Once again, HTMi is proud to announce our involvement at this year’s Basel World, the world’s largest and most prestigious watch and jewellery fair held annually in Basel, Switzerland. In addition to working with Breitling, a relationship started a few years back; HTMi has also begun a new partnership with another of the world’s most famous jewellery and watchmakers, Jacob & Co, an exclusive company based in New York, watch and jewellery maker to the Hollywood stars and international elite.

Holding true to our belief, HTMi stood firm with our motto to “lead don’t follow, create don’t copy”, as the first and only Swiss Hotel Management School to be working closely with the industry, we have delivered to the highest standards every year on every event. Testimonials from Breitling who continue to work with our students every year, Volkswagen at the Geneva Motor Show, The International Olympic Committee at the 2012 London Olympic and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, FIFA at the 2010 South African World Cup as well as other international events. The feedback does not only please us, but leads to other companies looking to work with us, a good example is Jacob & Co., who this year requested a HTMi student to work alongside their owner Mr. Jacob Arabo himself as his personal assistant at his exclusive exhibition stand at the Basel World Show.

This year’s Breitling event was held between 24th and 31st of March 2014, where the company hosted 650 of their VIP guests, worldwide wholesalers and distributors under the dazzling theme of “The Great Gatsby”. This great opportunity involved working closely with two Michelin Star chefs, Chef Rose Ang, whose resume includes Executive Chef and F&B Director of NOBU as well as Exclusive chef for the president of Azerbaijan and his family, German 1-star Michelen Chef Sarah Henke who recently won “Chef of the Year 2013” by S. Pellegrino and Gault Millau “Up and coming chef of the year 2013”, and Chef Christian Humbs, a 2-star Michelin and 18 points Gault Millau Chef from, Hamburg who also won “Patissier of the year 2013 and 2014”. This allowed our culinary students to work alongside and learn from the best in the world.

HTMi and its students continue to grow its reputation within the industry, a reputation in which we do not only want to sustain but improve further.

We would like to thank both Breitling and Jacob & Co. for the opportunities as well as congratulate the group of students who consisted of Jatin Sachdeva (India), Iya Shirokova (Russia), Jerry Woong (Malaysia), Mridul Rana (India), Alin Christian Lazar (Romania), Thomas Doan (Vietnam), Stacy Cody Dulthummon (Mauritius), Ilya Zorin (Russia) and Himanshu Dara (India), who delighted the guests, the hosts and everyone at HTMi on their excellent professionalism at this international event, fitting to the international environment at HTMi.

We are looking forward to next year’s Basel World, where another group of students will be a part of this world’s event again.

Mr Anthony Lack, Events & Training Manager at the Centre for Events Management Training at HTMi, May 2014