Federal and capital for meetings and events

Culinary above the clouds: Gurten Park in the countryside

The federal city of Bern is positioning itself as the capital for meetings and events. Its central location and function as a link between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland make the city an ideal destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) for companies operating throughout Switzerland.

Bernhard Rhyn, Head of Meetings at the marketing organization Bern Welcome (see box), emphasizes the short distances and the smooth transition between city and nature. "The variety of different locations in such a small area is unique," says Rhyn.

Whether historic halls (Casino, Kornhaus), modern congress centers (Kursaal, Welle7), "masterful" stadiums (PostFinance Arena, Stade de Suisse), venues with an industrial groove (Stufenbau, Kubus Eventlokal) or much more - Bern has a lot to offer.

"As a university and federal city, unique opportunities reveal themselves to engage interesting speakers and include unique institutions in a congress or corporate meeting," explains Rhyn. The density of SMEs and large, internationally active companies such as CSL Behring, Toblerone and Swisscom should not be underestimated.

Bern can also offer exciting social programs for team building that you don't find everywhere, says Rhyn. These include a perfume workshop, roasting your own coffee, a creative workshop at the Paul Klee Center, a beer tour or a guided tour of the city on a scooter.

Culinary delights are also relevant for the MICE sector, with Bern boasting a high density of Gault Millau points and Michelin stars, among other things. Rhyn: "Last but not least, Bern is known for its decelerating atmosphere, which has a positive effect on participants."

Following a total refurbishment, Casino Bern will reopen its doors in fall 2019. For a total of 78 million Swiss francs, the house was rejuvenated and equipped with completely new technology.

At the Best Western Hotel Bern, the seminar rooms, the entrance area and all rooms will be redesigned and renovated by February 2020. The highlight will be a new rooftop bar above the roofs of the old town.

The Hotel Allegro of the Kursaal Bern will also be renovated. Here, all 171 rooms will be renovated between August 2019 and April 2020. In addition, Bern will get two more business hotels. The new openings of the first Prizeotel in Switzerland and the Moxy by Marriott are planned for winter 2019/2020.

As an event and congress location, the Zentrum Paul Klee (ZPK) offers experiences in a vibrant art and cultural center. Each of the six event rooms has its own character.

The auditorium is suitable for meetings, congresses and concerts, while the multifunctional forum, which covers more than 300 square meters, offers space for seminars, product presentations, aperitifs and gala dinners. The offer is rounded off with four seminar rooms for up to 70 people. The location includes the Museumsstrasse, which can be used as a catering, exhibition or meeting zone.

The ZPK has a high-quality, internationally award-winning multimedia infrastructure, which is operated by in-house administrative technicians. The supporting program of guided tours and creative workshops also offers various ways to complement an event, making it a lasting experience.

Culinary delights at the ZPK are provided by the operators of the Schöngrün restaurant. From breakfast to aperitifs, coffee breaks and stand-up lunches to gourmet banquets or gala dinners, they rely on products from selected small producers in the region.

Impressive, modern architecture: Zentrum Paul Klee

An urban ambience can be found at the Kubus Eventlokal. Its infrastructure and the culinary offer, which is organized as a personal food station festival, allow for an uncomplicated get-together. The location offers space for 900 guests and has an 800 square meter roof terrace. Thanks to good public transport connections and free parking, the event venue is also suitable for celebrations by companies with different locations. In addition, all the furniture is rollable, which means that the interior can be adapted to individual needs.

The Gurten, Bern's local mountain, offers ideal conditions for experiencing unique moments far away from the city and noise. At the "Gurten - Park im Grünen", every event is looked after from A to Z by the Gurten team, so that every occasion can be designed according to the individual wishes of the guests. As marketing manager Martin Geiger emphasizes, the Gurten is not an event machinery, but a place with a special charm, a fantastic panorama at 858 meters above sea level and cordial guest service. Guests can be in the countryside in 17 minutes by public transport and have a unique view over the federal city.

Last year, the "Welle7 Workspace" was named the best meeting location in Switzerland. The operators have set themselves the same goal for 2019 and want to further develop the offerings in line with customer needs. The focus will be more on experiences, and more meeting and event rooms will be available, as well as additional package solutions and services.

Since the beginning of February, Welle7's owner, Genossenschaft Migros Aare, has also owned the in-house restaurant "the flow", enabling a one-stop culinary offering. The more than 80 individually furnished meeting and event rooms with guest services - right next to Bern train station - can also be rented by the hour on request.

The Berner Generationenhaus is positioned as an urban oasis next to the Bern train station. At
On the top floor of the building, stylishly developed rooms with state-of-the-art technology are available for conventions, conferences, meetings, banquets and exercise classes. The Berner Generationenhaus includes a large, landscaped courtyard, which is ideal for short breaks during longer meetings or workshops.

As a public place of encounter and dialog, the Generationenhaus offers added value for companies and their guests with its range of events. Currently, the location invites with the exhibition "forever young. Willkommen im langen Leben" (Welcome to a long life), the location is currently inviting visitors to discuss existence in an aging society. A topic that should also be of interest to companies.

The Berner Kornhaus was built from 1711 to 1718 and is considered one of the major works of the Bernese High Baroque. In the past, grain stores were kept on the three upper floors, while wine barrels were stored in the cellar. Today, the Kornhauskeller is a restaurant run by Bindella that exudes a sacred grace. The restaurant and gallery bar can seat a maximum of 500 guests (banquet seating) or 700 (standing).

Bindella, with its wide range of wines and spirits, offers the possibility of a tasting or a bar-mix course. The restaurant cultivates a Mediterranean cuisine complemented by hearty Swiss classics and Bernese specialties. Attractive in the warm season is the Kornhaus summer terrace with drinks, grill, ice cream as well as table football under palm trees and olive trees.

Historic meeting place: the Kornhaus cellar

The Kulturhof Schloss Köniz southwest of Bern offers a variety of usable and combinable rooms and outdoor areas, with which the most diverse customer wishes can be covered. Bookable are, among others, the knights' hall and a knights' parlor including knights' kitchen, the horse stable, the castle park, the castle door or the Chornhuus.

Every customer who rents a room or a location in the Kulturhof is allowed to use a part of the adjacent castle courtyard. The Kulturhof is easily accessible by public transport, but also offers ample parking in the immediate vicinity.

Away from the urban hustle and bustle, seminars can also be held in the nearby rural regions of Emmental, Gantrisch and Oberaargau. In typical country inns and castles, nestled in powerful landscapes, participants recharge their batteries and develop new ideas.

* from Denise Weisflog