Meetings in the midst of imposing mountains

Thrill Walk experience at the Schilthorn mid-station Birg.

Between the emerald green Lake Brienz and the deep blue Lake Thun lies Interlaken. The Bernese Oberland municipality is not only popular with international tourists, but also looks back on a tradition of over a hundred years as a venue for events.

The historic rooms of the Congress Centre Kursaal Interlaken and the legendary Grand Hotels have hosted countless conferences and top-class banquets. "In Interlaken, tradition and modernity, nature and luxury, business and tourism come together - the often-used term 'work-life balance' can be realized to perfection," says Flavio Sartori, Team Leader MICE Services, Sales & Marketing at Interlaken Congress & Events.

Sartori cites the combination of first-class meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) specialists, excellent tourist infrastructure and spectacular scenery as the destination's unique selling point. These attributes, he says, make Interlaken a unique meeting destination that repeatedly welcomes major events such as the Swiss Economic Forum, the Alpine Symposium and the Politforum.

Centrally located in the heart of Europe and Switzerland, the region is easily accessible by public transport or car. Distances on site are also short. The locations for congresses, meetings and events are close to the seminar hotels, so everything is within walking distance.

"Characterized by Lakes Thun and Brienz and framed by magnificent mountains with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau triumvirate, the destination also offers an unforgettable natural experience," explains Sartori. Thanks to this, an enormously wide range of enjoyable, relaxing, cultural or adventurous supporting programs and experiences are available directly in front of the event venues.

Historical hall in the Congress Centre Kursaal Interlaken.

Around 2.75 million overnight stays were generated in the entire Interlaken vacation region in 2018. The MICE business also plays an important role in value creation.

According to Sartori, numerous events take place at times less frequented by tourists and thus strengthen the supposed low season. Important and recurring events would guarantee a large regular clientele in hotels, locations and restaurants during this time and show the popularity of the destination as a congress and conference location.

Sartori cites one of the current biggest challenges in Interlaken's meeting and event business as the difficulty in obtaining sufficient lodging options in the desired hotel category for requests for large events during the overlapping vacation and MICE peak season. "However, a big advantage of Interlaken as a destination is that with options from Thun to Brienz and even as far as Grindelwald, there is a high lodging capacity and some bottlenecks can be solved," Sartori says.

There is a need to catch up in the type and distribution of events. Interlaken is a very popular destination for medical congresses, which often take place at the same time and lead to overlapping events. In some cases, this results in cancellations, which also has to do with the lack of sufficient location and accommodation options in the desired categories. "The destination would benefit from a wider range of event types. In addition, a distribution of events in the vacation off-season would help - our efforts are leading in this direction," says Sartori.

The most legendary hotel in the region, the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, has recently integrated its offerings outside the meeting infrastructure more strongly into the conference and event sector and created targeted packages. These include the wine & chocolate tasting with sommelière Daniela Wüthrich. For larger groups, the tasting is additionally supervised by a chocolate expert from Läderach. Yoga classes or Qi-Gong lessons in the hotel garden with a view of the Bernese Oberland mountains provide a sporty balance after a seminar. Bike or e-bike tours with the hotel's own personal trainer can also be booked as team-building activities.

The luxury hotel with over 200 rooms, junior suites and suites in various styles combines many services and offers under one roof. These can be integrated into the meeting program on request. In addition, there are numerous possible combinations of state-of-the-art meeting rooms and baroque halls, which are suitable for stylish dinners, for example.

For balance, yoga at the Victoria-Jungfrau Spa Nescens.

Groups benefit from a wide range of ships from BLS AG. There is a choice of modern business ships such as the MS Schilthorn, which is suitable for events with 80 to 130 participants, or more traditional floating venues. The two steamships provide historical experiences for customer or employee events. Events on Lakes Thun and Brienz are suitable for all group sizes. The mobile venues of the BLS fleet offer space for 40 to 500 participants. With charter ships, a high degree of privacy is guaranteed, and suitable starting and ending points for the event can also be determined.

BLS experiences can be booked not only on the water but also on land. In 2018, a new shipyard hall including a state-of-the-art dry dock was inaugurated in Thun, which, like the older shipyard in Interlaken, can be visited as a highlight of a corporate event. During a guided tour, participants learn interesting facts about shipping, practice throwing ropes and conclude the event with an aperitif. Shipyard tours can also be combined with an extra trip on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz.

The steamboat Giessbach on Lake Brienz.

Groups can experience thrills on the Schilthorn - Piz Gloria at 2970 m above sea level. The summit, which was the filming location for the 007 movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in 1968, is still a James Bond landmark today. A 360-degree revolving restaurant with 300 seats and a view of the surrounding mountains can be used exclusively for evening events. During the day, a James Bond brunch is served, followed by a visit to Bond World.

Corporate customers also have the opportunity to apply for the James Bond Trophy and choose the next James Bond or the next Jane Bond. The Schilthorn ticket includes the Thrill Walk, which is located at the Birg midway station and leads down into the vertical walls of the imposing rock massif.

On June 1, 2019, Schadau Castle on the southern shore of Lake Thun opened its doors after several months of renovation work. Now the historic premises and the newly designed catering business are open again for seminars, company celebrations and banquets.

The castle was built from 1846 to 1854 for a Neuchâtel banker and bears romantic and neo-Gothic style elements. It is surrounded by extensive English parkland, which incorporates the Thun Panorama by Marquard Wocher, the oldest surviving circular painting in the world.

High-proof tours are offered by Rugenbräu AG. The brewery in Interlaken, which is over 150 years old and still family-owned, produces numerous beers as well as Swiss Montain single malt whisky and Swiss Crystal gin. In a tour lasting about two hours, groups go through all the production steps. Afterwards, they have the chance to enjoy the beer or Mountain Twister aperitif with
to exchange ideas with the Rugenbräu guest advisors.

At the foot of the Bernese High Alps lies the Tropical House Frutigen, whose premises can be booked for workshops, meetings or celebrations. The group offer includes a wide range of social programs. These include a guided tour of the Tropic House, the Tropic House Rally, the theater and food spectacle "Murder in the Greenhouse", various specialist tours on topics such as "Gardening" or "Fish Farming", as well as adventure tours with a focus theme.

If you want to capture your memories in pictures in Interlaken, book a fun and creative photo shoot at Heidi's Foto-Chalet. The studio on the Höhenweg is equipped with a flexible green-screen background, making pictures of all kinds possible. Participants choose their preferred background and a matching outfit and let their creativity run wild. The photos are immediately transmitted electronically and can then be shared.

* from Denise Weisflog