Social Program

The Evening Reception will be held in the exhibition area of the Kursaal. The foyer of the Kursaal offers a spectacular view of the old town of Bern, the Cathedral and the Aare river. Bern's quaint Old Town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, a gem of medieval architecture in Europe. The reception will take place on Monday once the last conference session has ended and will begin with a welcome drink followed by waiters serving small canapés. This will give exhibitors the opportunity to chat to participants in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Clock Tower (Zytglogge) is an ornate astronomical clock with moving figures; it was built in 1530. It served as the city's main clock and thus had an authoritative function in Bern. It was from there that distance reflected on stone markers along the cantonal roads were measured. The Kramgasse ("Grocers Alley") is one of the principal streets in the Old City of Bern. The street and its buildings are part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City. Both sides of the Kramgasse are covered with Lauben, stone arcades that protect pedestrians from rain. Clock Tower and Kramgasse are just a one-minute walk from the Kornhaus. www.bern.com

The Einstein House is at Kramgasse 49, only 200 meters from the Clock Tower. Albert Einstein lived there from 1903 to 1905, considered to be his most creative period. In 1905, while living at Kramgasse No. 49, Albert Einstein developed the Special Theory of Relativity. The year 1905 - often called his "annus mirabilis" - was the most creative period for Einstein (and for the whole community of physicists). The Einstein House is open to the public. www.einstein-bern.ch

The Zentrum Paul Klee holds the most significant collection of works worldwide by Paul Klee. For the architect Renzo Piano it was clear that the artist Paul Klee had "a too broad breath" to be locked up into a "normal building". The 150 meter long glass façade measures 19 meters at its highest points, and the largest panes of glass measure 6x1.6 meters and weigh half a metric ton. Klee’s works are mostly pencil drawings and water colors, which can only be exposed to a maximum of 100 Lumens. The daylight which comes in through the glass façade is controlled and decreased using an automatic sun protection system.   www.zpk.org

This innovative Westside building, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is a shopping center, multiplex cinema and restaurant, hotel and conference centre, adventure pool, spa and fitness center – all in one. The facade of the large building is encased in Robinia wood, which blends in the complex with the countryside to the west. The crystal blocks that form vertical platforms in the shopping centre, break through the right-angled system of the building like massive rocks and bathe the interior with daylight. "There's nothing like this anywhere else in the world," explains Daniel Libeskind. "This seamless coexistence of shopping centre, senior citizens' residence, hotel and leisure facilities in harmony with nature and buildings in the old part of Bern close by is unique." www.westside.ch