for children.Quorum Quito and Alpha Point patrons will have convenient access to a range of shopping, dining, movies, performing arts and sports options, for post-business entertainment.
Located halfway between the centre of Quito and the new international airport, both accessible within 20 minutes, Quorum Quito was built with the goal of becoming a centre where successful ideas are born and shared; ideas that nurture corporations as well as individual economic development, while practicing corporate social responsibility and caring for the environment.
Covering nearly 90,000sq ft, Quorum Quito provides the ideal setting for conferences, exhibitions and social events. The convention centre features capacity for up to 3,000 delegates across 15 modular rooms capable of accommodating groups of as little as 25, up to 2,200. These rooms contain state-of-the-art technology; organisers will be provided with globally recognised brands that deliver technical efficiency for events, conventions and business meetings. The facility’s technology and infrastructure are even built in an environmentally responsible manner to ensure sustainability.
Conference rooms are acoustically insulated to ensure privacy and eliminate any outside distractions. Simultaneous audio and video translation is available, as well as closed circuit security, a designated exclusive parking lot for 2,500 vehicles and valet parking for attendees. Luxury and VIP transportation options for attendees can also be arranged.
Quorum Quito’s onsite services include a booth set-up for fairs and exhibitions, ready internet connectivity, and individual temperature controls in every room. Multilingual professional staff assist with the important flourishes, helping to organise gourmet catering – packages for which include breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring samples of Ecuador’s diverse cuisine – and décor services, transforming the venue to suit your theme. A variety of musical and entertainment options can be arranged and the facility will even provide security for your event.
Alpha Point
Adjacent to Quorum Quito, the Alfa Point business centre offers fully equipped offices and meeting spaces for the exclusive use of executives to conduct business and host fellow colleagues, clients and consultants. The 34,444sq ft business centre features 26 modern and private offices fully furnished and equipped with the latest technology to meet the needs of sales associates and presidents or CEOs of multinational corporations.
A further four private meeting rooms can be used separately or as one large space, also equipped with the latest technology, and featuring a capacity from four to 120 professionals. The business centre’s press room features computers, internet access and microphones for media. Delegates can also utilise the VIP room, which can accommodate up to 12 guests.
The onsite cafeteria offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a delivery service for those uninterruptable meetings. When there is time for a break, attendees can enjoy the Gourmet Shop, offering finely crafted artisanal products by local artists as well as delicious Ecuadorian chocolates and roses. For deeper relaxation visit the spa, featuring a capillary regeneration centre, a hair salon, make-up, pedicure and manicure services and a tanning salon with vertical tanning beds. There is also a traditionally designed barbershop.
Business travellers can make use of a host of other tailored services, such as the copy centre, shipping services, translation services, business school, fibre-optic broadband, audio-visual equipment in meeting rooms and a welcome desk where the staff speak eight different languages. Alpha Point further offers assistance with event production and management to ensure excellence and success.
