Queen of the Expat Ball
A fairy tale event will take place in
the City of Light on the evening of April 4, 2008 – the International
Expat Ball of Paris. For the first time, expatriates and “others
internationally inclined” will assemble for a formal evening of dancing,
fine dining and camaraderie at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference
Center in the 14th arrondissement. A champagne
reception, live music, raffle and a surprise VIP speaker are among the
features of the evening, which represents a grand occasion for members
of Paris’ expat community to celebrate their special status in the
French capital and to meet others who share in their out-of-country
experience.
The proverbial queen of the ball will be Montreal-born Anne-Marie Queitsch. Having lived in London, Washington, D.C., New York City, Prague, Hamburg, Berlin and Amsterdam, she is perhaps the true definition of an expatriate. But she is not a member of the Canadian Foreign Service or a travel professional, as one might suspect. She is married to Ruppert Queitsch from Munich, whom she met in Montreal and who happens to manage hotels for Marriott. His position has kept the couple, and then their family (son Christopher and daughter Jessica), moving every few months to every few years since their marriage 24 years ago. Queitsch and her husband moved to Paris for the first time in 1985, when Mr. Queitsch participated in a Marriott task force at the Prince de Galles hotel in the 8th arrondissement.
It only takes a few minutes of conversation with Anne-Marie Queitsch to realize that she is a imaginative and resourceful woman who is socially and culturally driven. She is multilingual (English, French, German and Dutch), an attribute that has no doubt helped her to adapt to the many lands in which she has lived. She volunteers for local activities wherever the Marriott takes her family, examples include the organization of charity events in Prague and jazz concerts for a radio station in Berlin. She belongs to many groups in Paris, including the Women’s International Club, the American Chamber of Commerce in France and the French cultural group called Accueil du 16ème. She loves to cook, dance, golf and play tennis, and is fascinated by bees and seahorses. She is fond of entertaining at home and has initiated her French neighbors in the rite of barbecuing. They are among the “others internationally inclined” who will attend the gala.
Queitsch expresses nothing but exuberance and enthusiasm for her life in Paris. Food, wine, and culture are her favorite things about life there, in that order of preference. But she also appreciates the rest of France; when asked for specifics on this topic, she waxes poetic about the gastronomic specialties of multiple regions with a gleam in her eye that only a true epicurean can appreciate. Perhaps not surprisingly, her daughter is currently enrolled at the Ecole Grégoire Ferrandi, France’s premier professional culinary school.
Queitsch’s idea for an expatriate ball crystallized at the July 4th party with Oliver Griffith of the American Chamber of Commerce in France at the American Ambassador to France’s residence in 2007. What began as enlightened inspiration became a project that the organization has adopted and embraced. Queitsch is the principal organizer of the ball, while Marriott and the American Chamber of Commerce in France are co-sponsoring the event. Several additional persons and groups are helping with the organization, publicity, etc. that Queitsch is relying on to make the event a success.
The evening will begin with a reception featuring champagne and music by the American Jazz Quartet. Marriott Rive Gauche’s executive chef, Fréderic Nef, will supervise the preparation of a three-course gala dinner to be served that night. An international dessert buffet and a coffee bar will be provided to encourage socializing at the end of the meal. Life Orchestra, a fusion band with a repertoire that includes rock and roll, funk, Latino and Hebrew tunes, will supply the music. The deejay and the emcee for the evening are a part of this group. A raffle will feature prizes donated by Dale Carnegie, Café de la Paix, and Cadillac, among others. Part of the proceeds of the event will be donated to a charitable organization to be selected by Marriott.
Among the invitees are dozens of partner organizations from embassies, foreign Chambers of Commerce, and expatriate clubs and associations. Executives from major corporations have already reserved their places, as have persons from bilingual and foreign language institutions such as the Deutsche Schule Paris (German School of Paris) in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud. Individuals, groups and organizations from all nationalities are welcome.
The ball is multifaceted in purpose. In addition to supporting a charity, it is being held to provide expats from different employment and social sectors to meet and forge new relationships, to encourage networking, and to honor a person or association who has made a difference in Paris’ expatriate community. Queitsch hopes that this first affair will be such a singular experience that it will become an annual event. Two-hundred and fifty to 300 persons are expected to attend. Attire for men is black tie or dark suit, while ladies are expected to wear cocktail dresses or evening gowns.
For Queitsch, the success of the gala depends upon creating a warm convivial atmosphere in which people can meet each other and enjoy themselves. Her goal is to have the attendees “make good memories” in “Paris – this beautiful place!”
For more information:
International Expat Events of Paris – www.internationalexpatevents
Monique Y. Wells is co-owner of the travel planning service Discover Paris! Her company has recently published a collection of its monthly newsletters in a beautifully illustrated volume entitled Paris Insights – An Anthology. For more information, please click here.
