An activity of the utmost importance. In Geneva, business travel - including individual trips and MICE - accounts for as much as 80% of overnight stays. The presence in the city of major international organisations such as the UN and the Red Cross is obviously not a factor in this high figure, generating numerous trade fairs, conferences and meetings on the shores of Lake Geneva.
While the Geneva Convention Bureau assists companies, associations and travel agencies in organising their events, the city of Geneva has several advantages to highlight. In particular, its security and green surroundings, but also its gourmet restaurants and top-of-the-range hotels, all with impeccable service and well-equipped event facilities.
Whether in the city centre, near the airport or the Palexpo exhibition centre, the major hotel brands are all present, or almost. These include Crowne Plaza, with 366 rooms and 16 meeting rooms, and Fairmont, with 412 rooms, 13 meeting rooms and a 1,300-seat auditorium. Other establishments atmajor events on offerThese include the Hilton, with its 496 rooms and 3,000 m² of MICE space, including a plenary hall that can accommodate 800 people; the InterContinental, with 333 rooms and around 20 modular meeting rooms; and the Mövenpick, with 350 rooms and 19 meeting rooms. In addition to Ramada, Novotel and others, there is the Swiss Manotel group, which operates six hotels in Geneva.
Luxury hotels catering to the MICE market
Geneva's flagship hotels also know how to welcome business groups with the honours due to their rank, notably the Mandarin Oriental, a historic address in the heart of Geneva. This luxury hotel benefits from the recent renovation its 178 rooms and suites, as well as its 11 rooms representing 1,000 m² of event space overlooking the Rhône. All this is in addition to its commitment to the environment through the elimination of single-use plastics, the use of LED lights and green electricity, etc.
Another exceptional address, the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues has been capitalising since 1834 on its exceptional lakeside location. As well as the elegance of its 115 rooms and suites, the reputation of its Michelin-starred Il Lago restaurant and its rooftop spa. The hotel is also an important venue for meetings, especially cultural and political ones, with 595 m² of space and five other rooms for events, from 10 to 90 people depending on the configuration. Its grand salon, with a surface area of 310 m² and a theatre capacity of up to 350 people, is the most famous of all, having hosted the first meeting of the League of Nations in 1920 under its crystal chandeliers.
The very chic Hôtel Métropole is another of the city's historic addresses, built in 1854 on former fortifications. This boutique design hotel has also redesigned its meeting spaces to offer four lounges for business meetings or receptions for up to 180 people. Its rooftop is a must-see for its view of Lake Geneva and its famous jet d'eau rising 140 metres above sea level.
L'Etang, a new hotel district at Cointrin
Inaugurated in early 2020, the Atrium Airport Hotel did not survive Covid. Now the Mercure Hotel Geneva Airport, this 4-star hotel has 163 rooms with a modern decor, two restaurants and 1,200 m² of MICE space, including a 570 m² lounge that can be divided into three rooms (for up to 500 people in a theatre), and a second 220 m² lounge that can be divided into five meeting rooms (for 34 to 54 people). The same applies here, its rooftop can be privatised for receptions for up to a hundred people with views of the Alps and Jura.
Developed on a former industrial wasteland, the new Etang district, close to the airport and PalexpoB&B Hotel Geneva Airport, the chain's largest Swiss hotel with 288 rooms and a 40 m² meeting room, and the Adina Apartment Hotel Geneva, the first Swiss establishment of this Australian chain with 140 studios and 4* flats.
Opposite this district, 12 minutes by tram from the city centre, stands the Geneva Marriott Hotel, which since 2022 has housed 263 rooms and suites. The hotel, with its contemporary design decor, devotes its entire mezzanine floor - 1,066 m² - to MICE, including four meeting rooms, two ballrooms (the largest seating up to 406) and a vast foyer. Together, these four addresses total a thousand roomsWe are regularly called upon to help with major events in Geneva.
The new Yotel Geneva Lake is located near Divonne-les-Bains, 10 minutes from the airport and Palexpo and 20 minutes from Geneva city centre. This design hotel with 237 rooms has this year added a restaurant with a Danish flavour and, above all, nine modular meeting rooms (for up to 300 people), making it the ideal venue for a wide range of events. a sought-after address for green MICE. Its rooftop is also used for private receptions and breaks in fine weather to enjoy the view over Lake Geneva.
Geneva as a "green" MICE destination
In addition to its 330 hectares of green spaces, which account for 20% of its territory, Geneva is highlighting its energy transition, with electricity coming mainly from renewable energies, hydroelectric dams and solar energy. In 2014, the Convention Bureau created the "Geneva meets green" programme which helps customers to ensure that their event is as sustainable as possible, particularly when it comes to choosing local service providers. Starting with the two main conference venues: the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), which has 22 halls seating between 20 and 2,200 people, and Palexpo, whose seven halls covering 106,000 m² have been awarded Iso 20121 certification, attesting to the sustainable management of the organisation, with the building boasting 30,000 m² of photovoltaic panels on its roof.
On site, event participants can use public transport thanks to the distribution of a free travel card linked to their stay in the city's hotels. The majority of hotels are already within 1km of the main congress, conference and exhibition venues.
Original venues for corporate events
As well as the historic Salle des Nations at the Hôtel des Bergues, Geneva has some very original venues for events. Why not organise a lunch or dinner for up to 120 guests? on a Belle Epoque boat a pleasant cruise on Lake Geneva? Or invest in the BFM, the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, a former hydraulic power plant that has stood on the Rhône since 1886 and was converted into a theatre in the late 1990s? Its beautiful building can be hired for congresses and conferences for up to 1,000 people, as can its vast 1,000 m² foyer for exhibitions, dinners and cocktails.
Known for being home to the world's most powerful particle acceleratorCern has expanded its facilities with the construction of the Science Portal, a science education and communication centre designed to promote its research to the general public. It also has two spaces for private events, a 673 m² auditorium with flexible seating (198 to 870 for conferences, 130 to 1,200 for cocktail parties or 80 to 630 for banquets) and the Globe, which has two 300 m² superimposed platforms (230 seats or 300 for cocktail parties). Customers can include a guided tour of Cern (for up to 250 people) and take advantage of its exhibition areas after 6pm.
Situated in the heart of Geneva, Geneva-Cornavin station hides in its bowels La Corne à Vin, three old vaulted cellars 33 metres long, the first used to store barrels from the Domaine du Grand'Cour, the second of 60 m² for the tastings of these wines Peissy (for 40 people) and the third, of 80 m², is designed for product launches, seminars and other workshops in an original setting (60 people for dinner and 150 for cocktails).
A choice of workshops and nature activities
The activities on offer in Geneva are designed to sustainable to meet companies' CSR expectations. The city's different districts can now be visited mainly on foot, by bike, tuk-tuk or segway, or even by public transport with the free card given to participants in an event that includes a hotel stay.
There's also a wide range of sporting activities on offer, from sailing and rowing on the lake to hiking and mountain biking. kayaking on the RhôneThere's a wide range of activities to choose from, including rafting down the Arve from the Mont Blanc glacier, an introduction to curling, a hot-air balloon ride or an e-bike tour between town and country. Wine tourism, which involves discovering the estates of Switzerland's third largest vineyard and their grape varieties, is also very popular. As are the secrets of fondue and the artisanal production of Swiss chocolate to celebrate local gastronomy.
At the same time, the Alter distillery, owned by the LVX Spirits group, has inaugurated the Experimental Gin Lab, a venue offering groups of up to 16 participants a 2-hour workshop on the history and production of this spirit. For 10 people, the workshop lets you create your own gin by mixing a selection of distilled plants, and leave with your own bottle. Alter also offers a "Gin tasting including a tour of the distillery followed by a tasting of different gins over a convivial aperitif.
As the world's watchmaking capital, a small group can keep up with the pace of growth. a watchmaking course or test their dexterity by assembling their own watch, a workshop offered by the company Initium. Easier, quicker and less expensive is a visit to the Patek Philippe Museum, whose collection of 2,500 watches traces the history of European watchmaking from the 16th century to the present day.e century.
Accessibility by rail and air
Geneva's strong point is also its accessibility by train with 7 return TGV Lyria from Paris per day, in 3h11. Connections from Léman Express also link the city of Geneva with several towns on the French border (Bellegarde, Annemasse Thonon-les-Bains, Evian, etc.). Its international airport is connected to Europe and the rest of the world. In particular, it is connected to a number of French cities (Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse, Biarritz, La Rochelle...). The OdysseyJet Airlines' commercial brand, which from May 2025 will operate a scheduled service between Nîmes and Tours.
