Roland-Garros: a client reception on a boat before or after the matches

Over the two weeks of the tournament, hospitality around Roland-Garros is in very high demand. Official packages sell out early, places are limited and not all of your guests will necessarily have a ticket. A private boat on the Seine is no substitute for a box: it is a fallback or, better still, an extension that prolongs your clients' day.

This article focuses on one specific angle, organisation: lunch before the session, an after-match gathering once guests have left the courts, getting to and from Auteuil, and fitting it all around the schedule. We are not an official hospitality provider for the tournament: we offer the setting, alongside the event.

Why pair a boat with Roland-Garros

The stadium is in the west of Paris, at Porte d'Auteuil in the 16th arrondissement. The Seine is not far away, which makes the pairing a natural one: your guests move from a sporting atmosphere to a calm setting with views of the city.

Three situations come up often:

• you have tickets for only some of your clients, and you want to look after the others without leaving them out;
• your official hospitality is fully booked or too expensive for the guest list you have in mind;
• you want to add some time for conversation to a day whose programme leaves little room for it.

On a boat, you control the pace, the menu and the noise level. The tournament becomes the thread running through the occasion, not its only content.

Lunch before the session: the clearest format

Lunch on board works well when your guests have an afternoon session. The idea is simple: welcome, lunch, then departure for the stadium with a comfortable margin. Security checks, crowds around the stadium and finding the right entrance all take time, so it is best not to cut things fine.

A few pointers for building the programme:

• staggered boarding, with a relaxed welcome rather than a group arrival;
• a seated menu or a buffet, depending on whether you want focused conversations or free movement around the boat;
• an end-of-meal time announced in advance, with a reminder about the departure time;
• drinks suited to a day that carries on in the sun, with non-alcoholic options in mind.

As for the package itself, your adviser can point you to the formats already described in our guide to corporate lunches on the Seine.

After-match: extend the day without making it longer

The after-match is often the best moment to talk business without pressure. Your guests leave the stadium with a shared experience: the match becomes a natural talking point. A cocktail reception or dinner on board turns this moment into genuine time for building relationships.

Two things need anticipating, however. First, the end of play can vary depending on how the matches unfold: plan a flexible boarding time rather than a tight slot. Second, spectators heading back into the city create heavy congestion: a clear meeting point and organised transport will stop your guests getting lost in the crowd.

If you are looking for a more festive setting, our article on watching live sport on a boat offers ideas for guests who stayed behind and follow a match live without a ticket.

Getting to Auteuil: decide before you book

The journey between the mooring and the stadium can make or break a hospitality day. There are several options, each with different advantages:

• Private shuttle or coach: practical for a group, but subject to traffic restrictions around the stadium during the tournament;
• Ride-hailing or taxis: flexible for small groups, with a drop-off point to be agreed in advance;
• Metro: the Auteuil area is reasonably well served, but stations are busy at entry and exit times;
• Walking from the mooring: possible depending on where the boat is berthed, and best kept for groups with no time constraints.

The choice of boarding point therefore depends on this journey. For the return, our guide to ride-hailing, Noctilien and metro options details the useful choices after an evening out, and the one on access and parking at the quays will help you plan your guests' arrival.

Fitting the timing around the sessions

The tournament alternates daytime sessions with, on certain courts, evening sessions. Exact times change from one edition to the next and depend on the schedule published by the organiser: check them at the source when you build your plan, not months in advance.

A simple method for building your schedule backwards:

• start from the time you want to be at the stadium, then work back by the journey time, adding a margin for the unexpected;
• set the end of lunch or the cocktail reception a little before that point, with one person responsible for getting everyone moving;
• for the after-match, plan an open boarding window rather than a single time;
• appoint a contact on your side, who stays in touch with the boat and follows how the matches are going.

The weather in late May and early June can be changeable. A boat with both a covered area and an outdoor section gives you the choice, without having to decide in advance.

Choosing the boat according to group size

For a small group of key clients, a yacht offers an intimate atmosphere and easier conversation. For a larger group, a péniche gives more room to move around, set up a buffet and host in two stages, for example lunch followed by a cocktail reception for new arrivals. A moored boat suits you well if you want a reception without cruising and very tight control of timing.

To take the relationship side further, our article on the key account client evening and the one on a boat experience as a gift for your clients explain how to take care over the welcome, the protocol and the keepsake given to guests.

One last piece of advice: the tournament period is busy. The earlier you share your date, number of guests and transport constraints, the easier it is for us to propose a suitable boat and mooring.