By Tiantian Xiao, Junior Project Manager – Digital Hospitality
My experience at Swissnex is beyond my expectations. After five months at Swissnex in China, it is difficult for me to imagine how I will feel if I do not come to the office on a daily routine anymore.
I am a third year student from École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), majoring in international hospitality management. My position is a joint program between EHL and Swissnex in China. I work 50% for EHL, contributing to the APAC marketing & recruitment activities. For the other 50%, I work for Swissnex in China as a Junior Project Manager, facilitating various online/offline activities, managing CRM, and conducting research. It is also my great pleasure to be the first person to start this role!
My focus is on the hotel, food and beverage, marketing, real estate, and finance industry, and my science and technology knowledge is quite limited compared to my hospitality-related focus. Therefore, working for Swissnex was a challenge for me as it was out of my comfort zone. As a Junior Project Manager – Digital Hospitality, I have supported many online and offline events, such as Sino-Swiss Energy Innovation Forum, Swiss Alumni China, Consumer Technology & Innovation Show. I have acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge towards cutting-edge technologies in various fields by supporting these activities.
Additionally, I have also contributed to the CRM management at Swissnex in China. I was impressed by the rich network of Swissnex, and it was my pleasure to organize the system. These contacts are valuable assets to the organization. Moreover, I was also delighted to facilitate the exchange between EHL and Swissnex in China. I conducted interviews with two EHL professors regarding the digital trends in the Asian hospitality industry. The interview is published on nextrends Asia, a platform showcasing upcoming education, research, innovation and policy trends and opportunities from the Asian region by Swissnex. I am glad that I could also add a hospitality perspective to the Swissnex network. So to all the new team members, please do not be shy of bringing new ideas to the team!
The working environment at Swissnex is very friendly. I feel that right away on my first day. The Swissnex in China team is vibrant, and all team members are supportive. I was lucky to participate in several group activities, including the Spring Reception, where I made dumplings with two colleagues from the consulate. We also went on a team-building trip to the art museum, and I heard that the previous team-building activity was escape rooms. There were also some activities after work. For example, we went for a stand-up paddle & canoe and murder mystery game. The experiences were amazing!
I want to say a big thank you to all team members, and it is my great pleasure to meet you and work with you!