While Zürich may be Switzerland’s commercial and cultural center and, with 380,000 residents, the country’s largest city, it will never win awards for striking, postmodern skyscrapers, as seen in London or Dubai, or for colorful, neon-clad, Shanghai-style downtown office towers. In fact, Zürich’s tallest building, Prime Tower — constructed in 2011 in typical Swiss fashion with a poured-in-place concrete core and unexciting precast-concrete columns — rises only 36 stories above the postindustrial warehouses-turned-art-galleries-and-restaurants of the Zürich West district.

Although downtown Zürich may never have a flashy urban skyline like other global business centers, there are good reasons for this, including strict building codes that protect the city’s natural environment. The result is a well-run city with a small-town feel that attracts thousands of MICE participants. They happily trade the glitz of soaring glass towers for the beauty of a clear freshwater lake and river and nearby snowcapped Alps, and for the political stability and personal safety of being ensconced within Switzerland’s borders.

The City of Zürich’s buildings department has thousands of written regulations like “… the charm and the presence of the lake shall not be threatened by high-rise buildings” and “No high-rise buildings in Old Town, this district is a protected ensemble.” Strict zoning and “lifestyle” regulations equate to a guarantee of high-quality meeting venues for MICE planners; a genuinely historic Old Town, known as Doerfli (“little village”); an efficient public transit system; and stunning natural landscapes, with 40 percent of the city considered green space. In the 2014 Mercer Quality of Living Survey which rates hundreds of world cities on the quality of health care, recreational facilities, auto traffic, air pollution, political stability and crime levels, Zürich placed second, just behind Vienna.

Former gritty neighborhoods like the Kreis 5 district, aka Zürich West, are dressed up with fashionable restaurants and boutiques. An old shipbuilding factory, Schiffbau, was converted into a theater, restaurant and jazz club; the Löwenbräu Areal development includes art galleries and upscale apartments in a converted beer factory; and expensive little shops tuck under the arches of an unused 19th-century railway viaduct, now a trendy shopping area known simply as Im Viadukt.

Of course, being surrounded by Swiss quality doesn’t come cheap. The Economist’s 2014 Worldwide Cost of Living survey placed Zürich as the fourth-most expensive city to live in; and in Business Travel News’ 2014 Corporate Travel Index (a city per-diem guide for corporate travel managers that considers prices for hotels, restaurant meals and other costs for business travelers), Swiss cities were among the most expensive destinations in the world to visit, with Geneva No. 2, at $547 per day, and Zürich No. 6, at $509 per day.

Still, for corporate and association planners who desire a Central Europe location, excellent service and lots of unique off-site venues, Zürich’s high cost is not a deterrent to booking group events at the city’s best hotels. “Our July 2013 incentive event for 200 was held at Zürich’s Dolder Grand,” said Amie K. Devine, director of operations, The Hybrid Group, a Los Angeles-based software developer. “From the staff to the amazing views, the group was completely satisfied. The easy access from the airport [10 minutes by train; 20 minutes by taxi] and Swiss trains make Zürich a one-of-a-kind destination, and the group was also impressed with Swisscom for the exceptionally reliable and fast Internet access.”

The Dolder Grand, built in 1899, features 173 guestrooms and 13 conference rooms, and its elevated location offers spectacular views of the city, Lake Zürich (Zürichsee) and the Alps. Most of the hotel’s interior has been completely redesigned, and this month the property unveils its new Gallery Lounges, a trio of flexible meeting spaces that total 3,700 square feet, with every room offering floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor terrace with a lawn and south-facing views.

Other high-end hotels with meeting space include the historic Baur au Lac (1844) in the city center with 120 guestrooms and 45 suites; the Park Hyatt (2004), located in the financial district with 142 guestrooms; the Zürich Marriott Hotel (1972) near the Central Station and business district with 255 guestrooms and 15 meeting rooms; and Marriott’s Renaissance Tower Hotel (2011) with 252 guestrooms, 48 suites and 10 large conference rooms. The luxurious Eden au Lac (1909), located directly on the lake, offers 50 guestrooms and small-group meeting space; and the Steigenberger Bellerive au Lac, a 47-room lakeside boutique property about 10 minutes from city center, includes six conference rooms for 60 persons.

The city’s newest deluxe hotel, the Sheraton Zürich, opened in January in the Zürich West neighborhood with 197 guestrooms and eight function rooms. The property also includes the chain’s signature “Technology Hub”; the 10th-floor Sheraton Club Lounge; and Restaurant Route Twenty- Six, showcasing cuisine from Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

The Kameha Grand Zürich will open in spring 2015 with 245 guestrooms and suites, an event hall accommodating 960 people, six business suites, numerous meeting rooms and several dining venues. Its location between the city center and the airport means a short drive from either.

The Circle at Zürich Airport © Zurich Airport

When The Circle at Zürich Airport opens in 2018 adjacent to the terminal buildings, it will be one of Zürich’s newest and largest mixed-use projects, encompassing high-end retail outlets and designer showrooms, corporate offices and restaurants, and entertainment and cultural venues. Two hotel properties, the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Place, will offer 550 guestrooms between them, with large convention and meeting spaces.

Most international conferences attract 500–800 participants, including last year’s Nutrition Conference (690 participants), the ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (710) and the European Control Conference (870). Larger events, like the International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (1,160) and the International Conference on Software Engineering (1,300) are easily accommodated in the city’s large multi-use venues like the Zürich Exhibition Center; Kongresshaus Zürich; and Hallenstadion, the largest multifunctional arena in Switzerland, which can accommodate groups up to 13,000. This month the city hosts the European Athletics Championships, with 1,400 athletes.

ConventionPoint is a meetings and events venue located at the Swiss Stock Exchange, with space for conferences, workshops and receptions. All rooms have a modular setup with a capacity of 230–400 and are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-video technology. Komplex No. 457, an attractive, high-energy space often used for entertainment productions, offers several stage, dining and beverage possibilities for corporate events, with outdoor space as well.

Off-site cultural venues that work with MICE planners include Museum Rietberg; Kunsthalle Zürich (contemporary art); Museum Haus Konstruktiv (postmodern art); and Museum Mühlerama, a former 19th-century grain mill converted into a unique cultural center.

The city’s reputation as a research and development center also attracts conference planners. Microsoft, IBM and Google’s European Engineering Center all opened large R&D centers in Zürich several years ago. They joined dozens of other international corporate and academic high-tech and bio-tech research centers which enjoy Switzerland’s multilingual environment and the often favorable Swiss tax regulations. Access to the talent pool at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, known as the “MIT of Europe,” provides a great resource for conference guest speakers and contributes to the city’s brain power.

Zürich’s reputation as a place to have fun, in addition to serious work, does not go unnoticed. “When we organize the worldwebforum event in Zürich each year, we know that international visitors appreciate the ease of traveling by train or car to the Alps,” said Fabian Hediger, CEO and co-founder, beecom AG, a Zürich software company. “Participants also have nice nightlife, restaurants and an open-minded culture. Meeting organizers have excellent event agencies, photographers and caterers all here in Zürich.”