Destination Focus - Switzerland
Switzerland, the land of milk and honey, with its white snow-capped mountains, incredible ski resorts, beautiful lakes and picturesque fairytale villages, it's hard for any visitor not to be taken under its spell. A country which is home to great tourist destinations, amazing culture, fun festivals, and delicious food.
But there's more to Switzerland than just mountains, chocolate, mountains of chocolate (mountains of cheese too) and the world's finest watches. So, let's carve into this wonderful piece of Europe with Goho’s events management Swiss army knife, and take a look at what this amazing place has to offer with regard to hosting events, and decide whether 'the playground of Europe’ has what it takes to hold your next event.
To cut a long story short, the answer is yes, Switzerland is the perfect place if you’re looking to execute a memorable, professional and unique event, but why? Well, the answer has to do with the DNA of this country and its people, which is deeply engrained and reflected in everything it has to offer. The high living standards in Switzerland are, of course, a factor of this country's financial stability, but also of the traditions and values of Swiss people, who greatly value honesty, hard work and a sense of responsibility, - also, considering their neutrality, you can gather that they are very peaceful people too.
This positive attitude and their overall culture has also affected the way they do business. Swiss people will expect you to always be on time and greet them with a handshake, and the business field has especially embraced women over the past few decades, which Goho is obviously in huge support and respect of. Art is a big part of the culture in most countries, and Switzerland is no different, the architecture, museums, and galleries are some of Switzerland’s most precious pieces of art.
Switzerland, like most of its European counterparts, offers excellent service, accommodation and transport links, with its rail network especially efficient and not to mention beautiful, serving up some of the greatest scenery in the whole world. A fast and reliable service that carves its way through the fairytale landscape, twisting and turning through lush valleys and expansive mountain ranges, the pride of Switzerland, passing the many lakes and alpine fields with glorious wild flowers, showcasing some of the world's best natural habitats intertwined with magical villages and towns.
The Swiss have their public transportation system down to a science, the trains are on time (to the second), and you can get across the whole country with just one ticket that works for multiple kinds of transportation, so it makes sense to use it rather than opt for a car. This ties in perfectly with the recent Goho blog on making your next event more sustainable, and what better place to do so than here, the Swiss are very eco-friendly and the country itself is a forward thinking and green-conscious nation.
Whether you are looking for state-of-the-art facilities or to host a conference in a beautiful setting, the country's event standards are reliable and inspirational. Whether it’s a hi-tech nightclub, stylish bar or high-end restaurant, there are locations and venues to suit all budgets. There are plenty of congress centres, meeting facilities, halls and exhibition spaces, for example ‘SIX ConventionPoint’, a large state of the art and ultra-modern venue in the middle of Zurich's trendy Western district, with different spaces catering for all event sizes, utilising innovative audio/visual technology and conferencing services. Notable other venues include the Montreux Music & Convention Centre and Sektor11, two state of the art convention halls offering world class technology and event hosting services. Away from Zurich, we have Bern, the capital city with a stunning panoramic view, famous for its tourist hotspot in the enchanting old town, with a healthy choice of five-star hotels as well as top class boutique offerings, great restaurants and bars, this picturesque location may be just the ticket.
Lucerne is also a big tourist destination thanks to its great lake and mountain backdrop. Grindelwald World Snow Festival is an event that gathers around all artists and sculptors that specialise in ice sculptures, the festival goes on for six days, during which the sculptures are exposed around the city, giving an unforgettable experience to locals and tourists until the ice melts. Another winter festival is the International Balloon Festival held in the village of Château-d’Oex. For eight days, more than 80 hot air balloons from 20 different countries float over the snowy Alps. White Turf is a horse racing, gourmet food, lively music and inspiring art exhibitions festival, taking place in St Moritz, and of course, there are countless ski-resorts and tourist areas in the mountainous region. There is a long list of locations and venues should you wish to hold your event in this charming country that has a lot to offer in terms of beauty, fun, service and hospitality.
As we mentioned at the start, Switzerland is a great place to host events, from the Alpine resorts to the historic cities, stunning lakes and enchanting villages, from corporate events and company incentives to conferences and team building events, Switzerland has it all … and don’t forget the mountains of cheese and chocolate!
