Your questions are important to us.

Each year we receive many questions. We have compiled the most frequently asked questions list below inorder to help you better understand le Dîner en Blanc.

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How many Dîner en Blanc events are there in the world?

There are about a dozen or so now. Most take place in Europe and total several hundred members each year. The most important Dîner en Blanc, which was also the starting point of the movement, is the one in Paris. Instigated over 25 years ago with a handful of friends, today it attracts 15,000 people.

Is the Dîner en Blanc really free?

Le Dîner en Blanc is first and foremost a gathering of friends. It is a non-commercial, organisation. The fee required of guests goes to cover the costs inherent to the organisation, e.g., bus rental, electricity, sound system, lighting, security, photographic and video services, and other small surprises peculiar to each event…

What must guests bring?

A table, two (white) chairs, a picnic basket comprised of quality menu items and china dinner service. They must wear white and be dressed elegantly. Originality is encouraged as long as it stays stylish and denotes taste.

What are the key rules of the event?

Le Dîner en Blanc is quite different from other evenings. Seats are allotted on site in a very specific manner. - Once confirmed, the presence of each guest thus becomes essential and mandatory, whatever happens and regardless of weather conditions; - Colour: white only; - Bring a picnic basket, white table cloth, table (between 28”x28” and 32”x32”) and foldable chairs (white); - Arrive and depart by bus or organised public transit; - Bring one’s refuse when departing and leave the place as clean as it was upon arrival.

How can we participate?

One must know a member of the organisation to receive an invitation. In other words, it’s a friendly co-optation system.

What is the size of the table guests need to bring?

The table does not have to be white as it will be covered with a white tablecloth. But it has to be square, foldable, and easy to carry. The size must be between 28 and 32 inches (71 and 81 cm).

There are lots of rules and many of the guests may find these restrictive. Isn’t there a risk that this will inhibit the spontaneity and festivity which are at the origin of the concept?

All these rules may in effect seem restrictive, and can be seen as over-controlling. One must keep in mind that the Dîner en Blanc is not an ordinary event. The evening takes place in a public place which was not designed for such a purpose and is often very busy. It must necessarily be very controlled in order for future editions to be held. Such measures never taint the festive and friendly spirit which prevails each year.

Will members registered for the first edition be automatically re-invited?

Yes. Only those having transgressed the rules or desisted at the last moment, deterred by ominous clouds, will not be re-invited to the following editions. Their name and email will be put on a black list, prohibiting them from registering for future editions.

Why are men generally seated on one side and women on the other?

Le Dîner en Blanc is a highly photogenic event. Colour, style, but also the symmetry of men and women are important components of this aesthetics. This has also always been the tradition of Diner en Blanc Paris. Moreover, regardless of the site, there is always a guest perspective which is more pleasing to the eye than the other. This first perspective is always given to women. Same sex couples are not requested to follow this guideline.

Is it an illegal activity?

Le Dîner en Blanc events are held on some of the most prestigious sites of the city, often without authorization. The first editions were not easy to put in place. Today, the authorities know the organisation and know that it’s always well controlled. Moreover, the event’s photogenic quality adds to the city’s image of a modern and stylish city, open to the world.

Why are the tables and chairs not being rented this year?

It’s almost impossible to find 1500 identical tables and it can be very difficult having to deal with several suppliers. In Paris, guests have always brought their own table and chairs and it’s much simpler that way. They thus play a bigger role and, in a way, they too become organisers of the festivity. As well, we would like to keep the same friends over several years and their table will in this way become cost-effective.

Will the event be cancelled or postponed in case of adverse weather conditions?

The presence of each guest is necessary and mandatory, regardless of the weather. Guests must provide for a white raincoat, transparent poncho or umbrella, the Dinner will be held at the designated time and date whatever the weather conditions.

With a waiting list of several thousand people, why not open up more registrations this year?

Le Dîner en Blanc is not trying to beat participation records. We wish to maintain the spirit and quality of the event. For this reason, we have no choice but to favour quality over quantity and to expand without taking shortcuts.

Can I organise a Dîner en Blanc in my city?

Faced with numerous requests to organize Dîner en Blanc™ in various cities of the world, the Dîner en Blanc International team has set up an exclusive service that supports organisers worldwide in the creation and management of such an event. We offer turnkey services that would allow any interested party to create a Dîner en Blanc™ event in their own city and associate it to the worldwide community. The Dîner en Blanc International started offering this service in 2012 in 18 cities around the world. In 2013, we plan to welcome another twenty cities worldwide into the Dîner en Blanc™ network. Don't hesitate to contact us, by clicking "Contact" down this page, we will be happy to assist you.

Why not let guests decide on the size and shape of their table?

For several reasons but mainly because of space restrictions of the site where the Dîner en Blanc will be held. This year, each square meter will be occupied by a table. For a row of 50 tables, if everyone brings a 34” (86 cm) table while the average has been calculated on a 30” (76 cm) basis ––as per last year––, the row will stick out by 5 metres at the end. So for organisation and security purposes we must limit the size of the tables. Another reason is that most cities have a limited number of public sites which can accommodate several thousand people. These sites must therefore be optimized every time we occupy them.

Is the Dîner en Blanc associated with a humanitarian or social cause?

What makes the Dîner en Blanc so popular is that it’s a “distinct” evening. There are no sponsors, no political or ideological agendas. Le Dîner en Blanc is simply a friendly gathering whose sole purpose is to experience a magical evening, in good company, in an environment which is both unusual and extraordinary.

Do I have to bring a guest?

Yes, registration is for 2 people only. Your guest can be a partner, a close friend, a relative, even a blind date! You will sit opposite your guest at your table.

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PRIVACY POLICY

Dîner en Blanc International ("DEB INT") platform consisting of websites, services, software applications and networks (“DEB”) allows you to optionally upload and share multimedia content and assist you in attending social events hosted in your city. DEB INT believes in informed consent and full disclosure of the use of data collected. You may visit this site as an unregistered visitor. However, to access all the features and use the site, you will have to register as a member. During the registration with DEB INT and its local DEB event affiliates, and optionally uploading images and videos, you provide some personal information about you. Your privacy is important to us. DEB INT is committed to safeguarding and preserving your privacy when you visit our site or communicate electronically with us. This Privacy Policy, together with our Terms of Use, provides an explanation as to what happens to any personal data that you provide to us, or that we collect from you. By using or accessing DEB, you agree to our privacy practices outlined below.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Collection of information
Cookies
Using your personal data
Other disclosures
Data transfer
Security of your personal data
Children's privacy
Policy amendments
Your rights
Third party websites
Updating information
Business transition
Contact information

Collection of information

DEB INT is the sole owner of information collected on this website. We will not share, sell, or trade this information to third parties in ways different from what is disclosed in this Privacy Policy.

We may collect and store the following kinds of data/information:

(a) Information automatically collected during your visit to this website (as a visitor or a member):
(i) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website, such as your IP address, geographical location, browser type, information about your computer, referral source, length of visit, number of page views and your interaction with the viewed pages;
(ii) information relating to any transactions carried out between you and us on or in relation to this website, including information relating to any website settings that you specify or purchases you make of our goods or services;

(b) Information provided by you/collected by us:
(i) information that you provide to us for the purpose of registering with us and using the functionality of the website;
(ii) information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to electronic notifications and/or newsletters from DEB INT;
(iii) information you provide to us including images and videos, for the purpose of using our website services;
(iv) any other information provided by you.

(c) Multimedia data:
Multimedia Data will be collected when you participate in interactive web applications. This video data will be used by DEB to train its computer algorithms for measurement and communication of certain metric including emotions and general mood of the user. DEB may further use this data to enhance its current services or evaluate its future services.

Cookies

We use cookies on this website. A cookie is a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, and stored by the browser. The text file is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify the web browser and provide personalized services to you.

We may send a cookie which may be stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. We may use the information we obtain from the cookie in the administration of this website, to improve the website's usability and for approved marketing purposes. We may also use that information to recognise your computer when you visit our website, and to personalise our website for you.

Our advertisers and partners may also send you cookies. Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. This may however, disable accessibility to some of the features of the websites.

(3) Using your personal data

Personal data submitted on this website may be used for the purposes specified in this privacy policy or in relevant parts of the website.

We may use your personal information to:

(a) administer the website;
(b) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the website;
(c) enable your use of the services available on the website;
(d) send to you goods purchased via the website, and supply to you services purchased via the website;
(e) collect payments from you;
(f) send you general (non-marketing) commercial communications;
(g) send you electronic notifications which you have specifically requested;
(h) send to you our newsletter and other marketing communications (relating to our business or the businesses of carefully-selected third parties, which we think may be of interest to you, by post or, where you have specifically agreed to this, by email, SMS or similar technology. You can inform us at any time if you no longer require marketing communications to be sent by emailing us at unsubscribe@dinerenblanc.info;
(i) provide select partners with information sufficient to create analytics and statistical information and further enhance DEB's current and future offerings;
(j) provide third parties with statistical information about our users – but this information will not be used to identify any individual user;
(k) deal with enquiries and complaints made by or about you relating to the website; and
(l) other uses.

We will not without your express consent provide your personal information to any third parties for the purpose of direct marketing.

(4) Other disclosures

In addition to the disclosures reasonably necessary for the purposes identified elsewhere in this privacy policy, we may disclose information about you:

(a) to the extent that we are required to do so by law;

(b) in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings;

(c) in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk); and

(d) to the purchaser (or prospective purchaser) of any business or asset which we are (or are contemplating) selling.

Except as provided in this privacy policy, we will not provide your information to third parties.

(5) Data transfers

Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy. Information which you provide may be transferred to countries some of which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those in force in the United States. You expressly agree to such transfers.

(6) Security of your personal data

We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

We store all the personal information you provide on our secure servers. All electronic transactions you make to or receive from us will be encrypted using SSL technology to prevent unauthorized access to your account information. We invest in security technology and aim to ensure that our processes meet or exceed industry standards.
Of course, data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet. However, we will notify you in case we observe any security breach.

You are responsible for keeping your password and user details confidential. We will not ask you for your password. Please do not share your pass word with others. Change your password regularly.

(7) Children's privacy

If you are under 13 years of age, you are not permitted to access this website. We do not collect or maintain personally identifiable data from children below 13 years of age. If we notice or it is brought to our notice that such information is collected, we will ensure to delete such information and terminate such account. A parent or legal guardian of a child under 13 years, who has become member of this website, may contact us at info@dinerenblanc.info to have that child's account terminated and information deleted.

(8) Policy amendments

Changes to the policy – in particular as to permissible uses of personal data: personal information collected on one basis will not be used for a different purpose by changing the terms of the privacy policy, without duly informing you.

We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes. Your continued use of this site constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you are registered with DEB INT, we will notify you of changes in our privacy policy by email.

(9) Your rights

You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you. You may instruct us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes by email to info@dinerenblanc.info at any time. California residents may further obtain the personalized information retained by us by sending us a written request at the address provided below.

(10) Third party websites

We may provide links to third-party websites, such as those of our business partners and online advertisers. These sites may collect information about you. Since we do not control the information policies or practices of these third parties, you should review their privacy policies to learn more about how they collect and use personally identifiable information. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of third party websites.

(11) Updating information
Please let us know if the personal information which we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated. The same will be corrected/updated within a reasonable time.

(12) Business Transitions

In the event that DEB INT or its affiliates go through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or the sale of a portion of its assets, members' personal information will, in most instances, be part of the assets transferred. Members will be notified prior to a change of ownership or control over their personal information. If, as a result of the business transition, members' personally identifiable information will be used in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection, they will be given a choice not to have their information used in this different manner as described in the Notification of Changes section, above.

(13) Contact information

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our treatment of your personal data, please send email to us at info@dinerenblanc.info or by post to DEB Privacy, Kalara Law Firm 1055 W 7^th Street # 650 Los Angeles, CA 90017, We will respond to your mail and take appropriate steps to resolve any issue within 21 days of receipt of your mail.

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