Known throughout the world as the UN’s European headquarters and the head office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva every year attracts thousands of people to conferences, conventions and meetings.
Due to its international nature and multicultural tradition, the city offers a privileged location for globalized companies: over 140 multinationals are established in Geneva and around, not to mention 36 international organizations (IOs), over 300 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 200 diplomatic missions, thereby making Geneva a truly cosmopolitan city.
Today, with more than 100 venues and hotels registered as safe spaces, special sanitary measures implemented and – last but not least – a traditional savoir faire in hosting international events, Geneva, the “Capital of Peace”, is fully ready for organizing your next event. In fact, the Clean & Safe label, supported by Switzerland Tourism, ensures that Geneva venues, hotels and service providers are taking all necessary measures to protect guests, from social distancing to implemented hygiene rules. According to it, Geneva’s service providers are responsible for ensuring that the safety protocols are implemented and complied with.
Geneva’s event organizing professionals are surely no strangers to big meetings, especially since the congress infrastructure has the largest capacity in Switzerland. Both HotellerieSuisse and the Expo Event Swiss LiveCom Association have drawn up specific safety protocols and guidelines to be adopted when holding business events in hotels, convention centres and other locations.
Combine top-level infrastructure with the close collaboration between the Geneva Convention Bureau and the city’s local industry leaders, and the result is a powerful network where associations can actually acquire knowledge, expand their network and even change policies on the spot since the city is crawling with government offices.
In reality, live events have already started taking place in the city. The Joint Meeting 2020 of the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases (SSI) and the Swiss Society for Hospital Hygiene (SSHH), was successfully – and most importantly safely – carried out from 2nd to 4th of September 2020 at the congress centre Palexpo with 270 participants and 80 exhibitors, with organizers and attendees alike considering all conditions fulfilled and the face-to-face exchange particularly valuable.
Beginning of October, the Maritime Transport Efficiency Conference and Exhibition (MTE-Conference) was also organized during two days by MaxComm Communication at the Geneva Hotel President Wilson. The first edition of this conference brought together 130 leading personalities from the shipping industry, technology developers and NGO’s from all over Europe. The event took place with plenary sessions, parallel sessions and an exhibition area. The participants exchanged knowledge face-to-face with their peers while respecting all sanitary measures, making the event a real success.
Such conferences can only demonstrate that the city is more than ready and properly equipped to receive future association meetings, always in compliance with all necessary safety regulations.
More information on Geneva as a congress destination here.