Quai de la Photo can host cocktails, seminars, dinners, evening parties, film shoots, fashion shows and boat cruises for up to 450 guests on board, or 750 when the quayside terrace is added. Seated dinners take up to 150 guests. The venue is Quai de la Photo, a floating art center for contemporary photography at 9 port de la Gare, on the Seine below the Bibliothèque nationale de France in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
Seminars and company events
The events team sells full and partial private hire for company cocktails, seminars, dinners and parties. It works on weekdays from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm and follows each project from the first request to the event. A full portfolio and a brochure are available on request, along with the venue's CSR commitments.
For team building, the venue runs a program that mixes photography and navigation, for groups of 10 to 60 people. It lasts two and a half hours, in the morning from 9:30 am to noon or in the afternoon from 3 pm to 5:30 pm. It includes breakfast or a sweet break, a 50-minute cruise on the boats Zéro de conduite or Kaïros, and an introduction to cyanotype printing. Groups of 13 or more are split into smaller teams for the activities.
Weddings and receptions
Private evenings are a large part of the business: cocktails, dinners, parties, birthdays and leaving drinks. Guests can combine a reception on board with a private cruise, of 50 minutes or one and a half hours, on one of the small historic boats moored in the venue's marina. The website does not mention weddings, so check with the team.
Rooms and capacities
The venue covers more than 1,000 m² in all, with a floating building and a large terrace on the riverbank. The floating building covers 700 m² over two levels and takes 450 guests for a cocktail or 150 for a seated dinner. The main deck covers 450 m², for 350 at a cocktail or 150 seated. The quayside terrace covers 400 m², for 400 at a cocktail or 150 seated. The exhibition room covers 130 m², for 100 at a cocktail or 60 seated. A professional photo studio is also part of the site.
Catering
Quai de la Photo runs its own restaurant, bar and terrace, and the venue describes itself as a place to eat and drink as well as an art center. For private events, ask the team which food and drink formats suit your layout. DJ sets run from Wednesday to Sunday in public opening hours.
History and setting
The art center shows major and emerging contemporary photographers. Exhibitions, guided tours and talks are free to visit, and the venue also runs photo workshops, book signings and a bookshop for photography books. The site looks over its own marina and the Seine.
Getting there
The nearest metro stops are Quai de la Gare on line 6, Bercy on lines 6 and 14, and Gare d'Austerlitz on lines 5 and 10 and RER C. Buses 61, 89, 71 and 215 stop at Quai de la Gare. Taxis drop off opposite 75 quai de la Gare, as they cannot drive down onto the quays. The nearest car park is the Zenpark Paris Bercy car park at 3 rue George Balanchine. The venue states that all its spaces are accessible to visitors with disabilities.
