REVIEW *** 2005 Kitzbühel Skiing Event
01. Feb. 2005
Location:
Kitzbühel
Organizer:
In the midst of a grey and wet European winter, escaping to clear blue skies and perfect skiing conditions in Kitzbühel was one of the absolute highlights of the last twelve months. Throw in a lively international crowd (a quarter of them kids) and the perfect backdrop of McKinsey's Alpine University, Hubert Birner, Erkan Kilicaslan and Harald Mährle pulled off the perfect mix of an interesting conference and fun family event.
Alpine University used to be the Grand Hotel in Kitzbühel, fully restored to its former 5-star glory and extended to form McKinsey’s training centre. The beautiful surroundings and the perfect location, easy walking distance from the Hahnenkamm lift, gave us the first impression of what was in store for the rest of the event.
For most of us, things started with the reception on Friday evening which was a great opportunity to meet old friends and make some new acquaintances.
The professional program opened on Saturday with a great presentation from Dr. Ingo Mantzke, describing the development of Highlight Communications AG from a small rights-management company to a leading media business.
Following a panel discussion on the state of the German economy, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kluge, Director & Office Manager of McKinsey Germany provided a fascinating, if sobering, analysis of the challenges faced by Europe in general to round of the professional program.
The kids-for-free offer was taken up by many of us; a welcome chance for the whole family to enjoy an HBS event without breaking the bank. A well-organized kids program, including a special kids’ dinner, also gave mums and dads a chance to relax and enjoy the event. The kids were overwhelmed by the fantastic accommodation, swimming pool and range of relaxation possibilities from sledging, skiing, digging in the snow or just enjoying the sun.
The event will be repeated in 2006, and hopefully an even larger HBS alumni contingent will attend. So if you want to combine great skiing with an interesting program and some time off with your families, keep some space in your diary free and come and join us!
Alan Greenshields MBA’92
Category: Events
