Bern-Netzwerk Interview: Emmentaler Show Dairy and Stockhorn

Let’s start with a quick look back at the last Bern Networker workshop. How did you experience it?

Frank: It was only the second in-person event, so I got to meet many new people – including Kevin. It’s always fascinating to see how others do things. Seeing the full range of offerings from the Bern destination in one place and thinking about possible connections is really inspiring. You often get caught up in your own daily routine – so these kinds of outings are always enriching.

Kevin: I completely agree. It was great to exchange ideas with so many people in Bern and think about possible collaborations. I sensed a lot of momentum and different directions things could go – I’m looking forward to how it all develops.

Frank: The workshop also pushed the topic of sustainability even further up on our agenda. We will definitely visit the "Planetopia" exhibition at the Museum of Communication, which was presented there, together with our management team. That way we can gradually integrate and implement the topic ourselves.

Frank, this is your first time on the Stockhorn. Why do you think we brought you together here today?

Frank: Maybe precisely because of that – and because I hadn’t met Stefan before. Right?

Stefan: Yes, and maybe also because of the cheese. We need quite a lot of it, especially now that we’ve taken over the fondue igloo at Hinterstockensee – there are definitely some connections and synergies there.

Exactly, it's about what you have in common. Both of your destinations are located at a higher altitude and enrich our shared region with their offerings. How do you personally identify with the Bern destination, and how does the Bern Network support you in this?

Stefan: For me, there are two sides to it: first, the emotional one – I grew up in Bern, so I feel a strong personal connection. The second is the commercial aspect. If we want to grow, the guests from the Thun-Spiez region – who currently make up the largest share of our turnover – are not enough. The next larger market with international access is Interlaken, but many mountain destinations are already competing for guests there. That’s why it makes sense for us to look toward Bern and beyond. That’s also why we’re part of the Bern Network. The outreach and support in market development really help our marketing efforts.

Frank: We definitely consider ourselves part of Bern – and the Emmental is nestled in one of the most beautiful areas of the destination. Many of our guests come from urban regions, but international tourism is also highly relevant for us – for example, those travelling from Interlaken via Bern to reach us in the Emmental. That’s why being part of the network is so exciting.

In addition to marketing, which you’ve just mentioned, the main goal of the Bern Network is to develop and enhance offers. How do you approach that? How do new offers emerge in your case?

Frank: We always try to create new combinations based on what we already have on site. We’ve got some fixed elements like the Königsweg and our Stöckli cheesemaking, which we can combine with other things – for example, restaurant offerings, our new sleeping barrels or the show bakery. Our main goal is to improve existing experiences or expand them through partnerships. It’s also important to stay open and listen to what people want.

Stefan: We’ve done a lot over the past ten years – from the new lakeside hut to the playground and the viewing platform. There was major investment in infrastructure, and marketing fell a bit behind. That’s why we’re focusing more on it now – and on the things we already have. We don’t want to fill the mountain with attractions but rather make better use of what’s already there. We’ve strengthened our collaboration with the Tschabold family, who run the scooter-bike rentals, and now offer a joint combo ticket. That’s a win for us, for them, and for our guests.

Kevin: When developing offers, we always pay attention to what people want and where the trends are heading. Emotions, storytelling, and embedding our offers in that context work really well. As Stefan said, we don’t want to overload the mountain with attractions – especially in a time where everything is speeding up, we aim to give our guests the chance to slow down up here.

And what if you were to develop a joint offer? You actually have quite a bit in common: both of you offer a strong culinary experience with your restaurants, both provide summer refreshment – be it fresh mountain air or, in Frank’s case, the cheese cellar – and both of you have high-traffic platforms. That sounds like great potential, doesn’t it?

Frank: We’ve already had the chance to use several such platforms – including some from Bern Welcome – and have also made ours available in return. We’ve had great experiences with giveaways and contests, for example. It’s amazing how much reach you can generate and how many people engage with it. We’re always open to these kinds of activities – they really boost visibility and are great for word-of-mouth.

Kevin: I really like the idea of supporting each other by creating visibility for one another. Of course, it depends on the context – when and where these platforms are used. But if someone sees a presence of the Show Dairy at our exit point, they might be inspired for their next family outing. Sure, there are lots of offers in between and people have many choices – but if someone has spent a great day with us, they’ll be more open to a follow-up suggestion. And it feels more authentic than reading about it on a crowded tram in the morning. So yes, it absolutely makes sense to use shared channels and create cross-promotional platforms.

Frank: Off the top of my head, I can really imagine using our brunches as a shared platform. You’ve got the Stockhorn Brunch, and I host the Sennen Brunch every Sunday – it’s fully booked for weeks and performs really well. That could be a great opportunity to cross-promote for people who are especially interested in this type of experience.

Stefan: Definitely a good idea – let’s do it. One strong aspect is that guests might not visit us every single weekend, so they appreciate being made aware of something similar happening elsewhere.

Frank: Exactly – it also has to do with trust and a shared sense of quality. The focus shouldn’t be on competition. We should move away from the “Come only to me” mindset and toward “If you’re looking for another great experience, why not try that place too?”

Back to cheese for a moment: You mentioned earlier that you're taking over the fondue igloo. Do you see an opportunity for collaboration here as well?

Stefan: For the fondue cheese, we already work closely with local dairies from the region. On Saturdays alone, we’ll be serving between 70 and 90 fondues. We’ve looked at various options, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Frank: Supplying the cheese wouldn’t be a problem for us in principle. But what’s more important to me is that the products used for such offers here on the Stockhorn come from the region itself. I really believe that regional sourcing and local partnerships are essential. The Emmental already feels a bit too far – I don’t get my milk from the Bernese Oberland either. As local as possible is usually the best solution for me.

So in this case, there’s a natural limit to joint product development. Still, you could draw on the other key pillars of a competitive offer – communication and sales – and benefit from each other’s visitor flows. What about shared themes like tradition and folklore? Both of you organise related events, right?

Kevin: Funny you ask – I’ve actually been struggling to find suitable accordion quartets for two of our upcoming events.

Frank: You should’ve said something! We have different musicians playing every Tuesday at our “Accordion Afternoon” – we’ve built up quite a list of artists. Feel free to reach out anytime. I’m not sure whether it would really boost visitor flow though – those events usually draw the same regular guests.

Stefan: Yes, we’ve seen the same on our side. That’s why we started introducing very different event formats – like the Oldies Night or the Stockhorn Rave. It helps us reach new target groups and different generations – maybe even our future guests.

Thank you, Frank, Stefan and Kevin, for the insights. We’re very much looking forward to following the continued development of your collaboration within the Bern Network.