When the company hits the jackpot

"Casinos offer the appeal of something special," says Martin Vogel of Swiss Casinos.The roulette wheel spins, the tension rises, and finally the white ball comes to rest on the red three. Disappointment spreads around the table - none of the players has bet correctly. But at least the chips were offered by the boss. Corporate events in casinos are especially popular during the cold season. Between November and March, packages with food, drink, game explanations and money are an alternative to traditional Christmas and end-of-year dinners. Meetings and events in connection with the ambience and offerings of a casino are an unusual experience and offer the attraction of something special," says Martin Vogel, Head of Marketing and Communications at Swiss Casinos. The group's four casinos, Swiss Casinos Pfäffikon-Zürichsee, Swiss Casinos St.Gallen, Swiss Casinos Schaffhausen and Swiss Casinos Zürich, offer different packages in the business sector.Swiss Casinos Pfäffikon-Zürichsee cooperates with the adjacent Hotel Seedamm Plaza, which focuses on conferences, seminars, banquets and events. Packages offered jointly with the casino include "The First Visit to the Casino", "Eat, Play and Enjoy" and "Fondue Chinoise and Casino". A brand new offer is "Dining with pleasure - pure entertainment", where companies can combine a team event with an aperitif, a three-course meal and an exclusive blackjack tournament. The winning prize is a bottle of champagne, and participants have the opportunity to play croupier themselves. "Our casino packages are mainly booked by small businesses or departments of various companies," explains Tanja Köppen, Event and Marketing Manager Seedamm Plaza. Similar synergies result from the immediate vicinity of the Swiss Casino St.Gallen with the Radisson Blu Hotel. "We have a package that involves our Olivé restaurant and the casino," says Florence Schelling, Sales and Marketing Coordinator Radisson Blu Hotel, St.Gallen. Guests can choose between a three-, four- or five-course menu, and the package also includes gaming chips, a prosecco at the casino bar, a guided tour of the casino including gaming tips, and parking in the underground garage. "Demand for the casino offer is good throughout the year and increases towards the end of each year," says Schelling. Depending on the season, there are two to four "Play and Enjoy" packages per week. Most of these are booked by smaller groups.Cooperation with local restaurantsSwiss Casinos Schaffhausen has its own event hall with daylight that can accommodate a maximum of 150 people. It is suitable for parties, workshops, audio or video conferences, exhibitions, general meetings and customer events. In addition, the casino offers various packages with local restaurants that include dinner, a visit to the casino and, if desired, overnight accommodations. The "Casino-Apéro", which is aimed at groups of between ten and 80 people, is held in the house itself. This includes alcoholic beverages, canapés, a personal tour of the casino, table game explanations for Black Jack and Roulette, and gaming chips.Swiss Casinos Zurich does not have a conference infrastructure, but also offers packages with various catering and hotel partners. Those wishing to offer their employees a particularly exclusive experience can have a Hummer H2 pick them up for their visit to the casino. The luxury car with champagne bar can seat up to eight people.From salon to clubVarious conference and event facilities can be found at Grand Casino Baden. They range from a salon for small groups and a multifunctional event hall to Club Joy, which can be booked exclusively. "We offer a platform for seminars, conferences, banquets, company celebrations and weddings," says marketing manager Beat Lehmann. He adds that the in-house sales department is constantly developing new offers and packages for private and corporate clients. "As one of the largest Swiss casinos, we offer numerous entertainment options. For example, food-and-beverage services can be combined with a limousine service or an exclusively bookable entertainment dinner," explains Lehmann. The mobile "Rent-a-Casino" module can be used for external locations and is very suitable as part of corporate events, he adds. "Professional croupiers introduce participants to the rules of Grand Jeu, Roulette, Black Jack, Poker or Baccarat. The games are not played for money, but for small prizes in kind or just for fun," explains Lehmann. He estimates that Grand Casino Baden generates around 30 percent of its revenue in the banquet sector. In 2013, about 10,000 visitors were counted in this segment.Engadine atmosphereCasino St.Moritz offers a range of entertainment programs throughout the year. These range from the "Passion Night" and the "Venetian Carnival" to the "Moulin Rouge Night". "As the casino is open from 8 p.m., the premises can also be used very well for meetings during the day. Surrounded by American Roulette tables and slot machines, this creates a very special atmosphere that is unique in the Engadine," says Casino Director Carmen C. Haselwanter. The packages are used by companies, groups and individual guests from Switzerland and neighboring countries. With the conference offer one addresses international enterprises and hotels. "When designing packages and conferences, Casino St. Moritz's motto is clearly to cater to individual wishes as far as possible," says Haselwanter. For the various events, guest feedback is gathered and adjustments are made according to the feedback. Casino St.Moritz is open daily from June to October and from December to April. As the director explains, the individual packages can also be booked outside opening hours by appointment. "Since the entertainment program of our hotel is considered an attractive additional offer in the Engadine area, the events are booked with pleasure, especially in the off-season," says Haselwanter. Consequently, he said, the conference and event offering will be expanded in the medium term.Concerts, meetings and other events can be held at the Grand Casino Basel. The music hall is known beyond the country's borders thanks to its acoustics and can accommodate 1508 guests. The event hall on the second floor is suitable for banquets, seminars, conferences and can be variably seated. Depending on the configuration, it has a capacity for 40 to 250 people.The CasineumVarious rooms can be booked for events at the Grand Casino Lucerne. The fully air-conditioned Panorama Hall with an area of 570 square meters has daylight and offers a view of the mountains and Lake Lucerne. The neo-baroque Casineum is dominated by a magnificent main hall dating from 1882. On the second floor is the gallery with a bar, which is ideal for VIP zones or small-scale aperitifs.The Casineum can be used for press conferences, product presentations, vernissages or parties, among other things. Directly adjacent to it is "The Club", which provides a contrast to the Casineum with its purist furnishings and can accommodate a maximum of 120 people.The Grand Casino Bern does not have any seminar facilities, as this area is covered by the neighboring Kursaal Bern. However, all event and conference guests of the Kursaal receive free admission to the casino, as Alexandra Maurer, Head of Corporate Communications at Kongress + Kursaal Bern, explains.Author: Denise Weisflog