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Geneva’s Expat Expo takes place soon, on Sunday October 5. I’m looking forward to it – and not just because it’s one of the few things to do in town on a Sunday! The expo is a great opportunity to learn about groups, goods and services, and resources for people living in Switzerland. For native English speakers like myself, it’s also a chance to find out more about Geneva all in English. Although my French is improving, I’ll confess it’s sometimes a relief to converse in the language I best understand.

My first expat expo was three years ago, two months after we relocated to Geneva from the U.S. I’d done a lot of exploring on my own, of course, but the expo enabled me to gather a lot of information about Geneva in one place – local churches with English-language services, English-speaking doctors and dentists, sports resources like area golf and skiing, even wine tastings and local stores that sell foods from the US, UK, and elsewhere.

Club table 5941

But for me, the best part about my first expo was that I met a group of women from the American International Women’s Club (AIWC), and had a chance to talk to them for a bit about life in Geneva. It wasn’t a sales pitch – it was more like meeting a bunch of women with whom I could identify, something I hadn’t yet encountered since moving from the US.

I left the expo with a big bag of information, plus a few impulse purchases from the British Cheese Centre’s stand and the American Market’s booth. And a week later, I joined the AIWC.

Photo Credit: Ramada Encore Geneva website

Getting There: This year’s expo is at the Ramada Encore – La Praille. Doors open at 11 a.m. and stay open until 5 p.m., and admission is free. On-site parking is available. If you prefer to go by public transportation, the stop Stade de Genève is near the hotel’s entrance and is served by buses 4, 21, 22, 42, 43, D, K and L.

The Expat Expo’s website is available here. On the website, you can find a list of all of this year’s exhibitors, plus a site plan and information about sponsors and special events.

I’ll be there … will you?

We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland.  If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/