Around 100 guests attended the event, dining at on-campus gastronomic restaurant Maison Décotterd, which boasts a panoramic view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, where they were served by bachelors students in their first semester of practical arts in International Hospitality Business.

“We have had a long list of achievements over 60 years and every one of them was made possible by our faculty, our staff, as well as our students and our families who have all shared the same vision of making this world a more hospitable place,” said GIHE managing director, Georgette Davey, who spoke at the event.

“Thanks to them, today we are proud to count almost 16,000 alumni who are leaders in their field, who share the same passion for hospitality. We look forward to the future with excitement, knowing that there will be many successes to celebrate along the way,” Davey added.

Guests also took part in a wine tasting by Paolo Basso, who won the title of Best Sommelier of the World in 2013 and is now a visiting lecturer at the luxury hospitality institution.

Former students were present at the event, including Christopher Jones, president of Glion’s Alumni Association and president of Sushi Shop.

“We have achieved a lot during the past 60 years, from keeping the network active – that’s the most important thing – to holding international events and conferences, creating job opportunities for our members… to providing scholarships and donations to students and communities around the world,” said Jones.

The institution was was founded in 1962 as the Institut International de Glion by Swiss professors Walter Hunziker and Frédéric Tissot. The initial class consisted of 15 students and courses were taught in French. In 2022, the school has a student body of 1,600 students, representing 98 nationalities, and all courses are delivered in English.

In 1989, the institution opened a second campus in Bulle, a town in the Gruyères region of Switzerland. More recently, in 2013, the institution launched a third campus in London which remains the first and only Swiss hospitality school in the UK.