Banquet Services, Theme Parties and Special Events
The incredible variety in color, texture and taste of available food products in Costa Rica are the ingredients of every chef’s dreams! Each banquet table is a celebration of abundance. Such flights of fancy in decoration — imagine a palm tree built from pineapples and banana leaves — are seldom seen in the temperate world. Whether it's a formal sit-down dinner or a line-up buffet, diners will be delighted with the many new textures and flavors: crunchy heart-of-palm salad, creamy "pejibaye" (palm fruit) mousse, or tangy lime pie.
International cuisine blends deliciously with Costa Rica's traditional food ("comida típica") and visitors are surprised to discover how well fried plantain combines with filet mignon. Special events, such as a poolside barbecue with entertainment by Costa Rican folkloric dance troupes, a troupe of stilt-walking fantasy figures or a typical marching band called "cimarrona," are al¡ part of the service. And because Costa Rica places such great emphasis on the performing arts, musical or theatrical presentations are easily arranged.
Our rich cultural and natural resources also inspire the planning of theme parties that are totally unique. Just think what could be done with natural themes such as "volcanoes," "coral reefs" or "rain forest." Or set your imagination to work on cultural topics — from the fascinating story of coffee, to the witchcraft of Escazú (a town near San José), to the mystery of Drake's golden treasure buried somewhere near Drake's Bay on the Osa Península.
Off-Property Venues
Away from the hotel, planners of small- to medium-sized events will find numerous specialty restaurants, theaters and sizes of cultural and historical significance. Perhaps a gala affair at the National Theater or the Gold Museum, or a private Costa Rican-style rodeo, dinner and folk dance performance, or maybe a tropical seas dinner cruise on a space-age catamaran. What about planning an evening at a butterfly farm, a colonial village, a coffee plantation, or an old fashioned typical Costa Rican restaurant —complete with sin cups?
Other venue options include the Melico Salazar Theater, the National Museum, the Children's Museum, the National Art Museum and several private and prestigious clubs including Club Union and Country Club. Professional associations in Costa Rica al¡ have headquarters with auditoriums and meeting rooms that are ideal for breakout sessions away from the hotel. Arrangements can also be made for lecture halls and other meeting space at Costa Rica's universities. Exhibition planners will find the former customs building, now converted to an exhibition hall known as Fercori, to be an excellent option for fairs and other shows.
Dining Around
When the agenda calls for dining out at a fine restaurant, it's merely a matter of choosing your fare! The exquisite flavors of Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Franca, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, China, Japan, the Caribbean ... the list goes on and on... is all here in Costa Rica. Elegant surroundings, settings ranging from downtown to upscale suburbs to high mountain vistas, and service with a "Tico" smile, are all port of the richly satisfying dining experience.
Giveaways
As Costa Rica excels in the culinary arts, so does it shine in the arts and crafts. Works in precious hardwoods, coffee roots, banana paper, gold, clay, enamelware and other materials are meticulously crafted by our local artisans. They may be replicas of pre-Columbian art, indigenous pottery, boldly colored images of daily life painted on banana paper, jewelry, masks, woven wall hangings or, perhaps the best known of all our typical souvenirs, the colorfully painted oxcart.
Consumable giveaways also abound and, once again, it is easy to focus on local products. Fresh and flavorful coffee, spirits and liquors mace from sugar cane or coffee and hand-mace chocolates are among the most popular choices. Of course, we can't forget more conventional giveaways — with a Costa Rican twist, of course. Umbrellas or ponchos with a company logo for the rainforest trips. Carry-alls mace from the same natural fibers used to make coffee bags; and arrangements of orchids, heliconias and other tropical flowers.
Transportation
The rather abrupt increase in tourism to Costa Rica has had a very positive side effect in the field of transportation. Most of the vehicles in Costa Rica have been brought into the country within the last four or five years. Consequently, Costa Rica has a large fleet of late-model highway coaches, buses, coasters and vans. M vehicles are air conditioned, and the larger coaches are equipped with video monitors and washroom facilities. Most are owned and operated by transportation companies that rent them to local ground operators, although some DMC's have their own fleets (please see services descriptions for each company).
In all cases, experienced drivers take passengers to nearly every corner of the country on Costa Rica's more than 35,000 kilometers of road. Limousine service for VIP's is also available upon request. When travel time is limited, Costa Rica offers two domestic airlines and a number of charter services, including helicopters. With reasonable fares and airstrips in even the remotest corner of the country, just about any itinerary is possible, even during a short stay.
Communications & Technology
Costa Rica has one of the most technologically advanced telecommunications systems in Latin America. In fact, Costa Rica's forward-looking policies in telecommunications have attracted major production investment on behalf of corporations such as Motorola and Intel. From Costa Rica it is possible to dial direct to anywhere in the world. For credit card and collect calls, an international code connects you with an operator back home. Many companies now have 1-800 numbers so you may call toll-free from the United States and Canada to make the arrangements for your event.
Increasing numbers of companies are going online with the Internet. If your business meeting requires it, you can conduct research or access your own computer Piles from Costa Rica. All the major hotels offer the latest in audiovisual technology for your meeting: everything from sound systems to lighting and projection and conference calls vio satellite. Even at the smaller hotels you can count on slide projectors, overhead projectors, flip charts, white boards, televisions and VCR's.
Travel to Costa Rica 
