Switzerland has something for everyone!

Beginning of July, on the occasion of the 12^th Meeting Trophy organised by Switzerland Tourism, HeadQuarters & MIM magazines were invited to join once again this unmissable summer event. Team Belgium, who actually won this year’s edition (for the fourth time I believe!), and seven other international teams took part in the rally from Verbier to Lausanne from June 30th to July 3rd.

Jesús Guerrero Chacón reports

Switzerland is a renowned destination both for conferences and corporate events thanks to the Swiss know-how and the country’s high-quality standards. An expertise that we, the participants, were able to experience first-hand throughout the Meeting Trophy.

This unusual fam trip for buyers coming from Europe and North America gives all the participants great networking opportunities and out of-the-box site inspections (which sometimes were a bit too short, even for me!) for future events in Switzerland.

In my opinion, the Trophy was a fam trip like no other, a perfect combination of activities which gave us a lot of information about the country’s offering. We visited a total of four destinations by the lakeshore. During the 3-day trip, we took the train, the bus, the famous Red Arrow-Churchill, we drove cars… but surprisingly this didn’t feel like we were running from one site to the other thanks to the good organization and transport network – all in all, it was the perfect fam trip, with a twist, many other destinations should get inspiration from.

Arty meetings in Geneva

The 4-star Manotel N’vY, located in the city centre of Geneva and walking distance from the train station and the lake, offers the guests a cosy and trendy environment.

The hotel, easy reachable from the Geneva International Airport, stands out for its urban chic and arty design offering different conference and meeting opportunities (3 meeting rooms with over 300 m²). I specially liked the smooth combination of art and music, one would think about New York City when entering the lobby.

Outdoors in Verbier

Located in the South-western Valais region, Verbier is not only a winter holiday resort for the rich and the famous. It also offers beautiful breath-taking mountain landscapes and a wide variety of high-class hotels and many incentive and business events choices with the Alps and the valleys as a stunning backdrop.

The first night, we were welcomed at the beautiful Chalet d’Adrien. This 5-star hotel showcases a Switzerland made wooden and cosy design, with a beautiful view to the Alps. It also boasts two conference rooms that can be set up in different ways to host small size meetings and luncheons.

The official kick off of the 12^th Meeting Trophy started with the teams receiving the rally book including information on all the activities and different questions about Switzerland we would need to complete to bring the trophy home.

During the first day of the Trophy, we had a taste of the many possibilities for incentives in Verbier (cheese raclette tasting, hiking, biking, ‘beach volley’, you name it). It was wonderful completing all the outdoor activities beginning of July with the snowy Alps as background.

After a 1st day full of activities, we headed to the W Hotel Verbier for a Valais evening and the first results. I really liked how this new 5 star hotel has kept the authentic character of the region while giving to the design a more modern style. In addition to the 123 rooms and suites, the hotel offers some 300 spm of meeting rooms.

Culture and wine tastings in Montreux Riviera

On the second day of our rally, we left Verbier behind to discover the wonders of the Montreux Riviera region, located alongside Lake Geneva, and her wide offering for meetings and incentives.

The beauty of its Belle Epoque architecture and its mild climate has attracted visitors for the last couple of centuries. The region received the visit of international celebrities such us Freddie Mercury, Igor Stravinski or Charlie Chaplin, who used to live there with his family.

During our visit, we had the chance to visit the beautiful Château de Chillon in Montreux, the Chaplin’s World in Vevey and the UNESCO World Heritage Vineyard Terraces of Lavaux.

Opened in April 2016, the Chaplin’s World is a must-see in the region. The museum not only gives a perfect overview of Charlie Chaplin’s life (a very interesting site even for people who, like me, don’t know much about him). Several parts of the museum can also be hired out for occasions such us gala dinners, business seminars or film screenings, which could be combined with a congress in the region. What an add-on!

Olympics in Lausanne

Lausanne, the fourth-largest city in Switzerland and capital of the canton of Vaud, is internationally renowned as the Olympic capital. 

The city is home to International Olympic Committee and the Olympic museum; but it is also the headquarters of many international associations and sport federations in Switzerland, becoming one of the primary centres for international association headquarters in Europe.

The Olympic museum offers many possibilities for business events. Wouldn’t it be nice to organise a gala dinner among Gold medals and Olympics torches? We had the great chance to experience it! The Award ceremony of the Meeting Trophy 2016 took place in the top floor restaurant facing lake Geneva and France across the lake.

We spent the last night of our trip at the 4 star Hotel d’Angleterre by Lake Geneva and the Olympic port. The hotel offers 75 rooms scattered over six different buildings in a nice atmosphere of peace and serenity.

Before heading back to Brussels, we visited the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. This beautiful 19th century building is located on the shores of lake Geneva and just 10 minutes from the city centre. This hotel counts among its world famous guests Victor Hugo, Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel, Nelson Mandela or Tina Turner. The Beau-Rivage Palace offers several function rooms for the most refined meetings.

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