Celebratory Centenary Dinner in Paris - Event Report

Alumni gathered for a special Centenary dinner, hosted by the Imperial College Alumni Association of France - 6 October 2007

Imperial's alumni group in France, the Imperial College Alumni Association of France (ICAAF), held their first annual event in October 2007, hosting a special Centenary dinner and reuniting over 40 alumni in Paris.

Held in the exclusive Bistro 121 restaurant, the celebratory event attracted a wide range of alumni of all age-groups and Faculties. The majority of alumni were Parisians, and also from further afield – Montpellier and Lyon in France, London and Nottingham in UK, and from Vienna in Austria!

Alumni were welcomed at the venue with a glass of champagne, and after the grand dinner, several speeches were made.

Chairman of ICAAF, Alexandre Tedeschi (Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1988, Physics 1990) spoke of the success of the evening in bringing together so many alumni, especially considering it was the Group’s first such event.

Zeba Salman, Alumni Relations Executive from Imperial College, encouraged alumni to give suggestions on the way forward for alumni relations in France.

ICAAF Committe member, Louis Cattan (Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1959, Civil and Environmental Engineering 1961, 1962), was instrumental in organising the dinner venue, and welcomed alumni to this special evening.

Alumnus, Andrew Hill (Chemical Engineering & Chemical Technology 1972, MSc 1973) spoke of fond memories of College life, bringing along his old College blazer and scarf!

Overall, an enjoyable evening was had by all, and alumni were keen to offer their suggestions for the future development of ICAAF and alumni relations in France. The evening had the added bonus of the France and England teams both winning their respective Rugby World Cup matches, with the restaurant offering celebratory Champagne!

If you would like to make contact with ICAAF, please contact them on ICAAF-subscribe@yahoogroupes.fr. ICAAF are keen to build on the success of this first such event, and if you do have any suggestions and/or thoughts on the development of the ICAAF group, and alumni relations in France in general, please do feel free to drop an email to the group.

*After the successful alumni dinner, Stephane Mousset, owner of the restaurant Bistro 121, will offer a complimentary glass of champagne to all dining Imperial College alumni and guests. Simply identify your alumnus status upon reservation/arrival. For restaurant details, please visit http://exclusive-restaurants.com/bistrot_121-fr.htm.*