Why did you specifically choose to work with the Bern Convention Bureau?

Helping to ensure that Bern plays an important role in the MICE market both in the medium and long term is a great motivation for me every day. A lot of new things are currently being created in Bern. A good example is the new festival hall on the BERNEXPO site, with a capacity of 9,000 people it opens up new possibilities for our destination, both nationally and internationally. This is the reason why Bern Welcome, BERNEXPO and Kursaal Bern officially joined forces in January 2023 to form the Congress Hub Bern interest group. We want to make greater use of synergies and expand the joint network. The aim of the collaboration is to bring existing and new congress formats to Bern and thus generate sustainable added value for the entire region in every respect. It has been a great pleasure to be involved from the very beginning. The operating-Team of the Bern Convention Bureau team is fully challenged day after day. It’s nice to be part of such progress.

What insights do you bring to the world of MICE with your experience in the travel industry? Specifically, do you have much prior experience in planning MICE events? And what innovative ideas are you bringing to the Bureau shall we say for 2024 for example?

As a tourism professional with more than 35 years of experience in Switzerland and abroad including both outgoing and incoming industries, I hope that I can make a valuable contribution to “my destination”. As Group Exhibitions Director for many years, I was responsible for a large number of trade fairs, among other things, and I am still delighted to observe and support these important events for our region from my new role at Bern Convention Bureau. The operational management of the innovative and already very well performing Congress Hub Bern in close cooperation with our flagship partners Kursaal Bern and BERNEXPO is an important part of our MICE strategy for our destination. This year, for example, we are relaunching the “BEST” sales event, where we show our customers the most beautiful locations in the city and region of Bern over the course of two days. When it comes to MICE, Bern is in forward mode.

We read on your website that you support organizers with «bid presentations ». What does that mean exactly? And what does the support look like in concrete terms?

This pertains to the bidding process for congresses. Our team assists prospective congress organizers in creating bid presentations, which they can subsequently submit to the associations. This involves assessing and securing appropriate venues, organizing and visually presenting pertinent information, and aiding in the preparation of the presentation. As a city, Bern often cannot directly bid for congresses but requires a member of an international association to act on its behalf. Consequently, we provide comprehensive support from our end to facilitate the application process on behalf of Bern for potential organizers.

Your Website says that there are many good reasons to choose Bern to host an event. Can you highlight what, in your mind, makes Bern a destination of choice over the stiff competition from other Swiss cities and MICE destinations?

In Bern, efficiency and deceleration go hand in hand. As the most important venues and hotels are all placed along the same tram line, in the federal city, which is centrally located in Europe and in Switzerland, travellers save valuable time on short distances from location to location. In Bern Guests can travel free of charge and sustainably on public transport thanks to the BernTicket. The Bernese are very focussed – which is also reflected in the quality of the services in the destination – despite they also know how to take a break and enjoy the moment for example on the way over the Kornhaus Bridge to admire at the Alpine chain appearing on the horizon. This culture is infectious, spills over to visitors and event organizers and perhaps even tempts them to spend the weekend after the congress in the federal city and enjoy the diverse cultural offerings.

Can you tell us your favorite Venue in Bern ?

As a football fan and supporter of our local club BSC Young Boys, I go into raptures about the events and seminars on offer at the Wankdorf stadium. However the beauty of Bern lies precisely in its great variety of locations. From historic buildings such as the Casino Bern to the hip industrial chic of the Stufenbau event location or a cozy country guesthouse on the countryside – the destination of Bern has numerous top locations to offer, for every taste and every budget – just ask us.

Finally, the Bernese have a reputation for being slow but steady? Is this just an urban myth or is there any truth in the saying that could make an organizer wonder whether it could be laborious holding an event in Bern?

No, that’s not a myth. Even as a Bernese, I often have the feeling that time passes a little slower than elsewhere when strolling through the old city. However, this does not detract from the quality of service in the businesses in the city and region of Berne. For people organizing congresses or events in Bern, this is not a disadvantage but an advantage. Isn’t it perhaps particularly pleasing for event organisers to have a balanced environment? In Bern, they can rely on everything running smoothly, concentrate fully on their event and enjoy the relaxed Bernese “savoir-vivre” once the work is done.