Switzerland has a number of very big advantages for the organisers of international conferences. Location and Accessibility The first one is, of course, location. The country is located in the geographical centre of the European Union and that means it’s almost equally easy to get to for delegates travelling from say Portugal, Poland, Scandinavia or Greece. That’s often as much of a question of the perception of ‘meeting mid-way’ as it is flight times. Would somebody travelling from say Greece mind spending another hour on a plane to get to London for a conference? Well, perhaps not - but they might think that more consideration was being given to them if all parties met half-way - in Switzerland. This is important to achieve a sense of buy-in from delegates. Neutrality Switzerland also has another huge advantage over many other countries when it comes to international gatherings: its globally acknowledged neutrality. Of course, the typical business conference is unlikely to be dealing with issues of war and peace, but contention and stresses can arise within any organisation operating in multiple countries and a background of ‘neutral territory’ can be hugely beneficial in helping to resolve them. Venues If you have decided on Switzerland as the location for your next big conference, you will have ample choice of some excellent conference facilities that truly live up to the country’s high standards. These are the ones that stand out: • Davos. In the eastern part of Switzerland, this centre is perhaps best known as the annual venue for the meeting of the World Economic Forum. The main centre has stunning modern architecture and the latest in technology support for modern conferences. A big attraction in this area is the lake, nearby mountains and excellent sporting facilities. • The Kongresshouse – Zurich. This is one of the country’s biggest and most flexible venues, with capacity for over 3,000 guests. The Kongresshouse, being located in the largest city in Switzerland, benefits from having immediate access to all those big-city attractions including the Bahnhofstrasse. • Centre International de Conférences - Genève (CICG). Able to accommodate well over 2,000 people, this is a major venue. It has the usual superb conference support facilities and its location in this famous international city with its beautiful surroundings and ample business dining and nightlife opportunities makes it a firm favourite for many conference organisers. • Congress Centre Kursaal – Interlaken. For stunning traditional opulence, this location takes some beating. The older buildings are simply magnificent and the backdrop of the mountains at Interlaken gives the area a picture-postcard quality. • Palazzo dei Congressi – Lugano. As the name indicates, this is in the southern part of Switzerland heading towards Italy. One of the sunniest parts of the country, this centre is close to the beautiful Lake Lugano and a city that’s renowned for its fusion of Swiss and Italian cultures. This centre is slightly different in that it actually is based in a number of different physical venues in exclusive hotels and conference centre buildings. Once again, state-of-the-art technology is combined with an exceptionally beautiful backdrop of lake and mountains. Find Out More Switzerland has developed into one of Europe’s premier conference destinations – and it’s not hard to see why when looking at its venues. It’s also worth keeping in mind that there are several others like them! If you’re looking for a conference location that’s a bit ‘different’ and where architecture and business blends effortlessly into nature and traditional service values, the Swiss conference centres are all flawless options. Lukas Johannes is a driver for Shuttle Direct, the number one provider of private airport transfers all over Europe and northern Africa. If you’re looking for business transfers to conference centres in Switzerland, Lukas and his colleagues can make sure that you and your luggage get to and from the airport surely, swiftly and safely.
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