Incentives in Switzerland – a Success Story

A large insurance group from Singapore wanted to reward its top employees with a five-day trip. The choice of destination fell on Switzerland – which turned out to meet with resounding approval throughout the guests’ stay.

Such trips are actually much more complicated than they sound. For organizing a project like this takes much longer than you might think.

We still clearly remember our first contact with the event organizer. It was two years ago, at the EIBTM in Barcelona. It started with a general enquiry: would it be possible to implement an event of this scale in Zurich? Then, in spring 2014, we received enquiries about the availability of hotel rooms and evening dinner venues. Our services as coordinator and adviser were in particularly great demand. For now several agencies were contacting both us and the hotels and venues direct. They all had one thing in mind – to secure the best venues at the best rates, and thus tip the decision by the insurance company as to who should organize the incentive trip in their favor.

There followed various viewing tours on site with representatives from the event agencies. Finally, a package arranged in collaboration with Switzerland Tourism and Kuoni was accepted by the insurance group.

During their five-day visit, the group of business people stayed at the Kameha Grand, Sheraton Zurich und Renaissance Tower hotels. The ancillary program included excursions to Lucerne, Berne and Appenzell, and finally up Mt. Titlis. The incentive trip came to a climax with a traditional Swiss dinner at the Bächlihof at Jucker Farm.

As you can see, such a trip is not something that happens overnight. The organization of this event started well in advance, and with the assistance of Swiss Tourism, MICE Matters and Kuoni. After all, these things take time. But finally, at the beginning of September, we had the pleasure of welcoming 800 Asian guests to Zurich and showing them the wonderful aspects of the city and of Switzerland.

Zürich Tourism, Convention Bureau