Cider Cellar Rules! A new Dimension on Team Building!

Team-building exercises can be a powerful way to unite a group, develop strengths, and address weaknesses – but only if the exercises are planned and carried out strategically. In other words, there has to be a real purpose behind your decision to do the exercise – for example, improving the team's problem-solving or creativity skills – rather than because you felt like giving your people a nice day out of the office.

Are you looking for a way to start or end a meeting for you top level executives that bring a sense of unity and comradery then the Petritegi Cider Cellar is the place for you.

Petritegi is located in the village of Astigarraga, in the heart of Basque cider country.

Our cider farm is the result of a cider making tradition at the Petritegi farmhouse, which dates back to before 1558.

Today, the Petritegi cider farm offers you an ideal location to enjoy Sagardoa (natural cider): They are located in the heart of the countryside, surrounded by apple orchards, only three (3) miles from San Sebastián; they have a number of comfortable, attractive dining rooms in which they offer a cuisine that suits the characteristics of Sagardoa (traditional menu which includes delights such as : Red sausage braised in cider, codfish omelette, codfish with peppers, T-bone steak, local cheese, quince jelly and walnuts, Almond pastries from Tolosa); their large cider hall has more than 40 barrels and is open all year round. They have more than 70 years of experience of serving their customers. The family style setting and the lively atmosphere make way for sharing and great conversation.

If you would like to surprise your clients with a unique dining experience, Petritegi offers you the cider "tour" all year round. To learn more about the Petritegi or to schedule a tour; visit their website at http://www.petritegi.com/en.

Juanita E. Gaynor (http://i-meet.com/jegaynor)

President & CEO

Ellegant Affairs by Juanita (http://www.ellegantaffairs.com)

i-Meet.com is the worldwide business community for people who plan meetings and events.  With over 108,000 members in 175 countries, i-Meet brings professional networking, online marketing, and social tools to create awareness and a voice for the industry.

I’ve Been There is a travel history and sharing application for planners and enthusiasts.

Tourist Office of Spain – Chicago - One of 33 worldwide offices of TURESPAÑA, Spain’s government tourism promotion authority based in Madrid, TOS in Chicago is the branch office in the USA responsible for marketing the business, incentive and meeting tourism product. TOS Chicago acts as a liaison between suppliers and DMC’s in Spain and the buyer/planner in the USA. 

Pagos de Leza Winery - The Marriage of Tradition and Modern Technology

Pagos de Leza, more than just a winery ... tradition, represented by the fourth generation of a wine family; wine tourism, with its pairing trends: cuisine, wine, tourism and history; innovation with the development of our Micro-Elaborations, quality winemaking resulting in a high range of wines under our Signature Name; and respect and recovery of the environment, through the planting of native trees.

Pagos de Leza is a winery that was born under the watchful eye of the Sierra de Cantabria, a silent mountain range with its peaks and forest slopes; it has served as the backdrop for several novels by Pío Baroja.

From this amphitheater of mountains you can contemplate our land in detail, as it acts as a natural viewpoint. And we have in it a great ally, because it shelters our vineyards from the cold north winds which favor the maturation of our grapes. Pagos de Leza has a stepped architecture reminiscent of the Sierra silhouette and of the Carasoles, types of sloping vineyard which face south-southwest.

The surrounding areas of our winery are a treasure for the visitor: Dolmens, Chapels, a prehistoric settlement and medieval villages await.

Thus creating a space to enjoy, learn and participate in many activities related to the world of wine, culture and tourism. To learn more about the winery, possible tours or holding your nest evet there visit there website at: http://www.pagosdeleza.com  or visit the Rioja Alavesa Wine Route at: http://www.rutadelvinoderiojaalavesa.com/en/

Juanita E. Gaynor (http://i-meet.com/jegaynor)

President & CEO

Ellegant Affairs by Juanita (http://www.ellegantaffairs.com)

i-Meet.com is the worldwide business community for people who plan meetings and events.  With over 108,000 members in 175 countries, i-Meet brings professional networking, online marketing, and social tools to create awareness and a voice for the industry.

I’ve Been There is a travel history and sharing application for planners and enthusiasts.

Tourist Office of Spain – Chicago - One of 33 worldwide offices of TURESPAÑA, Spain’s government tourism promotion authority based in Madrid, TOS in Chicago is the branch office in the USA responsible for marketing the business, incentive and meeting tourism product. TOS Chicago acts as a liaison between suppliers and DMC’s in Spain and the buyer/planner in the USA. 

Meet In Madrid ~ Take your meetings to the next level!

Located in the middle of Spain, beautiful Madrid is the capital and largest city in the country. The city's geographic location denotes its central role in Spanish politics, economy and culture, as it serves as the residence of the Spanish monarch, the richest region in Spain, and the home to many of the country's – and Europe's – top museums and attractions. With over seven million residents in the metropolitan area, it is also the 3rd largest city by population in the European Union, after London and Berlin.

In Madrid, the present and future are built on the past. During Spain's Golden Age, Madrid's culture and arts flourished. This period in history introduced the city's breathtaking Baroque and neo-Classical architecture, inspiring Madrid's many artistic geniuses such as Picasso and Miró, as well as its literary heroes such as Cervantes and the "Father of Spanish Playwrights" Lope de Vega. Madrid also served as the home and inspiration to great American writer Ernest Hemingway.

Not only is Madrid an ideal city for pleasure and leisure travel, it's also a world-class meeting destination. It comes as no surprise that the city hosts more than 4,000 conventions and meetings each year and attracts over 700,000 business visitors annually. After all, it boasts nearly 80,000 hotel rooms, more than five convention centers and expo facilities, and a never-ending list of cultural attractions. Plus, Madrid is home to the offices of 90 percent of the major companies operating in Spain, making it the obvious choice for showcasing products and services.

Also benefiting event organizers and business travelers in Madrid is the easily-accessible Madrid-Barajas Airport. Located just 12 kilometers northwest of central Madrid, it was voted Best Airport in the 2008 Condé Nast Traveler Reader Awards, thanks in part to its recently expanded terminal space and top-notch customer amenities. Madrid-Barajas offers service to hundreds of domestic, European and international destinations and handles the majority of Spain's transatlantic flights.

Upon arrival, guests need not travel far to find some of Madrid's largest and most impressive event facilities. Just five minutes from the airport, the sleek, avant-garde Municipal Convention Centre offers 30,000 square meters of space for conventions, tradeshows, presentations and more. Meanwhile, in the heart of Madrid's Casa de Campo Park, El Recinto Ferial spans over 70,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Additionally, the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid welcomes up to 2,000 guests from a convenient location that's within walking distance of over 10,000 hotel rooms.

Always on the cutting edge, the city of Madrid has plans to expand its inventory of convention facilities with the opening of the International Convention Centre in 2011. Located in the new financial and business area, it will be the largest meeting venue in the country at over 70,000 square meters. Fitting of such a ground-breaking facility, the International Convention Centre will be housed in a massive semicircle-shaped building, symbolizing that the sun never sets in Madrid.

Aside from its large-scale convention facilities, Madrid offers a wide range of unique meeting venues perfect for more intimate events and gatherings. The iconic Reina Sofia Museum is not only home a modern collection of such masterpieces as Picasso'sGuernica, but is also a fantastic venue for private events. With its 600-square-meter screen and room for up to 450 people, IMAX Madrid lends itself well to powerful presentations and seminars. Or, give guests a true taste of the city by treating them to dinner and a show at Corral de la Morería, a widely-known flamenco venue that's also listed in the New York Times bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

One of Europe's largest financial centers, Madrid is a major center for international business and finance. The city has also recently experienced major growth in the service sector, with the Madrid-Barajas Airport playing a key role in the economy. Madrid is also home to several public and private universities, including the Complutenese University of Madrid, one of the oldest universities in the world, and the Autonomous University of Madrid, one of the top-ranked public universities in Spain.

So when you need world class destination for your event, meeting or congress, Madrid is the place. For more information on Madrid and other available activities, please visit: http://www.spain.info

Juanita E. Gaynor (http://i-meet.com/jegaynor)

President & CEO

Ellegant Affairs by Juanita (http://www.ellegantaffairs.com)

i-Meet.com is the worldwide business community for people who plan meetings and events.  With over 108,000 members in 175 countries, i-Meet brings professional networking, online marketing, and social tools to create awareness and a voice for the industry.

I’ve Been There is a travel history and sharing application for planners and enthusiasts.

Tourist Office of Spain – Chicago - One of 33 worldwide offices of TURESPAÑA, Spain’s government tourism promotion authority based in Madrid, TOS in Chicago is the branch office in the USA responsible for marketing the business, incentive and meeting tourism product. TOS Chicago acts as a liaison between suppliers and DMC’s in Spain and the buyer/planner in the USA.