– Sustainable solutions for the companies of tomorrow –

Playground of ideas and innovation platform 

13.-16.01.2020

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HEF 2020

1st edition of the annual meeting for visionary companies and sustainable innovation

At 2000 metres above sea level, the HEF offers bundled thrills with an inspiring programme and fast pistes.

We will dive deeply into the topic “Circular Economy” with specialists of the scene, start a creative firework at the solution lift and idea speed dating, get to know the local Heuberge Heroes, brainstorm together about the transformation to a “TECO” resort, and be surprised by a tasty buffet of visionary ideas.

As part of the HEF 2020, we are making hotel rooms as well as lifts and ski slopes available free of charge to participating start-ups, innovators, sustainability lateral thinkers and entrepreneurs.

Eco-logical?

One of the fundamental questions we are dealing with is: what does ecological mean at all? What is really sustainable? And what does a sustainable company look like in practice?

Cross-divisional insights provide food for thought and should let the creative sparks fly: From environmentally friendly energy generation and sustainable construction to digitalization, alternative mobility and much more, a wide variety of industries are represented.

HEF as alternative to the WEF

While the WEF invests large sums of money solely in security measures in order to discuss the most pressing world problems, the HEF focuses on practical solutions and implementable applications.

For this we use resources that are already available: Clever minds, our cosy mountain houses as a synergetic meeting place, our fast slopes for enjoyment and relaxation and the beautiful surrounding nature as a source of inspiration, together form a vortex as a source of new ideas.

HEF as collective brainstorming

In addition to competent speakers, collaborative programme items such as “Ideas Speed Dating” and our “Heuberge Solution Lift” provide an opportunity for playful exchange and mutual inspiration.

In our “Heuberge Corner”, we also present internal challenges on our way to a more sustainable, modern company, in which the sensible use of resources and harmony with natural rhythms are the main focus. 

While the HEF is to be seen as a collective brainstorming and inspiration gathering place, an innovation camp is to follow in the summer, where ideas can be put into concrete terms and innovations can be implemented.

Planet Heuberge

On our planet Heuberge, we bring the extensive thematic spectrum of the HEF to the ground. For in our homes at 2000 metres above sea level, we can offer not only the space to exchange current innovations and new ideas, but also the real-life scenario in which solutions to our own challenges can be tried out.

The extremely multifaceted microcosm of Heuberge offers a connecting point of opposites, isolated from the world and yet always in contact with the global village through high-speed internet. Here tradition and innovation, cosiness and mountain luxury come together and create an extraordinary starting point to let ideas sprout. At our place, trying out technical innovation and feeling the heartbeat of nature belong together.

The current status of things

Heuberge is a traditional mountain resort that is deeply rooted in the region. Again and again we have guests who came to the house for the first time long before our current team. Of course, this brings with it many opportunities, but also difficulties in terms of profound change.

Since the change of ownership 8 years ago a lot has changed, we have modernized and renovated our guesthouses and raised them to a more professional standard.

But in many areas we are facing great challenges. The company is at an essential turning point, and it is essential that this turning point is successful and future-oriented.

Now that a good basis has been created with the fundamental modernisation, we are ready to develop our full potential. 

Our professionally managed resort gives us a starting point to create magic from here. Our premises and resources provide a solid basis for the development of various ideas, our daily business is an open field of experimentation to test new structures and innovations.

In addition to the creation of a visionary innovation platform at 2000 meters above sea level, we also want to promote the implementation of the latest technologies. The first major project we are aiming for is a completely self-sufficient and CO2-neutral high-tech seminar room.

To realize this, our team is currently researching the best solution for our extreme mountain conditions. There are many visions for follow-up projects.

We are ready to radically rethink and actively shape the future. By 2030 we want to be completely autonomous in terms of energy, produce some selected products locally, find our own solution for recycling our waste and gradually implement the latest technologies in harmony with nature. In this way we want to create not only the first Eco(Ski)Resort in Switzerland, but also the first TEco-Resort in the world!

Our vision of the future

TEco:
What is that?

A (T)EcoResort combines technology and ecology in a way that does not harm the environment, while offering the modern luxury & comfort that people are used to nowadays.
In a (T)EcoResort the latest innovations and ideas are applied and can be experienced in practice as educational inspiration.

The Program-Outline

Monday – arrival and welcome

  • Arrival during the day
  • 17:30 Welcome + “Icebreaker”
  • About 18:00 dinner
  • Then: Full moon sledding,
    Bus transfer back to the mountain is at 21:00 from Fideris sawmill
 

Tuesday – Circular Economy Day

  • (evtl Yoga 07:30 – 08:30 — optional)
  • 08:00 – 10:00 Breakfast
  • 10:00 Introduction: Who is Heuberge?
    Presentation of the Heuberge vision of a “(T)Eco – Resort”; ideas, challenges, current status
  • 11:15 CE basics: What is Circular Economy?
  • 12:00 Inspiration from CE startups
  • 12:30 Lunch
  • 14:00 – ca 17:00 CE Solutions for Heuberge: Playful collective brainstorming
  • 17:30 Apero + open exchange
  • 19:00 dinner + open end party
 

Wednesday – Play Day

  • (evtl Yoga 07:30 – 08:30 — optional)
  • 08:00 – 10:00 Breakfast
  • 09:00 -14:00 (open programme) Snow fun during the morning with the “solution lift” and other surprises
  • 14:00 – 17:00 Innovation Slam – Talks on the topic “(T)ECO-Resort”.
  • 17:30 – 18:30 Final evening: Coronation of the “Heuberge Innovation Champion”, summary, next steps, conclusion
 

Thursday – Bar Camp (open programme)

For all those who can’t get enough of exciting ideas and snow fun:

On this day we give space for all those who want to present their projects and ideas in depth, offer workshops or the like. We will also present our internal challenges in the “Heuberge Corner”.

This day can be shaped according to the needs of the participants and in line with the inspirations of the previous days.

Do you want to participate?

Tell us something about yourself, why the HEF inspires you and how you want to enrich the meeting and become a participant now!

The Heuberge Innovation Team

Henrik Vetsch

Henrik has a passion for extraordinary technologies and a knack for business. He would love to have self-propelled lift cabins on the slopes this winter. After studying environmental engineering at the ETH Zurich, he moved to the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics to do a Master's degree. He has been the Heuberge CEO for 8 years.

Sara Wiesendanger

Sara's superpower are her spontaneously brilliant creative ideas and her razor-sharp logical mind. The studied biologist with an additional diploma in neuropsychology has a great imagination. She loves to optimize processes, to immerse herself in other worlds and to deal with all kinds of questions of the micro- and macrocosm.

Jiri Ucen

Jiri is a man of action and all-round talent. His practical way of thinking brings many ideas to life at top speed. His golden combination of experience as a programmer in the digital world and passionate explorer of new, sustainable construction methods makes him an irreplaceable part of the team.

Joey Focking

Joey loves to push exciting and complex projects on many fronts at the same time and thus to fully use her universal talents. She has several years of experience in event management, as well as graphic designer and artist. Her particular strength lies in communicating aesthetically both visually and verbally and in restructuring complex topics.

HEF Partner

Would you like to shape the future with us? Contact us

We are open to unusual ideas and cooperation from which all sides can benefit.

If our vision of the future appeals to you and you:

– want to test an innovation in practice, 

– want to put a self-sufficient building at 2000 meters above sea level through the endurance test,

– want to contribute to the HEF 2020 as a speaker or sponsor or 

– want to help in other ways to make companies in general and ski resorts in particular future-proof, 

contact us now! We are looking forward to seeing you.

+41 (0) 81 300 30 70

accessible Wednesday – Sunday

08:00 – 18:00

Addresse: Heuberge AG, 7235 Fideris, CH