Corporate Events Blog

I am part of the academia era, the generation where education has been promoted and course options are vast.  I chose to study events management as a master’s degree for many reasons, to postpone full time work, to gain experience, to set myself above other graduates and because I thought I’d enjoy it.  And I was right I did enjoy the course; it was hard at times, master’s degree don’t come cheap so I worked my way through the full time course.  In a recession getting an internship was pretty tricky as companies were losing their employees they didn’t want to be seen as recruiting people even if we were working for free.  I ended up getting my internship in Chamonix and working within the corporate events field, which I surprisingly enjoy.

It’s a difficult time in business which makes it a great time to learn.  I like working in small businesses it’s a great way to gain experience as a prospective event organiser.  Now I have finished my course I am looking forward to working with Ten80, this winter is set to be a great one with some exciting events in place it should be hard but fun working my way through the winter season.  I would recommend an events management course to any one interested, it’s a good way to learn the basics, make contacts and gain experience.  The best aspect of the course was the internship, if you get the right company you can have a great time. I found it the best way to find out what you like and what you don’t in business; plus you can end up somewhere totally different than where you expected too.

It’s out of season in Chamonix; the town is suddenly much more subdued, the bars and restaurants are quieter and everyone seems to be preparing for some peace and quiet in the town.  The summer can get really busy and despite the recession 2009 was no different.  Now that there is a slight chill in the air the season is slowing down, the mountains are quieter and everyone is much more relaxed.  This is a great time to get to visit Chamonix as the hotels are offering great deals for accommodation and conferences.   The autumn in Chamonix is beautiful with the whole landscape changing colour and fresh sunny days.

There are always loads to do no matter what season, people always associate the town with skiing which some of the best in the world, but there is a wealth of activities well worth exploring for a change with glacier walks, mountain biking, rock climbing, wakeboarding, parapenting as great autumn options now is a great time to visit Chamonix.  It could be a cheaper option than a ski trip and something fresh and different for a corporate trip.

The government’s 10:10 initiative for individuals, organisations and companies to try and cut 10% of their carbon emissions by 2010 is a great idea.  Living in a ski resort the affects of global warming are very visible with receding glaciers  and unpredictable weather patterns.  Luckily being a high resort means the snow is always good in Chamonix but that doesn’t mean we don’t take the environment seriously.

We’ve been researching ways to make our corporate trips more eco friendly from travelling by coach and train to eating local food and produce and planting tree’s.  We are also being more careful in the office to make sure the computers are off when they we don’t need them and recycling our waste.  We already walk to work, which I know is a luxury to have the choice.  As a weekly visitor to the market I feel I’m doing my bit to eat local produce, such as the Savoyard cheese which is a tasty way to lower my carbon footprint.  If your company are involved in the initiative, talk to us about ways to make your corporate trips more eco friendly.

As a fan of water based sports I couldn’t wait to have a go at rafting.  In Chamonix you’re close to many options from the milder to the extreme in rafting on Italy’s Dora Baltea.  As it was my first go we opted for the medium level beautiful route in Samoen.  It was a fun river with some more difficult areas; the water level was quite low as the rivers was mostly rain water.  When the water levels are higher it’s due to the sun melting the glacier which makes the temperature extra icy, so I was thankful the water was a little warmer.  Although it still took my breath away when we jumped in from one’s of the rocky sides which was great fun.

The technical side from the instructor was great as he skilfully aimed us into rocks to turn the boat and navigated us down the river shouting orders for the left or the right side to row.  It was the bumpiest ride at the front of the boat where you felt the full force of the rocks and knocks.  Without a doubt I would definitely have a go at rafting again apart from being great fun the views were brilliant and gave a different perspective to see France from.  I can imagine the more the merrier it as we had a great time splashing the other group and of course getting soaked by them too.

Escape your usual corporate surroundings by taking your conference to Chamonix.  This cosmopolitan town is located only 60 minutes from Geneva airport within the heart of the Alps.  Spectacular views of Mont Blanc make it the perfect setting to inspire performance, gain your company’s utmost attention, motivate staff, change attitudes and build relationships.

With a plethora of hotels, conference facilities, restaurants and value adding activities to suit all tastes and budgets, Chamonix is a great location come sunshine or snow to create a fun, effective and memorable conference with prices from as low as €99pp.

With the Ten80 Events team on hand to make sure your meeting is a success, you can relax with 100% support throughout your trip from the moment you make an enquiry.  With fantastic low season offers available now click here to for more information about Ten80 conferences or contact us with an enquiry.

Conferences to inspire in Chamonix

I’ve been reminiscing over my time in France and although it has only been a few months I’ve had a go at lot’s of new things, climbed my first mountain (not a big one), made my first sushi roll, went rafting. I won’t bore you with the whole list but needless to say I feel quite a sense of achievement. Chamonix is a great place to try new things as so many experiences are on your doorstep. I still have many of the adventure sports to try like parapenting and rock climbing. I also can’t wait for my first visit to Italy when my sister comes to visit. Of course we will be very touristy and eat pizzas, sit in cafes and hopefully go shopping. We will also be hiring a car which will mean my first time driving abroad which could be terrifying for everyone else but I’m very excited as it means we can explore more of the area.

My plan is also to learn some new things this winter too. I would love to be able to speak some French, more than just hello and thanks anyway. My big plan as well is to learn to ski whilst I stay for the season which should be fun and much less painful than learning to snowboard hopefully. It must be great fun to have a corporate event in Chamonix especially to try something different, from new wine to summiting Mont Blanc for charity the variety is enormous which means you can pick something to suit you perfectly.

Learning to Ski in Chamonix