Frühere Workshops

From Arenas to Algorithms: The Event Innovation Challenge. Gastgeberin war die BHMS. Die Teams entwickelten aus ihren Beobachtungen Geschäftskonzepte für die Zukunft von Events, begleitet von Gastvorträgen von Sebastiano Mereu und Joern Schlimm. Zu den Höhepunkten gehörten eine Führung hinter die Kulissen des Eishockeystadions in Olten, ein Besuch im Schweizer Paraplegiker-Zentrum in Nottwil und ein Fine-Dining-Abend der Luzerner Studierenden. Acht Studierende aus Mainz waren dabei. Ihren ausführlichen Bericht (auf Englisch) finden Sie weiter unten.

Studierende aus Mainz berichten von ihren Workshopwochen (auf Englisch).

The 22nd COEUR Idea Generation Workshop took place from 5–11 September 2026 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Under the theme “From Arenas to Algorithms,” students from different countries came together to develop innovative ideas for the future of events while experiencing the incredible hospitality of the Business & Hotel Management School.

Throughout the week, we worked in multicultural teams, turning initial observations into actual business concepts. We learned to identify relevant problems, understand the people affected by them and develop products or services that could provide convincing solutions. Guest talks by Sebastiano Mereu and Joern Schlimm added new perspectives along the way. Working across different cultures was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. What started with some hesitation quickly developed into great group dynamics. Communicating in English, adapting to different personalities and managing time pressure made the teamwork challenging, valuable and, most importantly, fun.

Some of the most memorable moments happened outside the classroom. One highlight was our visit to the ice hockey stadium in Olten, where the club’s CEO took us on a journey through the entire stadium. Along the way, we got a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional sports club operates, the challenges it faces and how these affect both everyday operations and the fan experience. Connecting these real-world insights with the challenges we were working on during the workshop made the visit particularly valuable.

Our visit to the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Nottwil offered a completely different perspective, as we had the opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from people living with spinal cord injuries. The week also gave us a taste of Swiss hospitality, with a fantastic fine-dining experience organised by the Lucerne students as another highlight. After days of brainstorming, discussions and probably one too many PowerPoint slides, everything came down to ten minutes: Our final pitch in front of a jury and our fellow students.

More than just developing a business idea, COEUR showed us how quickly different cultures, perspectives and personalities can come together. We returned to Mainz with new skills, new connections and plenty of memories. If you get the chance to become part of COEUR, take it! We highly recommend it.

(Alba Franck Jové, Alexey Raufenbarth, Tim Wurzinger, Niklas Stark, Zoe Tsui, Christin Wolff, Luisa Filbert, Annabelle Lennartz)