Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Duomo Firenze
There are over 12,000,000 visitors to Florence, Italy EVERY YEAR! Studentsville's latest film interns, Alex & Andy from England, took to the streets to talk with the tourists and find out just what it is...
IED Firenze Porta
By: Paige Peerenboom and Whitney RichelleSo this post, I'm not going to entertain you with any of my crazy problems, awkward adventures, or just plain outright silly stories, BUT I am going to enlighten you...
Symphonicity tour with the Royal Philharmonic Concert OrchestraInterview with Orchestra Percussionist Kevin EarleyThe English star of Tuscany was recently in town and the buzz of excitement in Florence was tangible. Teatro Verdi, covered in posters of the sultry visage of Sting, advertised his one date in Florence on 25th October as part of his current world tour, with an entire orchestra. I went along to the sound check, to see the man in action, and to chat to the Orchestra Percussionist, and personal friend, Kevin Earley.Armed with a guest pass, and slipping in the side door of the theSymphonicity tour with the Royal Philharmonic Concert OrchestraInterview with Orchestra Percussionist Kevin EarleyThe English star of Tuscany was recently in town and the buzz of excitement in Florence was tangible. Teatro Verdi, covered in posters of the sultry visage of Sting, advertised his one date in Florence on 25th October as part of his current world tour, with an entire orchestra. I went along to the sound check, to see the man in action, and to chat to the Orchestra Percussionist, and personal friend, Kevin Earley.Armed with a guest pass, and slipping in the side door of the theatre, I enter the beautiful auditorium and take a seat. Sting’s calm voice fills the theatre as he breaks towards the end of Sister Moon “How can I make it a little more pointy?” For a second it seems he is asking me, the only person sitting in front of him, and I shift slightly in my seat…but the reassuring and faceless voice of Howard the sound guy booms some suggestions at the stage crew.Sound check is a smooth 20 minutes, sampling only a few tracks including When we Dance and Faith and little needs adjusting. Up on stage, in coat and scarf, and with harmonica in hand, Sting is totally relaxed, resting on his tambourine stand. The 45-strong orchestra behind him, which Sting calls ‘the biggest band I’ve ever had’ also appear very much at ease; there are jests, giggles and dancing, but the notes are being hit. It’s like watching a group of friends jamming together, but effortlessly producing a totally gorgeous and perfect sound. They are clearly all enjoying themselves. As an event planner, I can’t help but think of the logistics involved with touring 4 crew sleeper buses, 9 articulated trucks for equipment, 2 buses for the orchestra (although they mostly fly) and Sting’s private jet!“We’re well looked after on this tour”, admits Kevin as we cross the road to Ristorante Il Teatro in front of the theatre. “We normally have a catering company on board but tonight in Florence we have this place at our disposal” and he opens the door. In a matter of minutes the entire restaurant is overcome by over 60 crew and musicians, hungry and ready to stage one of the most awaited gigs of the year in Florence. Sting enters, relaxed and happy as he glides through a room full of talent and passion. The waitresses are on an electric charge of energy as they dart between tables and playfully use the band technicians’ walkie talkies to throw orders between staff and kitchen. Outside too is a flurry of activity as eager fans arrive to snap shots of the posters. Little do they know that right behind them, only a few metres away, the man himself is looking out at them through the window while finishing his pre-show snack!
“Wow!...what an amazing job!...How on earth did you get into that?” is a regular response when I reply to the standard ice-breaker “What do you do?” The gasps and wide eyes reflect the glamour and magic rightly associated with summer Italian weddings. Admittedly, being a wedding planner in Italy is amazing in many respects; it being the most testing, varied, emotional, exciting, physically demanding, creative and rewarding job I have ever done.
Joelle is a brand new expatriate in town (she just moved to Florence in October 2009) but she is already very well connected with the local life... Partly because of her job (Wedding planner) she has contacts with people all around Florence and Tuscany and partly because she is a very nice, sociable, intelligent and fun girl...
1) When did your property first open? How many staff do you have working with you? The idea of creating a Place for hospitality in Florence.... was born.... with the desire to offer our Guests,.... then they usually become our friends,.... a Place with an high-performance services at the right price. so n4u guesthouse opened in Florence in 2008. 2 People working for the Reservation Office, 1 Person running for consierge Office and 1 Waitress mind to the Our Guest and their Rooms.2) How many rooms are available at your property? How would you classify your property's target (luxury, tourists, students)? N4U guesthouse is a beautiful house with 5 bedrooms available for guests. All details have been treated with attention to aesthetics and functionality. All rooms have external views and they are very bright. .....In implementing n4u GuestHouse we thought to the people while traveling and to the people that want to stay a few days such as in a friend's house, comfortable and charming, but a friend's house ...3) How many tourists do you receive each year? What are the most popular nationalities (and in what percentage of guests, roughly)? Most of them are from International Places , and almost 50% are Italians.
You think of Italy, you think fashion. You think of classic cuts, dark suits, bold accessories, slick heels and slim fits; you think style.This imagery is as part of the fabric of the nation as is the cappuccino, the vespa and la pasta fresca; often combined into one stereotypical image of an immaculate businessman sauntering down a cobbled street on a brilliant red vespa, strolling into the bar opposite the office for a coffee and putting his order in for the linguini on the menu for lunch.
1) When did your property first open? How many staff do you have working with you?I opened on September 2000 and I have an employee.2) How many rooms are available at your property? How would you classify your property's target (luxury, tourists, students)?We have 5 rooms and our target is mainly tourist looking for a luxury experience.3) How many tourists do you receive each year? What are the most popular nationalities (and in what percentage of guests, roughly)?Most of our guests are Americans. The remaining are European citizen, especially English, German and Spanish but also Australians and Canadians.4) Why would you recommend a tourist should stay in a B&B rather than a Hotel? What is the best time of year to stay at your property?The strengths of a B&B are the warm welcoming and the value for money. The B&B offers a quality like a 3 or 4 star hotel at a reasonable price with the acceptance and assistance that only a friend could reserve. Every moment is the right one for staying at Cimatori and is always a good time to visit an art city like Florence; our great effort should be toward fall / winter time when the influx of tourism usually falls and competition, especially the big hotels, makes war on falling prices. Moreover on Fall and Winter you can visit the city better and there are less queues at museums.
An Interview with Ms Linda Loppa, Director of Polimoda International Institute of Fashion, Design & Marketing(Interview by Marco de la Pierre, Communication manager of DotFlorence.com & StudentsVille.it)Polimoda came into being in 1986, an initiative which was organized and financed by the city councils of Florence and Prato, and by business associations in collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), State University of New York.1. When was the school founded?2. How many students are there every year? More than 950 students attend Polimoda courses every year.3. Where do the students come from? 40% of the students are international and come from all over the world, while 60% are Italian and about 25% are from Tuscany.Polimoda Library4. Why do students choose Polimoda in Florence? Polimoda is known for its high standards and has well over twenty years experience in fashion education. The Institute's strong point is without doubt its close relationship with businesses which on the one hand allows us to adapt our study programmes to real market needs, and on the other facilitates access to employment for the students as they undertake a period of internship undertaken at the end of their courses and Master courses. We are very proud of the rate of employment of our graduates, which is 90% within six months of completing their studies.5. What kind of courses do you offer? Which are the most popular courses? Polimoda programmes are subdivided into the two general areas of Design and Marketing, covering all professional careers in the fashion system. The three-year post-diploma courses are our core business - Fashion Design, Footwear Design, Pattern Making, Marketing Management and Marketing Communications - and as of this year an optional fourth year master class is available. In addition to these, there is a wide and constantly updated range of Masters courses taught in English and Italian. The most recent are the Masters for Fashion Stylists and Fashion Brand Management. As for the most popular courses, this year we have seen a significant increase - up to 40 per cent - in enrolments on courses in the marketing area, especially for the three-year courses in marketing management and marketing communication. The Fashion Design course, one of our strongest options, is also greatly in demand. [More...]6. How has the school developed over the years? Polimoda Fashion Institute of FlorenceWhen Polimoda came into being 23 years ago, it had about fifty students and only two courses, Fashion Design and Marketing. Over the years, the name of the institute – originally known as the International Fashion Polytechnic – gained a reputation at a national and international level, while both the number of students and the range of courses continued to increase. This year we have five undergraduate courses and 25 Masters in Italian and English, as well as orientation and summer courses. This growth has been matched by the acquisition of new buildings and structures, thus extending the facilities of the historic Villa Strozzi in Florence: the 'Scuderie' at Villa Strozzi house the lecture rooms where theory is Director of Polimoda, Ferruccio Ferragamotaught and the computer laboratories, the Design Lab where the design and pattern making laboratories are, and Castello dell'Acciaiolo in Scandicci where the footwear laboratories are. In 2002 Polimoda Srl, now Polimoda Consulting, came into being to provide services to businesses in the fashion sector and now consists of a group of 35 important businesses. Today Ferruccio Ferragamo is the President of Polimoda, while the Chairman of Polimoda Consulting is Santo Versace: the support provided by such important personalities of the fashion world is of immense value to the Institute and is confirmation of the faith that both the fashion system and businesses have in our teaching methods.

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