Villa Erba - International Exhibition and Congress centre

Villa Erba - international exhibition and congress center - is located in Cernobbio, on the shores of Lake Como, minutes away from Como center. The property, covering over 100.000 sq. m., was originally owned by the family of the director Luchino Visconti. The position of Villa Erba allows for an easy access from Milan or it’s greater city, and has excellent connections both with international railways routes and highways. This means a quick access to the main airports in the Milanese region, especially Malpensa. The main exhibition center was designed by the famous architect Mario Bellini, and was built in 1988. The idea was to erect a modern exhibition center, overlooking both the park and the lake, that reflected the style and versatility of the lake’s greenhouses. The exhibition building extends over 11.000 sq. m., and is composed of a main pavilion (1048 sq.m), which can host up to 1500 participants, and of three separate wings (approximattely 2000 sq.m each), which can be in turn divided into 200 separate exhibition stands or 28 different breakout rooms with a capacity up to 300 guests each. The facility also includes an ancient villa, majestic in its style, and which can host receptions and gala dinners for 500 guests. The historical building, in the "Umbertinian" style, overlooks the lake and botanical park, and its terraces offer added event areas. Villa Erba cooperates with many different suppliers; this means that it can offer all the necessary complementary services needed for the different events that it can host. Through a network of firms in which Villa Erba is the main promoter and coordinator, this facility can also offer in an unified manner, all external services; from hotel accommodation (1400 rooms at fixed rates) to dining, from onsite transfers to the access of cultural routes and initiatives on the territory; these services integrate the activities carried out by Villa Erba, thereby simplifying the organization.