Location tips for meetings and events in the Alps

DESTINATION MOUNTAINS The conference and event locations in the heights are honing their USPs. These range from geological features to coolness and international appeal.______________________This article is from the publication Tagungen & Events: Seminar- und Kongresslocations 01/2016. Subscribe now!______________________In the 2015 summer tourist season, the Swiss hotel industry recorded 142,000 fewer overnight stays than in the same period of the previous year. The Alpine regions were hardest hit by the decline (Graubünden -7.8 percent; Valais -2.7 percent). To cushion this development, more and more leisure destinations are positioning themselves in the meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) sector.

Interlaken has a fantastic panorama to offer.Interlaken, which has been active in this segment for some time, is specifically marketing itself as an "all-in-one" destination. "We are clearly positioning ourselves in the congress business, which has great added value for the destination as a whole," says Carmen Fuchs, Sales & Marketing Assistant Interlaken Congress & Events AG. With the destination Thun/Lake Thun, which is part of the marketing organization and also focuses on conferences and events, as well as the incentive-strong Jungfrau region, Interlaken can cover all four 'MICE letters', according to Fuchs.Interlaken: in balanceThe target group primarily includes customers from Switzerland and the corporate environment as well as international associations. For the latter, however, accessibility is a major challenge. "We need to educate customers so that they understand that even the journey on a beautiful route is an experience," says Fuchs. It is also not easy to obtain the necessary hotel capacity in the summer months. "Targeted processing of customers and transparent communication will help us to generate business outside of the busy summer months in future," says Fuchs, adding that 2015 was a rather weak year in terms of events after a strong 2014. The volatility in the MICE business was felt and attempts were made to counteract this with various measures. "The MICE sector is exposed to strong cut-throat competition, especially for the letters C and E. We still see growth potential for the destination in meetings and incentives," explains Fuchs. In general, Interlaken needs to pursue a good sales and marketing strategy and work the markets in a targeted manner. "We are seeing a slight improvement in bookings for 2016, but we are still very challenged," says Fuchs. Another task is to find a good balance in the destination between the MICE guest and the vacation guest. "If there is an imbalance here, the MICE guest can suddenly feel uncomfortable with us," explains Fuchs.Interlaken is sprucing itself up in 2016. Many seminar hotels such as the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa are being renovated. The four-star Deltapark Vitalresort seminar hotel in Thun will open in March, and the ICE Magic ice skating experience will take place in the heart of Interlaken for the second season running until February 29, 2016.Davos: WEF as a driver

Despite the urban infrastructure, nature is the main protagonist in Davos.At the end of January, the attention of the international media was once again focused on Davos. With the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the modern congress center, the destination has an event with global appeal. "Our claim 'Davos - World's Finest Meeting Place' positions Davos as a clear leader in the global meetings market in the mountains," says Nuot A. Lietha, Head of Corporate Communication Destination Davos Klosters. The roots of meetings and congresses in Davos go back to the 19th century. According to Lietha, the much-cited "Spirit of Davos" is not a ghost. "Rather, it is one of the reasons for Davos' success as a venue for meetings," he explains. At 1560 m above sea level. Despite the urban infrastructure, nature is the main protagonist and gives congress participants the feeling that they are just a small part of the whole. "It is precisely this atmosphere that repeatedly makes it possible to find compromises and solutions that would have been unthinkable elsewhere," says Lietha.While the destination focuses on the areas of medicine and health, business and finance, education and research, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, transportation and automotive, art and culture, energy and the environment as well as sport and events in the conference and congress business, it secures the volume business of two- to four-star capacities and vacation apartments with various events. These include the Spengler Cup, the Swiss Alpine Marathon, Davos Nordic, Blick Langlauf and Art on Ice.Further growthAs Lietha explains, the 2015/2016 financial year is not yet complete, but the resort is on track and will probably exceed the previous year's figures. Davos will continue to develop in the future with events, meetings, the symbiosis of nature and the highest city, as well as a diverse range of sports, leisure and cultural activities. The aim is to be one of the strongest tourism brands in the Alps, and the infrastructure of Davos Klosters is being continuously expanded accordingly. Following the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn three years ago, another major project followed at the end of 2013 with the InterContinental Davos. In 2015, "Das Inn" and the Ameron Swiss Mountain Hotel were reopened. Extensive renovation work also took place at the Hotel Sunstar.Arosa: with hospitality

Arosa deliberately showcases the alpine lifestyle.The destination of Arosa wants to consciously celebrate the Alpine lifestyle. "The hospitality and friendliness that is lived in the villages and mountains should be emphasized," says Miriam Frei, Project Manager MICE at Arosa Tourism. The mountain region also boasts a wealth of activities and events. The offer appeals to all customers who are looking for an Alpine experience and rely on a top infrastructure." Frei explains that Arosa Tourism is very satisfied with the 2015 MICE year. "We got off to a good start to the congress year in the first half of the winter and were then able to maintain the occupancy figures of previous years," says Frei. At the same time, she emphasizes that the current times are challenging. But the company is looking ahead and trying to win over customers with a wealth of ideas, simple handling and a large portion of flexibility. "We can already point to good capacity utilization in the incentive business for 2016. We would be very pleased to receive one or two bookings in the congress center area," says Frei, who is currently offering a new seminar package: During the summer, companies can hire the connecting cable car between Arosa and Lenzerheide exclusively for a meeting. "The railroad runs directly over a geological zone where the European and African plates meet. It's definitely a very inspiring place for new creative approaches," says Frei.Flims: Combination of business and alpine experience

Combining alpine experience with business: this is how the Flims Laax destination positions itself.The takeover of the historic Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa by American company Z Capital Partners at the end of 2015 once again put Flims Laax in the spotlight of the national media. Not bad publicity for the Graubünden destination, which wants to position itself as a cool alternative to the big players in the conference and event sector. "We are closer to Zurich than other Alpine locations and can offer just as much," says Antonio Romero, Market Manager of the FLF Meetings organization. The aim is to anchor the conference region in the minds of event organizers as the perfect combination of business and experience, and although marketing has been increasingly focused on Switzerland since 2014, the company is also active in various foreign markets, including the UK, Benelux and Germany. "Outside Switzerland, our priority is companies that have an affinity with Switzerland and are not so price-sensitive," says Romero, who is currently looking for alternatives to Germany. "Our northern neighbors only book sporadically, although they were our main market until eleven months ago," explains Romero. Despite the strong franc, the dependence on the euro market and the bankruptcy of the Waldhaus, the 2015 financial year was not bad, however, and the focus will be on Switzerland in future. "We are convinced that the domestic market still has a lot of potential," explains Romero. It is positive that the Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa, the destination's flagship, now has a new owner. The entire MICE offering will benefit from the resulting synergies. The brand strategy is also new: "From now on, we will use the FLIMS and LAAX brands and no longer FLF Meetings," says Romero.Engelberg: For communities of interest and universities

Seminars in the mountains are popular. For example in Engelberg.Engelberg also relies on its proximity to Zurich and Basel, advertising that it is the quickest region in the Alps to reach for conferences and events. "Our region is perfect for events of all kinds for between 10 and 400 people," says Frédéric Füssenich, Director and CEO of Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus. With its own department for conferences and events, the company offers one-stop sales, which includes everything from transfers, accommodation and conferences to supporting programs. "The conference sector has become increasingly important for Engelberg. We have defined Meeting & Incentive as a strategic business area with high priority and want to continue to grow," explains Füssenich. There is still potential, particularly in the area of large events lasting several days with up to 400 people, and Engelberg-Titlis Tourism would like to use the conference offer to appeal to companies and associations as well as interest groups and universities. 2015 closed with a record year for conferences, and Füssenich is confident for 2016. Not least because of the new snowXpark, an environmentally friendly winter attraction. "Our electric snowmobiles produce no CO2 emissions and very little noise. The snowXpark is the highlight of every team outing in Engelberg, with its rider feelings and exciting racing atmosphere," says Füssenich.Appenzell: views and culinary highlights

The Appenzellerland focuses on views and culinary highlights.Appenzellerland is also located close to an urban center and, according to Peter Zadravec, Head of MICE, Appenzellerland Seminars & Events, its recipe for success is a mix of Alpine air, unique views, genuine hospitality and culinary highlights. "A seminar between the lake and the mountains is the right choice for gathering thoughts, opening up new perspectives and coming up with unconventional solutions," says Zadravec, adding that although the 2015 financial year was somewhat subdued, an increase is expected for 2016. With partners such as the Hotel Säntis on the Schwägalp, which opened in December 2015, the company has strong service providers and a good price performance. Appenzellerland also benefits from a high density of SMEs and large companies in the region of Eastern Switzerland. International companies in Switzerland and abroad are also attracted. "We are not far away, but practically on the outskirts of St.Gallen and are very easy to reach by public transport or car. Many customers are not aware of this," says Zadravec.For 2016, Appenzellerland Seminars & Events is presenting a new website, a new CI/CD and an expansion of its offering for conference customers.Whether it's good accessibility, hospitality or urban flair in the midst of impressive scenery: Alpine conference and event destinations will have to prove in the coming years whether they can actually hold their own against their urban competitors.Author: Denise Weisflog