How Speed U Up is rethinking the Alpine region from a villa in Chur
Right in the heart of Chur stands a villa. A house steeped in history—and now with a future. Here, the digital team Speed U Up celebrated not only their move into the space but also their identity as a pioneer of digital transformation in the Alpine region. m&k was on site to capture the voices and atmosphere.
A pool party had been announced, but the weather remained stubborn. But that didn't dampen the energy: Speed U Up celebrated together with the partners BrightPlaces and Thoesch the move into the new villa on Gäuggelistrasse in Chur. The event was more than just a change of location - it was a statement. Under the motto "Tear down the barriers!", strategists, creatives, tech experts and Graubünden celebrities came together to show what Speed U Up is all about: ambition, teamwork - and the courage to be different.
What Speed U Up does - and how they do it
Speed U Up positions itself as a digital pioneer in Alpine tourism. The agency with its roots in Innsbruck is now also present in Zurich and Chur and pursues the goal of creating digital experience services from the Alps. In practice, this means that Speed U Up implements data-driven campaigns for destinations such as Zillertal, Mayrhofen-Hippach, Seefeld, Chiemgau and Berchtesgaden, combines native ads with social content, optimizes booking routes and boosts visibility through semantic SEO. The team combines technological precision with emotional staging - for example through the use of TikTok or voice interfaces such as the interactive "Tirol Skill" for Alexa. Speed U Up is also attracting attention in Switzerland: the agency created a multi-layered recruitment campaign for Airline Assistance Switzerland (AAS) around Zurich Airport - from digital out-of-home to social media. The claim: not to be the loudest, but the most consistent agency in the Alpine region - with a clear focus on creation, technology and strategy.
Structured small, but scalable
What at first glance looks like a classic network agency with scattered units is a deliberately chosen form at Speed U Up. Together with BrightPlaces and Thoesch, a new constellation is being created in Chur - a digital experience group that aims to put transformation in tourism, mobility and energy on a new footing.
And yet, despite all the vision, there is also a critical question: how can the necessary speed, uniformity and customer proximity be maintained with such a fragmented structure? This is a question that many agencies have to ask themselves today - especially if they want to operate and grow strategically at the same time.
Sven Thoenes brings it all together in conversation with m&k to the point:
"What sets us apart is the fact that we have managed to scale small structures."
It's a sentence that sums up the Speed U Up model precisely: many heads, networked but agile. An agency structure that is not centralized, but connected - through attitude, not hierarchy.
Between pink villa and digital vision
The fact that a pink villa in Chur serves as the home for this vision is no coincidence - it is part of the narrative. It symbolizes the break with clichés. For a digital company that doesn't rely on glass boxes, but on personality. For an agency that not only masters tools, but also creates atmosphere.
This atmosphere was palpable at the opening event - despite the rain, despite the wet pool. Between Moretti, bratwurst, balloons, ideas and reflections, a picture emerged of how digitality can also be conceived and created from the mountains. Not as a contrast to urbanity - but as a complement, as a counterpoint, as a space of possibility.
A selfie with an impact
When a Speed U Up employee asked for a selfie with the reporter, it was more than just a charming moment. It was a small sign that journalistic work is also part of the ecosystem - visible, approachable, with an impact. Those who tell stories help shape them. And those who listen often understand more than algorithms ever could.
Conclusion: New thinking often begins where few look
Speed U Up is not the first agency to think digitally from the Alps - but it is one of the few that consistently combines this with regional roots, an international perspective and operational implementation. The villa in Chur is both a starting point and a symbol: for a new, self-confident agency culture in the Alpine region.
The video with voices from the villa and the spirit of the new alliance is available here - produced by Beat Hürlimann, on the road for m&k as reporter, cameraman and narrator.
