General Terms and Conditions (GTC) for consulting, information, event, trade fair, and rental services.
1. Scope
These General Terms and Conditions for Consulting, Information, Event, and Trade Fair Services (GTCs) apply to all commercially distributed consulting and information services provided by Switzerland Global Enterprise through its offices, as well as in cooperation with its network partners domestically and internationally, and the participation in events/fairs organized or co-organized by Switzerland Global Enterprise (Swiss participation in international fairs and other official joint actions of the Swiss economy as well as Swiss exhibitions abroad). Furthermore, the GTCs apply to the rental of training, conference, and exhibition rooms (hereinafter: premises) by Switzerland Global Enterprise or through one of its offices. The GTCs form an integral part of every legal relationship existing between Switzerland Global Enterprise and its network partners and the customer (which particularly includes clients, work orderers, and tenants or exhibitors), especially any possible offer presented to the customer in the destination country.
2. Offer and Conclusion of Contract
2.1 Contracts for consulting and information services and for the rental of premises by Switzerland Global Enterprise are considered concluded when the customer's written acceptance of the offer is received by Switzerland Global Enterprise within the acceptance period. Offers without an acceptance period are non-binding.
2.2 To participate in an event/fair, the registration must be received in writing by Switzerland Global Enterprise by the registration deadline specified in the participation documents. Timely registration does not entitle participation or guarantee a specific size or location of the assigned stand. Late registrations can only be considered if possible (Section 7.1).
Switzerland Global Enterprise decides at its discretion on the admission of participants and is entitled to reject registrations without providing reasons. Special admission criteria may apply for certain event formats and participations.
3. Prices and Fees
3.1 For consulting and information services, the price offered individually by Switzerland Global Enterprise, usually in writing, applies. This price includes all defined services, including those to be performed by subcontractors and/or sub-consultants. Services not defined in the offer are to be remunerated additionally (see Section 6).
3.2 For the rental of premises, the individually and usually written price offered by Switzerland Global Enterprise applies. Beverages must be sourced from Switzerland Global Enterprise. Aperitifs and main meals are organized by Switzerland Global Enterprise through external catering. With the consent of Switzerland Global Enterprise, the organizer may delegate the catering directly to a third party. In this case, Switzerland Global Enterprise is entitled to a service fee and a corkage fee.
3.3 For participation in an event/fair, the price specified in the participation documents applies. Upon conclusion of the contract, the registration fee and the share of the participation price stated in the participation documents are due.
3.4 For publications with bound prices distributed by Switzerland Global Enterprise, the specified catalog price applies.
4. Payment Terms
In General
4.1 Invoice amounts (registration and participation fees, work remunerations, etc.) are generally due for payment within 30 days of invoicing. Thereafter, default interest of 5% is owed.
4.2 The payment modalities for invoice amounts can be specified in more detail and deviate from the GTCs in the consulting and information service contracts or in the trade fair participation documents or in the contracts for the rental of premises. In particular, Switzerland Global Enterprise may make the provision of services dependent on a deposit in all contractual relationships.
4.3 If the customer is in default with a due payment, Switzerland Global Enterprise is entitled to withdraw from the contract without notice and to assert claims for damages.
Participation in Events/Fairs/Business Trips (Business Trips Group/Fact-Finding Mission) in Particular
4.4 The full participation price must be paid in full no later than 4 weeks before the start of the business trip or program. If payment is not made on time, Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) is entitled to refuse participation and/or terminate the contract without notice. In this case, the following cancellation provisions (Section 6.10) apply accordingly.
4.5 With the registration, event participants acknowledge that the event will be photographed and filmed for documentation, marketing, and communication purposes. By participating, they agree that Switzerland Global Enterprise and any co-organizers may use, publish, and edit the created photo and video footage, in which they may be recognizable, free of charge, and without temporal or spatial restriction for marketing, advertising, and communication purposes — particularly on the website, in social media, print media, online advertising, and presentations. Further information on the processing of personal data can be found in the privacy policy at s-ge.com/privacy.
4.6 If the exhibitor is in default with a due payment and Switzerland Global Enterprise withdraws from the contract without notice (Section 4.3), the registration fees and the agreed participation price must be paid as a penalty.
4.7 The costs for special services (Section 7.2) will be invoiced by Switzerland Global Enterprise after the conclusion of the event and are also payable within 30 days.
4.8 Offsetting of counterclaims of the customer with claims of Switzerland Global Enterprise is excluded.
5. Regulations/Quality Standards and Ethical Conduct Standards in the Destination Country
5.1 If the service is provided abroad and nothing else is agreed in writing with Switzerland Global Enterprise, the customer must inform Switzerland Global Enterprise in writing of all necessary legal, official, and other regulations and standards for service provision no later than upon acceptance of the offer or registration.
5.2 Switzerland Global Enterprise continually strives to guarantee a high quality standard for its services. For this purpose, the partners of Switzerland Global Enterprise are periodically reviewed for the quality of their services both domestically and abroad.
5.3 Switzerland Global Enterprise recommends that internationally active companies behave ethically correct in their overseas business and particularly observe the relevant standards and codes of conduct (e.g., social and environmental standards, avoidance of corruption practices, etc.). Only ethically correct behavior creates trust and thus the basis for successful activity in foreign markets. Upon request, Switzerland Global Enterprise is happy to advise its customers on ethically correct business conduct in the spirit of the "Global Compact" and the "Swiss Code of Ethics."
6. Delivery/Change/Delay/Withdrawal
Consulting and Information Services
6.1 The provision of services for consulting and information services is carried out according to the framework conditions specified in the offer or tender notice.
6.2 If the client expresses changes and/or additional requests after placing the order, Switzerland Global Enterprise will make a written offer for this. The subsequently offered services will be executed after written reconfirmation and any (additional) advance payment by the customer. For services which Switzerland Global Enterprise deems necessary within the scope of its mandate (e.g., publication of advertisements, purchase of directories), Switzerland Global Enterprise will submit a written supplementary offer to the customer in advance.
6.3 If the customer withdraws their order, Switzerland Global Enterprise is entitled to the remuneration for the services provided up to the point of acknowledging the withdrawal by Switzerland Global Enterprise. The withdrawal must be made in writing (letter, fax). A withdrawal via email is insufficient. If a withdrawal is made at an unreasonable time, Switzerland Global Enterprise is entitled to legal claims for damages.
6.4 Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable for delivery delays without its fault. If a delivery delay for which Switzerland Global Enterprise is responsible occurs, the customer is obliged to grant Switzerland Global Enterprise a grace period of 60 days in writing before they can withdraw from the contract. Claims for damages, including any claims for consequential damages, are excluded to the extent permitted by law (Section 13.3).
Participation in Trade Fairs
6.5 If an exhibitor waives participation after the conclusion of the contract or reduces the originally agreed participation, the registration fee and the full participation price for the basic services – subject to the restriction in Section 6.6 – as well as compensation for expenses already incurred by Switzerland Global Enterprise for special services are owed (Section 7.2).
6.6 A contract withdrawal by the exhibitor is only valid in writing (letter, fax). A withdrawal via email is insufficient. Upon early written withdrawal, the following reductions of the participation price are granted:
– if received up to six months before the exhibition: 30% reduction;
– if received up to four months before the exhibition: 10% reduction.
If the exhibitor withdraws their registration less than four months before the exhibition, the full participation price and the entire registration fee are owed. If the exhibitor provides a reasonable replacement exhibitor who assumes the closed contract under the same conditions, the original exhibitor is exempted to the extent the participation price is paid by the replacement exhibitor. The registration fee and additional expenses incurred by Switzerland Global Enterprise remain owed in any case. The registration fee is also charged to the replacement exhibitor.
6.7 Switzerland Global Enterprise can reduce the registered stand area and change locations at any time (Section 7.1). In this case, the exhibitor is entitled to withdraw in writing from the contractual relationship within one week of receiving the notification of such a change if their interests are unreasonably affected. If the impact is reasonable, the exhibitor can still withdraw from the contractual relationship, but they will incur costs. The costs resulting from such a withdrawal are calculated analogously to Section 6.6.
6.8 If planned participation in a trade fair cannot take place, registered trade fair participants have no claim to compensation for any business transactions expected within the trade fair appearance.
Participation in Events
6.9. The participant acknowledges that the program can be changed at any time without justifying the cancellation of the registration or partial reimbursement of costs. The registrant/participant can be represented by a third party without incurring additional costs if unable to attend.
The following cancellation conditions apply:
Participation in Business Trips (Business Trips Group / Fact-Finding Missions)
6.10 The participant acknowledges that S-GE is entitled to adjust the program at any time. Program changes do not justify the cancellation of the registration or any claim for partial reimbursement of the participation price.
If the participant is unable to attend, they may nominate a suitable replacement from the same organization without incurring additional costs, provided the replacement meets the participation requirements. S-GE must be informed in a timely manner.
The cancellation must be made in writing. The decisive factor for meeting the deadline is the receipt of the cancellation notice by S-GE. The following cancellation conditions apply:
```
Note: Already incurred, non-cancelable third-party services (e.g., hotel contingents, transfers, local service providers) may be charged in full regardless.
Rental of Premises
6.11 A withdrawal by the tenant for reasons not falling within the responsibility of Switzerland Global Enterprise is only valid in writing (letter, fax). Withdrawal via email is insufficient. The following costs will be charged for early written cancellation unless the rented premises can be rented to someone else:
7. Special Conditions for Participation in Events/Trade Fairs
Services of Switzerland Global Enterprise
7.1 Basic services: By taking over the organization, Switzerland Global Enterprise commits to providing the client with optimal conditions for their trade fair participation and making all arrangements to organize an event that appropriately respects and aligns with Switzerland’s reputation. The price for basic services (participation price) includes the rental of the exhibition space and the services listed in the participation documents.
Switzerland Global Enterprise is the sole client for the basic services towards third parties. In connection with the trade fair management, Switzerland Global Enterprise allocates the location and stand space. Switzerland Global Enterprise strives to meet the placement wishes of exhibitors. No legal claims are established by any promises regarding the location and size of the exhibition space. Switzerland Global Enterprise reserves the right to allocate the exhibitor a stand in a different location than confirmed, to change the size of their exhibition space (for example, in case of overbooking), to relocate or close entrances and exits to the trade fair grounds and halls, and to make other structural changes as needed when there is a significant interest in such measures due to special circumstances.
7.2 Special services: All services beyond the basic services are charged as special services based on effort, including processing fees, unless expressly agreed otherwise. These include, in particular, additional equipment and furniture, connections, installations, and operating costs for electricity and telecommunications, water, compressed air, gas, etc., as well as services like additional exhibitor passes, parking cards, etc.
Exhibitor Obligations
7.3 The guidelines and regulations set by the trade fair management are binding for every exhibitor. The house rights are vested in the responsible project manager of Switzerland Global Enterprise or their deputy. Switzerland Global Enterprise or appointed third parties represent the interests of Swiss exhibitors to the trade fair management.
7.4 The design and operation of the rented space must align with the overall image. The exhibitor must adhere to appropriate instructions from Switzerland Global Enterprise or the trade fair management. For the design and operation of the stands, the guidelines and instructions of Switzerland Global Enterprise apply subsidiarily.
7.5 The exhibitor is obligated to complete their booth before the exhibition opening. The exhibitor must continuously staff their booth with exhibits during the entire opening hours of the exhibition and not begin dismantling the stand before the close of the exhibition.
7.6 Demonstrations of any kind and special actions (e.g., noisy or otherwise disruptive demonstrations, sales or free distribution of goods) require the express approval of Switzerland Global Enterprise. Visual and acoustic nuisances to neighboring stands or obstructions on the stand and aisle areas are not allowed. In case of violation, Switzerland Global Enterprise is entitled, at its discretion, to prohibit annoying or obstructive presentations and, if violations recur, to terminate the stand rental contract without notice.
7.7 The employment of local assistants, interpreters, etc., is generally the responsibility of each exhibitor, although, on request and at the exhibitor's expense, it can be handled through Switzerland Global Enterprise. Each exhibitor is responsible for ensuring that everyone employed by them during the event holds the necessary identification and permits. Transport, insurance, and security measures.
7.8 Unless otherwise agreed, each exhibitor is responsible for the packaging, shipment and return transport, customs clearance, storage, and insurance of their exhibition goods and empties.
7.9 Participation does not include any insurance coverage. Concluding liability, accident, health, property damage, repatriation insurance, etc., is each exhibitor's responsibility. Even if Switzerland Global Enterprise prescribes a sole forwarding agent, insurer, or link for some activities, legal relationships are determined solely by the agreements made between the exhibitors and the contracting party. In this case, Switzerland Global Enterprise acts only as an intermediary. If Switzerland Global Enterprise provides guarantees to authorities for the temporary importation of goods on behalf of exhibitors, the exhibitor must comply with the associated requirements and hold Switzerland Global Enterprise harmless.
8. Special Conditions for Renting Premises
8.1 The reserved conference rooms are available to the service recipient from Monday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Usage beyond the agreed period requires prior arrangement with Switzerland Global Enterprise.
8.2 The organizer is responsible for the fire-safety compliant use of decoration materials.
8.3 The organizer is liable for losses and damages caused by them, their assistants, and event participants. Switzerland Global Enterprise assumes no liability for loss, theft, or damage to items brought in by the organizer.
8.4 Disruptions to the technical and other facilities provided by Switzerland Global Enterprise will be rectified immediately by technical staff. Such disruptions do not entitle price reductions.
9. Retention of Title
Switzerland Global Enterprise reserves ownership of goods and rights delivered by them until full payment has been received. The customer is obligated to take all necessary measures to protect the ownership of Switzerland Global Enterprise.
10. Data Protection and Fair Competition
10.1 Switzerland Global Enterprise processes customer data in compliance with the Federal Data Protection Act (DSG, SR 235.1) and the Data Protection Regulation (DSV). Customer data is used exclusively to fulfill contracted services and to inform about own and general economic activities, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Act against Unfair Competition (UWG).
10.2 Every person from whom customer data is collected has the right to request information on which data is being processed about them. Every person may also request the correction of incorrect data, limit processing, and delete their data unless legal retention obligations counteract this. Please contact: privacy@s-ge.com
10.3 The customer may object to the use of their contact data for marketing purposes at any time, without providing a reason and free of charge, by notifying privacy@s-ge.com.
10.4 Further information on the processing of personal data by Switzerland Global Enterprise, in particular processing purposes, third-party providers used, data transfers abroad, and the “My S-GE” platform, can be found in the separate data protection declaration at s-ge.com/en/legal-notices.
11. Copyright
The copyright and all intellectual property rights to the performances provided by Switzerland Global Enterprise as part of their consulting, information, and event services lie with Switzerland Global Enterprise.
12. Transferability/Participation of Third Parties
12.1 Switzerland Global Enterprise may use or involve additional persons – specifically network partners – in the provision of consulting and information services.
12.2 Participation of co-exhibitors in the exhibitor's rented exhibition space must be approved in writing by Switzerland Global Enterprise and requires an additional registration. Co-exhibitors are participants who appear in any form at an exhibitor's stand, namely through labeling, exhibits, or entry in the trade fair catalog. A separate registration fee is charged for each co-exhibitor. Involving co-exhibitors makes the exhibitor liable to Switzerland Global Enterprise for compliance with these contractual terms, any individual agreements, and any damages caused by the co-exhibitor. Switzerland Global Enterprise's approval is particularly required for the presentation of foreign exhibits, products manufactured abroad, or those where a significant part of the value added takes place abroad, as well as the involvement of Swiss company licensees.
13. Warranty and Liability
13.1 Switzerland Global Enterprise provides their services with industry-standard care and to the best of their knowledge. Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable for events over which they or their appointed persons have no control. In this case, Switzerland Global Enterprise reserves the right to withdraw from the contract without compensation and to claim damages if the other contracting party is at fault. Consulting and information services.
13.2 Switzerland Global Enterprise does not guarantee success. In particular, Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable for ensuring a business partner can be found or that the client's market success will occur to the desired extent. Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable for poor or non-fulfillment of services by their network partners. The client must contact the network partner directly for non-fulfillment or poor performance of such foreign services. Switzerland Global Enterprise will inform the client on request whether it concerns own or foreign services. If the client claims from foreign services, Switzerland Global Enterprise will provide the name and address of the network partner so the client can enforce their claims against the network partner.
13.3 Liability for any damage incurred by the customer, particularly due to non-occurrence of the desired success, poor performance, delivery delays, or consequential damages, is excluded as far as legally permissible (see also section 6.4). Participation in events/trade fairs.
13.4 Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable for late arrival of exhibition goods, lack of support from the representations of Swiss companies on site, theft or damage to exhibition goods and effects, acts of God, seizures by authorities, etc.
13.5 Switzerland Global Enterprise excludes liability for disadvantages and damages incurred by the exhibitor due to their contractual misconduct. Switzerland Global Enterprise is liable to the exhibitor for immediately proven damage directly caused willfully or through gross negligence by Switzerland Global Enterprise or their contractors (stand builders, trade fair management, graphic designers, etc.). Any further liability of Switzerland Global Enterprise is excluded.
13.6 If the execution of an event or intended participation does not take place due to unforeseen compelling reasons, Switzerland Global Enterprise assumes no responsibility. The costs incurred up to this point for basic services will be proportionately charged to the registered exhibitors. Expenses for special services will be charged individually to the exhibitors.
13.7 Switzerland Global Enterprise is not liable to the exhibitor for any consequences arising from the location or surroundings of the booth.
13.8 The organizer reserves the right to change the event program at any time without the participant being able to claim a reduction in costs.
13.9 If an event is canceled or cannot be held, Switzerland Global Enterprise or the organizer is not liable for expenses and disadvantages incurred by the participants in connection with the planned participation in the event.
14. Applicable Law
Unless these General Terms and Conditions contain any provisions to the contrary, Swiss law exclusively applies to the legal relationships between the parties.
15. Jurisdiction
The exclusive place of jurisdiction for the legal relationship between the parties is Zurich.
16. Translation disclaimer
This translation was generated using artificial intelligence. In the event of any discrepancies, the German version shall prevail and is the legally binding version.
Zurich, 2026