This trip was all about sustainability! The basic idea was to let the participants experience a sustainable journey with all their senses that broadens their perspectives, encourages them to plan sustainable events, inspires them with very specific ideas and at the same time is a lot of fun!
To make this experience even more valuable, we have officially certified our trip according to the Austrian eco-label “Green Meetings” and aligned the whole trip along the entire value chain with sustainability aspects.
In addition to the many sustainable program ideas on our trip, our Sustainability Talk on the first day was one of the central elements of the trip.
In the inspiring ambience on the roof terrace bar of the VAYA Kühtai designed as a stakeholder dialogue and moderated by our MICE Ladies founder Tanja Knecht, the talk promoted the exchange between the buying side and the supplier side. On the provider side, these were Christine Keth, Managing Director of the Innsbruck Convention Bureau, Lukas Reich, Regional Manager Kühtai-Sellraintal at the Innsbruck Tourism Association and its holiday villages and Theresa Geißel, Sustainability Officer for Innsbruck Tourism. The buyer side was represented in a diverse manner by our MICE Ladies participants – with planners from agencies, companies and top freelancers. Our stakeholder dialogue built this important bridge between our planners and the provider side – destination, convention bureau, locations and hotel industry.
We openly discussed requirements, wishes and needs on both sides and also identified “pain points” – because only together and in a new quality of the buyer-supplier relationship can we overcome our major shared challenges. Courage for sustainability was a central topic in the dialogue and we also discussed, among other things, how planners can develop and move from the role of service provider to the role of advisor to the customer!
Our program can be broadcast 1:1 for small groups or team building – the Innsbruck Convention team is happy to support you!
Day 1
We started at Innsbruck main station, where we met directly in the station hall and picked up the ladies immediately after they arrived on the train. A wonderful city tour through pre-Christmas Innsbruck got us in the mood for the coming days. The alpine-urban city in the heart of the Alps combines culture and nature, ups and downs, tradition and trends like no other region – coexisting here combines extreme opposites in a charming way with a lot of warmth.
After our informative and fun city tour, we went to the traditional Christmas market on the Golden Roof where we really got in the mood for the coming days with a cup of steaming mulled wine and got to know each other – deliciously culinary accompanied by delicious Kiachl with cabbage or for those who love sweet treats cranberries.
We had a lot of fun on our ride on the public post bus through the dreamy winter landscape along a mountain road through the Sellraintal up to over 2,000 meters in altitude into the snow-covered Kühtai. We had already announced this as a sustainability element in advance and everyone was really looking forward to the experience! Because: it doesn’t always have to be the exclusive bus shuttle!
Kühtai, the highest winter sports resort in Austria (away from the glaciers) – that is pure mountain air, fantastic nature and a fantastic Alpine panorama as a backdrop for unforgettable experiences. The VAYA Kühtai, located directly on the slope with its modern alpine architecture, beautiful rooms and a spectacular wellness area, opened its doors as the host of our trip. Our exciting first day ended with Tyrolean delicacies, good wine and lots of fun!
Day 2
Slow Travel was also our motto at breakfast and each participant was free to sleep in or enjoy the delicious and healthy VAYA breakfast at the MICE Ladies table.
First highlight: our Sustainability Talk. After our extensive breakfast, our day started with the topics of sustainability and gentle tourism in the meeting industry. Tanja, Christine Keth, Managing Director of the Convention Bureau Innsbruck and Theresa Geißel, Sustainability Officer at Innsbruck Tourism, addressed current topics in an open discussion and encouraged dialogue in which various experiences on the topic of green meetings and green events were exchanged.
Then we went into the snow – wrapped up warm and weatherproof for fun, sustainable and unforgettable winter experiences, our group set off into the winter wonderland! We worked up a sweat on the snowshoe climb and some of the participants reached their physical limits. One or two times it was also heard: “From now on I’ll do more sport again!”
Snowshoeing as a sustainable alternative to skiing is great fun and a sustainable nature experience – especially when it has just snowed, like we did! We immersed ourselves deeply in the wintry environment and trudged through the fresh, untracked deep snow with our snowshoes. In single file, expertly and safely guided by our personal guide, we climbed higher and higher up the mountain, along the natural toboggan run.
Next item on the program: our cozy Tyrolean lunch in the Graf Ferdinand House at 2,150 meters with a wonderful view over Kühtai to the Ötztal Alps. And then lunch! Spinach or cheese dumplings or would you prefer Kasspatzn? And for dessert, a freshly made Kaiserschmarrn! Everything was incredibly delicious! And at the same time, we deepened the discussion session from the morning in stimulating conversations. The conversations developed as if by themselves: informative, inspiring and funny at the same time and ranged from sustainable program ideas to exciting new work models, the compatibility of work and family to the right work-life balance – enriching!
After lunch, the snowshoes were quickly swapped for tobogganing and we headed back downhill into the valley amidst great laughter and snow flurries. Like the top athletes the next day, the MICE ladies rushed down into the valley on the old natural toboggan run – wearing helmets, of course. It worked quicker for some, a little more calmly for others, but back in the valley everyone agreed: “That was great fun!”
Slow Travel: Zeit für VAYA Kühtai – Zeit für Wellness!
In the late afternoon we walked to the historic Habsburg hunting lodge, located directly in town – an architecturally unique historic hotel at 2,020 meters above sea level, which was certified this year with the Austrian Ecolabel in the Green Hotel area. Whether for pleasure and tradition lovers, architecture fans or sports enthusiasts – the Jagdschloss Resort Kühtai is a place of longing and a favorite place in the middle of the Tyrolean Alps known for its imperial history.
As early as 1497, Emperor Maximilian I leased what was then Kuhalm and used the region as an exclusive hunting ground. And of course Empress Sissi and her Emperor Franz were also frequent guests at the hunting lodge! The host Vinzenz Triendl personally welcomed us to the cozy fireplace with mulled wine and chestnuts and reported on historical, exciting – and unknown – events in and around the castle. Of course we visit the historic wine cellar with a delicious tasting of fine wines, the legendary and beautifully restored bar as well as the original Sissi room!
In the beautiful Prince’s Room, we had a delicious, multi-course, old-Austrian meal with fine wine accompaniment in historical footsteps and looked back on the exciting days – a wonderfully fun evening with deep conversations at the same time! With full stomachs and warm hearts, we hiked through Kühtai up to our accommodation, the VAYA Hotel – an exciting contrast to the historic castle feeling!
Day 3
A premiere took place this year, as a World Cup race was held for the first time on December 16th and 17th on the new natural toboggan run in Kühtai. The world’s best athletes gathered here to get the coveted first points in the overall World Cup. On the last day of our trip, the professional athletes’ training runs took place, which we were able to witness live. We stood right on the track where the tobogganers whizzed past us – what an impressive performance and a unique sporting experience! To be there live!
After breakfast we walked to the finish line, where we attended the national training for men and women – exciting and thrilling! And of course we got to know some athletes who told us about their exciting sport.
Afterwards it was time to say goodbye and the participants set off on their journey home to all regions of Germany and Switzerland. The warm farewell of the ladies showed that we have created a very special connection through our meaningful program and the warm and in-depth exchange on sustainable events, the transformation of our industry, the new way of working together and through many exciting, educational and fun program items – and that We’re already looking forward to seeing you again!
Unsere 6 „Nachhaltigkeits-Hacks“ für unsere Reise:
- Sustainability-Hack #1
Arrival – almost all participants traveled sustainably by train! - Sustainability-Hack #2
Transfers on site by post bus or on foot - Sustainability-Hack #3
Selection of our partners – Our partners have either already been certified themselves (Jagdschloss Kühtai) or have integrated sustainability as a high standard within their product and service value chain - Sustainability-Hack #4
Communication in advance for the mindset change: We discussed sustainability in a creative way throughout the pre-communication. For example, the post bus journey to Kühtai was an official part of the program, which the participants were really looking forward to! - Sustainability-Hack #5
Sustainable snow program in the ski area: We trudged through the deep snow on foot with snowshoes and raced into the valley on the sleigh and had a lot of fun! - Sustainability-Hack #6
Our meals were almost meat-free and if meat was offered, it was locally sourced.
