The exotic world of experience - events with a difference
SPECIAL LOCATIONS When looking for a special experience for an event, exoticism is a must. The following Swiss providers show how a tropical atmosphere, closeness to nature and a love of animals can be combined with conferences and events.This article appeared in the January issue of "Meetings & Events". More exciting info from this industry is available here.When the usual restaurant is no longer enough, when a special occasion is being celebrated or when you simply want to try something different, then the experience venues are in demand. They create a world of experience with their ambience. Like the entertainment restaurants where clowns perform, or those that take you to other countries - to nature, for example. Eating in nature is a feeling of freedom and is often sought out as an alternative to crowded restaurants. Such exotic moments create the following localities.Glacier Garden1872 in Lucerne: Josef Wilhelm Amrein-Troller discovers glacier pots in the rock while building a wine cellar. He wants to preserve these and instead opens a glacier garden, which includes his home as a museum and a park with plants and fish pond.The Lucerne Glacier Garden is also known as "Vrenelisgärtli" and offers some possibilities for a corporate event. The supporting program speaks for itself: In addition to walking in the garden with its branching pathways, large trees and subtropical palm beach, visitors can view the Millenia Show, the oldest mountain relief in the world and the landscape relief of Central Switzerland in the museum. The labyrinth, built in the style of the Alhambra of Granada, counts 90 mirrors.
Josef Wilhelm Amrein-Troller's former house is now a museum for glaciers.In all three areas companies can organize their event. In summer, for example, the terrace in the garden invites to an aperitif. It offers space for up to 200 people. Also in the museum "Amrein Haus" the rooms invite to stay. In addition, presentations for an audience of up to 100 people can be held in the gallery room with its technical infrastructure. The mirror labyrinth can accommodate 80 people. It is a suitable place for a standing aperitif. The Gletschergarten does not have a restaurant, but a caterer can be hired on request.In May 2014, the "Fels" project was launched. This offers visitors an adventure tour in the rock, which will lead to the expanded park area via an underground mountain lake and a vertical garden courtyard.Botanical gardensIf you are interested in gardens in particular, you should take a look at the Botanical Gardens Bern , St.Gallen and Zurich look around. The oases in the middle of the city resemble a trip around the world from the Alps to the Mediterranean feeling with palm trees and on to cacti, orchids and steppe plants.
Dining in the Botanical Garden of Bern - among tropical plants.All three gardens offer guided tours for groups, where specific topics can also be selected. For example, a group in the Zurich garden can learn about the world of medicinal plants, edible wild plants, useful plants and incense plants, the group in St.Gallen can learn about the tropical house and in Bern there is, among other things, an introduction to poisonous plants.Here it is advisable to orientate yourself according to the season - not every plant and guided tour can be visited at any time.Before and/or after the social program, visitors can have refreshments. In the Botanical Garden Bern (BOGA) there are rental rooms for larger and smaller groups. Likewise in St.Gallen, where the Tropical House can be rented. In Zurich, there are no rental rooms, but the cafeteria can be booked for events.Giardino VerdeAnother exotic seminar and event location is the Giardino Verde in Zurich at the foot of the Uetliberg. 2000 tropical plants, such as orchids and palms, and a waterfall create a natural atmosphere. In addition to various event rooms, the location has a Sunday restaurant open once a month and its own nursery with more than 150 varieties of trees and plants spread over four greenhouses.
Giardino Verde for a natural atmosphere for a corporate event.Giardino has three event rooms and an aperitif garden. Giardino1 is the second largest room and is suitable for events with up to 250 participants. The special floor plan makes it possible to retreat to a cozy lounge or sit at the Cuban bar. In addition to the exotic plants, a fountain adorns the space. Giardino2 is especially suitable for presentations, as it can be darkened. The room can accommodate up to 150 participants. Giardino3 is the largest room for up to 800 guests. It has a stage for performances and speeches. An aperitif can be taken in the foyer of the room. In summer, the outdoor aperitif garden is recommended. In addition to product presentations, seminars, corporate parties and banquets, team building events can be organized by the Giardino team upon request. Moreover, theme nights can be organized, for example a Cuban evening with Caribbean buffet and cigar rolling or the Las Vegas night with poker, roulette and blackjack with a rich menu. For adventurers there is the pirate night with treasure hunt and rum barrel tossing.Walter ZooNot only the flora but also the fauna is considered exotic. Therefore, zoos often offer their location for meetings and events. For example the Walter Zoo in Gossau. It houses 500 animals in over 100 species from all continents. The grounds provide an exciting backdrop for aperitifs, banquets and conferences, whether in the chimpanzee house, the tiger den or the zoo restaurant with a view of the tropical house.
Zoos are popular for meetings and events, especially because of the animal highlights. (Image: Walter Zoo)The repertoire also includes a seminar room and two restaurants. The former is called Oktagon and can accommodate 28 people with seminar seating and 60 with concert seating.Between March and October, a circus tent is erected that can be used for aperitifs, banquets and meetings. For the colder days, the restaurants are recommended. The Panorama can seat 120 people and the Zoo Restaurant, which is also equipped with a stage, can seat up to 100 people.The social program includes guided tours and presentations, during which the animals' way of life is explained. It is possible to book full or half days with five or three show blocks of 30 minutes each. A popular attraction is the tiger activity. To keep the four Siberian tigers mentally fit, they are brought into an arena where their natural dispositions are encouraged.Jucker FarmEvents of a different kind are also offered by the Jucker Farm with their farms in Jona or Seegräben. The latter, above Lake Pfäffikon in Zurich, has three smaller seminar rooms. The smallest is the Denk-Stube for up to 32 people and is also suitable for company dinners. Up to 90 people can be seated in the Panorama-Stube. As the name suggests, this room has a view of the Zurich Oberland and a terrace. The See-Stube is suitable for events for up to 48 people. The room is located on the lower floor of the residential building, with a view of the lake.The heart of the farm is the experience programs and themed seminars. At the farm tournament, participants compete in seven disciplines. These include cow milking, cherry stone spitting, chicken slinging, tractor balancing and ski course. The Seegräben farm also includes an apple maze, where the errant learn about apples.
The Juckerfarm farms have a wide range of adventure programs. For example, the apple labyrinth at the Seegräben farm. Berries also belong to a farm, this program includes picking. Those who like to bake or can't do it at all may be interested in the baking workshop, where the previously picked berries can be processed. Those with a creative streak may try their hand at sand or ice and create sculptures. Daredevils should not miss the firewalking. An instructor will introduce the art of firewalking. The adventure programs also include a wilderness tour where participants must rely on their senses. Listening and touching are practiced in the forest.The Juckerfarm also has a culinary offer, which can be taken, for example, at an outdoor aperitif around a romantic campfire with farm-fresh specialties. The HofChuchi offers other seasonal, rustic creations - from Rafzer Nüsslisalat and pumpkin cream soup to buffet variations with Farmerburger, apple rösti or ham in puurebread dough to homemade apple strudel.Author: Melanie Granados
