Days in the monastery
That's why word has spread among managers that total retreats can be a good way to pause for a moment and face up to the critical debate within a company; in private life, this could be a retreat for one or more weeks, but hardly in business. But why not a retreat for two or three days? many monasteries only work with individual retreatants, for example Kappel Monastery or Marienstein Basel. And these houses also offer contemplation and self-discovery programs for individuals. Others, however, have specialized in looking after corporate clients and do so on a commercial basis.Hospitality for 1400 yearsDisentis Abbey in the canton of Graubünden is an abbey of the Swiss Benedictine Congregation and was founded around the year 720. The image familiar to all travelers to Graubünden is the over 300-year-old baroque-style church with its two towers. Today, the monastery houses an art and cultural history collection from the Middle Ages as well as a grammar school. Silvio Bernasconi is the director of the Retreat & Cultural Center and offers companies from the lowlands events for team spirit or just for reflection and retreat.
Cornelia Scheiwiller is Head of Marketing and Culture and knows what corporate customers are looking for. "We offer a whole range of activities and experiences: For example, guided tours of the monastery with or without an organ concert, meditation training for deep relaxation, 'Wake-up-the-Samurai-in-you' as a mindfulness seminar or participation in a prayer by the monks. There are also guided tours of our carpentry workshop or hikes in the hilly, fairytale-like surroundings of the monastery. "The majority of bookings come directly from business circles, but there are also external seminar organizers who rent conference rooms. The performance of Fischingen Monastery is impressive. Ms. Scheiwiller speaks of a total of around 600 events and several classical concerts that take place there every year.www.klosterfischingen.chRising demandAnd another Thurgau provider is also involved in this sector, but with even more jobs and opportunities. The former Carthusian monastery of Ittingen is located near Frauenfeld, beautifully nestled between forests, vineyards and hop fields. Valentin Bot is responsible for the hotel and restaurant operations and a total of 25 seminar rooms and 7 banquet halls. The rooms on offer include the "Remise" with 368 square meters; 170 guests can work in seminar style or 450 can meet in theatre-style seating. Retreats à la Disentis are of course no longer possible here; most bookings are day-to-day business without overnight stays. And the performance in Ittingen is even more impressive. Valentin Rot explains: "We host around 1000 events a year, from very small (two people) to very large. Like many other monasteries in Switzerland, we have invested and professionalized our services in recent years.www.kartause.chOverall, the demand for such special events is increasing; understandably as a countervalue to the fast, hectic and digitalized world. Companies can indeed consider a conference in a monastery for their employees or management team, but only if they are clearly aware of the messages they are sending out with such a location. Simply presenting it as a "new idea" is pointless and tends to make a stay in a monastery look ridiculous. The goal has to be right for the format to work.
Cornelia Scheiwiller is Head of Marketing and Culture and knows what corporate customers are looking for. "We offer a whole range of activities and experiences: For example, guided tours of the monastery with or without an organ concert, meditation training for deep relaxation, 'Wake-up-the-Samurai-in-you' as a mindfulness seminar or participation in a prayer by the monks. There are also guided tours of our carpentry workshop or hikes in the hilly, fairytale-like surroundings of the monastery. "The majority of bookings come directly from business circles, but there are also external seminar organizers who rent conference rooms. The performance of Fischingen Monastery is impressive. Ms. Scheiwiller speaks of a total of around 600 events and several classical concerts that take place there every year.www.klosterfischingen.chRising demandAnd another Thurgau provider is also involved in this sector, but with even more jobs and opportunities. The former Carthusian monastery of Ittingen is located near Frauenfeld, beautifully nestled between forests, vineyards and hop fields. Valentin Bot is responsible for the hotel and restaurant operations and a total of 25 seminar rooms and 7 banquet halls. The rooms on offer include the "Remise" with 368 square meters; 170 guests can work in seminar style or 450 can meet in theatre-style seating. Retreats à la Disentis are of course no longer possible here; most bookings are day-to-day business without overnight stays. And the performance in Ittingen is even more impressive. Valentin Rot explains: "We host around 1000 events a year, from very small (two people) to very large. Like many other monasteries in Switzerland, we have invested and professionalized our services in recent years.www.kartause.chOverall, the demand for such special events is increasing; understandably as a countervalue to the fast, hectic and digitalized world. Companies can indeed consider a conference in a monastery for their employees or management team, but only if they are clearly aware of the messages they are sending out with such a location. Simply presenting it as a "new idea" is pointless and tends to make a stay in a monastery look ridiculous. The goal has to be right for the format to work.
