Humorous video for business events with fictitious statistician Urs Letterli attracted attention on social media.

Not everything is as it once was, but business events are – slowly – returning to some kind of normality again. Enquiries in 2022 had thus already reached approximately 60% of pre-pandemic levels. Thanks to the lifting of the pandemic-related measures in place, it was once again possible to hold events as of March. The number of hotel overnight stays in this sector, directly influenced by the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (SCIB), increased from 45,329 (2021) to 209,810 compared with the previous year, causing sales to climb from CHF 15.1 million to CHF 69.9 million.

A certain short-termism in planning and reluctance to confirm events was still evident. Finding suitable rooms in hotels, conference centres or other locations in a hurry turned out to be a challenge. The market managers supported decision-makers and organisers of business events in finding free capacities and mediated between partners and service providers.

Targeted, digital campaign for business tourism

Only in China and – from March – in Russia have marketing activities not yet been able to commence; in all other regions, business events were once again on the agenda. Such as the Switzerland Meeting Trophy, which could be held again after a two-year break. Many organisers were there with smaller teams to begin with, since the meetings industry was also struggling with a shortage of skilled workers and too few employees.

With the pandemic situation easing, the perfect time came for Switzerland Tourism ST to mobilise the division with a global, multi-year and digital campaign in Europe, North America and Asia. With a focus on LinkedIn and YouTube, decision-makers and organisers in the relevant companies and institutions were reached with precision on the online channels.

“Thanks to the first digital campaign for business events of this scale, we are reaching many times more potential decision-makers from international business events in our markets, whom we are attracting to Switzerland with precise targeting and targeted messages,” explains Barbra Albrecht, Head of SCIB and member of ST’s Executive Board. This has proven to perfectly complement regular market development.

A humorous video attracted attention on social media

In the widespread LinkedIn posts, a witty and humorous video featured, among others, the fictitious statistician Urs Letterli – a typically Swiss, precise and meticulous civil servant who despairs about the fact that, in business meetings in this country, leisure time and work can hardly be neatly separated.

The campaign lasted from 2 September to 15 December 2022, resulting in a total of 31.85 million impressions, 151,980 clicks and 20,697 trackable sessions.

Facts and figures
Business events
   2022 2021
Budget CHF million 9.1 8.4
Share of total budget % 9.5 8.6
Tourism turnover CHF million 69.9 15.1
Visits to MySwitzerland.com/meetings   123,154 80,813
Hotel overnight stays
generated through KAM		   209,810 45,329
Number of meetings,
events and conferences		   367 91
Number of quotation requests processed by SCIB   923 385

 

Das Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau

The Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau SCIB is the control centre for organised business tourism (business events such as conventions, meetings and incentive trips in Switzerland). The 20-strong Switzerland Tourism team performs a wide range of tasks, supports the organisers, advises on the choice of the right venue, arranges suitable service providers and ensures the promotion of the relevant business event destinations. Fourteen of the employees work from the most important markets (Germany, North America, the UK, the Nordics, Benelux, India, Southeast Asia and China), maintain their network there and represent Switzerland at important industry events. The leading suppliers of business events in Switzerland are brought together in the SCIB association.

There was a change in the SCIB’s Board of Directors in 2002: Christoph Sturny, Director of Montreux-Vevey Tourism, has taken over the presidency from Daniel Egloff, Director of Basel Tourism. The committee is responsible for the strategic orientation of marketing for organised business trips (business events) in Switzerland and abroad.