We’ve all been longing to have in-person meetings again. But the past year and a half has shown us that there are plenty of things we can do without them. Platforms such as Zoom and Teams have become integral elements of everyday business life, while virtual meetings suddenly became the order of the day. So what do event destinations need to offer in order to retain their appeal for conference organizers and attendees in the post-pandemic era? Zürich Tourism has identified and implemented some key points:

Increased experience on networking

Gone are the days when events served the sole purpose of sharing knowledge. Nowadays, when someone attends a conference, they want to experience something. This includes networking with like-minded people from all over the world, as well as discovering what the destination itself has to offer. With its wide range of attractions, Zurich is an ideal destination for these events: there are more than 200 different activities on offer to fill up the accompanying program. One example is the Lindt Home of Chocolate, where visitors can learn everything there is to know about the sweet treat, while getting to taste it for themselves. But the city on the Limmat river also offers plenty of other Swiss delicacies for visitors to try during a visit to a cheese factory or a delicious dinner in one of the traditional guild houses. And if any attendees wish to see even more after the actual event is over, they can take a trip to the nearby mountains. Zurich is not only highly accessible thanks to its international airports and excellent links to the road and railway network; it is also surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.

Increased awareness on flexibility

Although the situation is gradually becoming more relaxed thanks to the progress of the vaccination campaign, some delegates wish to ensure that they can remain flexible. This may be because there are still travel restrictions in place, because their employer is critical of their decision to attend the event or because they do not feel safe enough to do so in the current situation. For that reason, Zürich Tourism has been exploring the idea of hybrid events in great detail. Hosting the International Young Lawyers’ Congress in August 2021 provided some valuable lessons, both for organizer AIJA and for the destination itself. One thing was clear to both parties from the start: the virtual format and the event in Zurich had to be linked in such a way that the two groups of attendees would actually interact with one another. In order to achieve this, organizers and speakers turned to an external hybrid event specialist for advice. For instance, sticking to the timetable at a hybrid event is much more important than at a regular event; the audience shouldn’t be left waiting in front of a dark screen, as this would risk losing them again right away. Secondly, this aspect is crucial to the work of the technical team, as their job is considerably more complex at this type of event than at a regular in-person presentation. In addition, speakers were familiarized with polls and games, two tried-and-tested methods for engaging audiences virtually. “The fact that we gave the delegates the choice of attending in person or remotely earned us a great deal of goodwill,” says Fanny Senez, the AIJA Events Manager. “The latter option even turned out to be an accessible way for them to get to know our organization. We therefore expect to be able to use this online element to attract new members in future.”

Mix between in-person and virtual

But hybrid events have other advantages, too. For example, they are perfect for dividing large-scale conferences into smaller, individual events. This enables globally active associations to welcome prospective members from different continents without having to take a long-haul flight. That’s why Zürich Tourism has decided to join the “Hybrid City Alliance”, which brings together 24 destinations from 16 countries, and supports them in their efforts to host hybrid events that meet the highest standards of quality. “We believe that this makes sense, both from a practical standpoint and in terms of sustainability,” explains Vanessa Reis, Head of Zürich Tourism’s Convention Bureau. “We thus imagine that hybrid events might even continue to be in demand when, someday, the coronavirus pandemic is history.” The city also offers the ideal conditions for eco-conscious organizers: in 2016, Zurich held the top spot in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index, and in 2019, it ranked third in the Global Destination Sustainability Index. The people of Zurich played a major role in these achievements, because in 2008, the city’s voters made a clear commitment to becoming a 2000-watt society. With this vote, the city committed to reducing energy consumption on a long-term basis to this number of watts and to one metric ton of CO2 per person per year. It’s only logical that hotels and activity providers have recognized the importance of this issue and have developed offers that are in line with this approach. Last but not least, we’d like to mention the additional venues that have now sprung up in Zurich. There’s the newly renovated Zurich Convention Center (or “Kongresshaus”) with capacity for 2,000 people; the recently opened The Circle Convention Center with capacity for 1,500 people; and the Arena Convention Expo Zurich, which can accommodate more than 5,000 people. “Thanks to all of these factors, as well as the many inquiries we are now receiving again, we feel confident that Zurich will remain a top choice for conference organizers,” says Vanessa Reis. “We and our partners look forward to providing these organizers with the advice and guidance they desire.”

Zürich Tourism and its Convention Bureau

Zürich Tourism is responsible for the destination marketing and brand profiling for the city of Zurich and the surrounding region as a tourist destination. This organization employs over 60 members of staff and is active in the Swiss, German, British, North American, Italian, Austrian, French, Spanish and Japanese markets, as well as in the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China, the Gulf states and Southeast Asia. It also runs its own Convention Bureau, which can provide professional advice and support for planning and running events and arrange contact with venues, hotels or professional convention organizers. This makes it a reliable partner from the bidding process right through to actually hosting the event. And best of all: its services are free of charge.