Expat-Expo shines in the 'city of lights'

Freebies and a fun atmosphere brightened a gray Sunday in central Switzerland this past weekend. The occasion was the Expat-Expo, held in Lucerne for the first time. About 80 exhibitors were on hand to promote their products, services, schools and clubs. Organizer Ed McGaugh was pleased with the day’s results.

“The visitor traffic was better than we expected; we estimated the crowd between 1,300 and 1,800, which we think is a great turnout for our first event here. The traffic was a little slow in the morning but really picked up in the afternoon,” said McGaugh. The venue itself also worked out well.

“The Museum of Transport was the perfect place for the event; the conference room is new and very hi-tech and stylish. It was a pleasure to hold the expo there,” said McGaugh.

Keen readers stocked up on free English-language magazines and second-hand books, while few people could resist the free food and beverage samples offered by many of the vendors. The American-style baked goods stand run by Peace Foods was especially popular. Laden with scrumptious brownies, pies, cookies and bagels, the stand was a hit with both children and adults.

“These are the things I missed from the States,” said Peace Foods founder Linda Vogel. This is her second year touring with the Expat-Expo, and the California native has attended all five expos this year.

“At every show I go to, people are still surprised at what’s out there for the English-speaking market,” said Vogel.

Meanwhile, the English Theatre Group of Zug was exhibiting for the first time. The club decided that the Expat-Expo would be a good opportunity to drum up business for its upcoming show, a pantomime version of “Aladdin and his Magic Lamp”. With their colourful stand and wild costumes, the club members attracted a lot of attention.

Rounding out the day’s offerings, there were small business seminars as well as live entertainment in the forms of balloon sculpting and a three-piece Scottish band.

David and Caroline Evans came to the expo with their two young children. Originally from Wales, they now live in Lucerne and had never attended an Expat-Expo.

“I don’t think there are enough things like this for English-speaking expats in Switzerland,” said David Evans. According to him, this type of event is much more common in Asia, where he was based previously. The Evans family didn’t leave the expo empty-handed.

“I spent a fortune on food,” confessed Caroline Evans, tucking a bag of treats into the pram as they headed home.

According to McGaugh, retail sales in Lucerne weren’t quite as good compared with Zurich and Geneva. However, he is optimistic about the future, pointing out that this was just the first Expat-Expo in Lucerne.

“Perhaps people were a little shy or not quite sure what to expect. We plan to address this issue on our web page in the future so our visitors will have a better idea of all the unique and wonderful items being offered for sale at the expo,” said McGaugh.