TALKING TIME
WE ARE TALKING TO: ED McGAUGH /
EXPAT EXPO
Expat-Expo is a one-day, admission-free event designed for the
English-speaking people of Switzerland. So... what are
you waiting for?
Expat-Expo showcases a wide variety of businesses, organizations, clubs
and churches from all over Switzerland and Europe. Settling into a new
country can be a daunting process for anyone, but Expat-Expo is designed
to help the Anglophone community feel quickly at home in Switzerland.
In
the space of an afternoon, families can find important goods and services
such as bankers, doctors, accountants and lawyers, schools and day-care,
museums, clubs and churches, even specialty food items.
Ed and Melanie
McGaugh are the initiative takers behind this event and here you can
read a little about how they came up with the idea for Expat Expo:
Melanie is American, born and raised in Kansas City but now has dual
Swiss/US Citizenship. Ed was born in France to a Swiss mother and an
American father and grew up in the USA, when Ed was ten the family moved
to Bahrain and afterwards lived in Switzerland for a while before moving
back to the USA. In other words, Ed has spent a good deal of his life
as an expat.
To Ed Switzerland was his ancestral home and he has been coming to Switzerland
since he was a child to visit relatives. Melanie visited Switzerland
many times a child as well.
Ten years ago we did some mid-life soul searching and in the end decided
to move to Switzerland. We have never regretted that decision. We have
now lived in Switzerland since April 1999.
Ed knows first hand what is like to up-root and move halfway around the
world. Adjusting to a new culture isn't always easy and one also tends
to miss one's own culture after a while. Expat-Expo is an opportunity
to blend other cultures into Switzerland, reduce the stress of integration
and have a fun time all at once.
Expat-Expo began at a little community center in the Seefeld area of
Zürich in February 2006. It had 45 exhibitors. Slowly Ed and Melanie
began adding events one city at a time and now, three years later, they
will conduct expos in Zürich, Geneva, Basel, Lucerne and Zug. They
have over 300 different companies exhibiting and attract over 11,000
visitors per year and they are still growing and adding cities.
The founders
see Expat-Expo a chance to give something back to the community.
They are hoping for 1500 visitors in Zug (Sunday 26´th of April)
but the spring weather can have a big effect on the crowd.
Since the first expos, Zürich has nearly tripled in size, Geneva
has doubled, Zug has doubled and we have added Basel and Lucerne for
the first time this year.
Ed finds that Switzerland already does a lot to integrate foreigners.
Culture shock in Switzerland is nothing compared to other areas in the
world. Because of the German, French and Italian sections Switzerland
is diverse by nature and that alone creates a greater feeling of tolerance.
On the expat side, here are a few tips form Ed on how to better integrate
in Switzerland:
* If you plan to live here long-term try learning the language at least
well enough to make small talk. It will make a huge difference in how
you fit in and boost your own personal confidence.
* Learn about the cultural events in Switzerland. There are thousands
of festivals here, they are so much fun to visit and because most of
them are seasonal it always gives you something to anticipate.
* Discover the local food and drink. Switzerland makes some fantastic
products; obviously some of the world's best chocolate and cheese but
there are so many ancient regional products that are a joy to discover.
* Make Swiss friends. It may be harder than making friends back home
but it is well worth the effort.
Come join Mamizeit at the Expat Expo in Zug on the 26`th of april!
Everyone
is welcome and we encourage visitors to bring their
families.
When and where are the next Expat-Expos taking place?
Zug:
Lorzensaal Cham
Sunday April 26th, 2009
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Basel:
Messe “l'Entrée” Hall 5
Sunday May 17th, 2009
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Zürich:
Kongresshaus Gartensaal
Sunday September 13th, 2009
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Geneva:
Palexpo Hall 7
Sunday October 11th, 2009
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Luzern:
Museum of Transport
Sunday November 15th, 2009
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
More information on
the expos here on their own website:
http://www.expat-expo.info
PREVIOUS TALKS:
OLGA SENFT
ANDREA MARTINS
KINDERFREIZEIT.CH
SANTA
CLAUS
JAMBO Restaurant
A
PLACE 4 US
SUZIE O`REILLY
MARI
KRÅKENES
SUSANNE
WELLE SIEGELER
Der
Hausfrauen- und
Hausmännergewerkschaft
CYNTHIA
BÖSCHENSTEIN
MIA
STALDER