Events team widens business network for Vaud expats

Question: Tell us about your background in Switzerland?

Answer: More than ten years ago we both came to Switzerland with our families. We met each other in 2000 when we volunteered together on the board (as president and programs chair) of an international association with many expat members.

We both have a background in business and organization and we decided at a certain moment to be in active business again. Based on our own expat experience and aware of the difficulties "new" expats encounter we established Léman Events.

Léman Events is an event production agency organizing events and seminars in order to "connect people and businesses" within the international English speaking community in Vaud.

Back in 2007 our first major event was the production of the annual Léman Expat Fair, a one-day event promoted all year long, now in its fourth year.

Q: What kind of role do you play in the community?

A: Over the last four years our activities have created a momentum in the community that supports integration of foreign nationals. We stepped into this market during a period when many foreign companies were being brought into Vaud, one after the other, without sufficient "back up" for integration.

We know how much it can cost a company if foreign employees and their families don’t feel at home in Switzerland, especially if they decide before long to head back to their own countries.

This platform is essential to help foreign employees and their families find information and answers to their questions. We’ve listened to and observed the foreign community; we’ve adjusted and created activities based on their feedback.

Our activities connect people and businesses, as well as connecting our business to business network. The Léman Expat Fair is an example and one of our core activities; it has absolutely acquired an important position within the international community.

Q: What about the fair itself?

A: This year the fair will take place on Sunday, October 31 and for the first time at the Beaulieu in Lausanne. The first three fairs took place at the Beausobre in Morges; however the space available became too limited as each year we continued to draw more attention. As always it will be free admission. www.LemanExpatfair.ch is the site to find the information.

Q: And your other activities?

A Our most recent product is a discount and special offer card for members of our network. It enables them to buy various products and services at interesting discounts at selected shops and companies.

Our data base consists of more than 3,000 contacts; individuals and people who either work for or are linked to multinationals, smaller international companies, international schools, organizations, associations.

They receive our monthly newsletter with information about events, seminars and other activities. During the last 2 years our website received over 5 million hits, and averages 5,000 visitors per month.

Apart from our events and seminars we have established a separate website for expats living in Switzerland to buy, sell and rent online in English with free uploads for individuals.

Q: What can expats look forward to on the agenda in the near future?

A: It isn’t only the expat community, it is a much broader network of internationals speaking English, it’s those living in this area permanently as well as those here for a limited time.

Coming up we have an Irish evening (April 26) with a book presentation by an Irish author, then Irish Music and Irish food.

On May 6, we're holding our "Connect" seminar at the Hotel School of Lausanne in our "Business Development Kit" series to provide business men and women at all levels of management with tools on how to find new customers in the Swiss (international) market and how to keep them.

They can also take part in some professional Champagne tasting at the end of the event.

Also in May: a panel discussion on the Swiss School System is being organized for a specific age group, a group that needs to make decisions now regarding choices in school directions. This will be the second program in our series "The Vaud Survival Kit".

On May 19, we visit the International School Brillantmont where "Switzerland Tourism" will present summer tips for family holidays in Switzerland.

And, on Saturday June 5, we're organizing our first annual golf tournament for golfers as well as would-be golfers for English speakers at Golf Club de Vuissens.

Q: What other benefits can expats expect to receive from joining your networks?

A: We recently opened our "Vaud Survival Kit Series" on important issues for a successful integration on interesting expat subjects such as schooling, finance, insurance, real estate, etc.

We organize lectures for business development as well as some more entertaining events, such as our annual Jazz evening.

We have an events calendar on our website; listing events produced by others in the area and we post exhibitions of interest in the area. Our efforts are centred on being approachable and a source of information to the public.

Q: It’s four years since you started Léman Events – what have you learned along the way and how have you been forced to adapt?

A: By combining our different skills we learned to work fast, to deliver quality, to render the best possible service and most important to listen to the needs of our network. Four iron rules in our partnership.

Q: What major trends have you observed amongst the expat community over the past few years?

A: We’ve noticed that many in the expat community are now making Switzerland their permanent home; whereas ten years ago they would have come for just 2 or 3 years and the families would have just waited it out until their next assignment.

Now we see a real desire (and need) to integrate; people are moving beyond their original comfort zones by becoming part of the Swiss framework.

Q: How would you predict the expat market in Switzerland to develop over say, the next five years?

A: Difficult to say. The inflow of expats and international companies was extremely good in 2008. We understand that due to the financial crisis the inflow in 2009 dropped. We can’t predict the future, but it will depend, to a great extent, on how Switzerland will manage to deal with sensitive issues, such as bank secrecy and tax regulations for international companies.

Q: In what ways have the Swiss and expat markets been converging and do you foresee this continuing further?

A: Business integration is an important issue as more and more expats are opening local businesses. It’s imperative for the Swiss and expat business owners, and their employees, to adapt to cultural differences while doing business here. This is another reason why we developed the "Connect" seminar in May.

Q: How has the recent recession affected your activities?

A: Luckily we didn’t notice any negative effects. Our events are well attended, the registrations and advertisers for the Léman Expat Fair 2010 are coming in. We have our sponsors in place, etc., so we don’t complain.