Behind the largest events and congresses that bring Geneva to life, our teams work for months to select and recruit hundreds of professionals. Our Hotelis Palexpo on-site agency is made up of four recruitment professionals who take on new challenges everyday, with one constant objective: assigning the right profiles at the right time while ensuring the best possible match for each event.
When the doors of a major trade fair at Palexpo open, everything is perfectly coordinated. The teams are in place, services run smoothly, visitors move around the venue and the event unfolds seamlessly.
This smooth operation is the result of work that remains invisible to visitors. Behind the scenes, weeks, and sometimes months, in advance, teams must anticipate needs, recruit, plan and build teams capable of meeting the specific requirements of each event.
That is precisely the role of the Hotelis agency based at Palexpo. It specialises in recruiting and providing staff for all the events held throughout the year. It is an activity where deadlines are very short, needs can change right up until the last moment and every event comes with its own requirements.
A Story Built on Proximity
As head of the agency since 2015, Lucie Marchal knows this reality inside out. After several positions in hotel operations, she joined Hotelis in 2008 to open the first agency in Geneva, and gradually went on to lead the Hotelis agency at Palexpo. Today, she coordinates all of the agency’s activities while maintaining close relationships with both clients and employees.
For her, one thing remains essential: proximity.
“We aim to be true partners. Understanding our clients’ challenges, responding to
their expectations and supporting our employees on a daily basis are part of our
DNA,” she explains.
Recruiting Know-How… but Above All, the Right Attitude
Not all events are looking for the same profiles. A professional congress, a public trade fair or a high-end reception each require different skills and personalities.
It is precisely this diversity that makes the profession interesting for Raphaël Girodet. He has been with Hotelis for ten years and, like Lucie, comes from the hospitality and catering industry. He also worked for several years in the United States. In his daily work, he is involved in recruitment, as well as planning and administrative follow-up.
With experience, he has learned to look beyond the CV.
“You can learn a profession, but it is much harder to learn authenticity, a smile or
the desire to do a good job,” he points out.
In the events industry, these qualities can make all the difference. Someone who is technically competent will not necessarily be the person who integrates best into ateam, handles an unexpected situation most effectively or delivers the expected level of service.
The agency therefore places strong emphasis on personality, motivation and interpersonal skills. All these elements help build teams capable of adapting to very different environments.
Mobilising Hundreds of Employees
One of the agency’s particular strengths lies in the scale of the projects it supports.
For the largest projects, the agency may recruit several hundred temporary employees. A major watchmaking trade fair alone can require almost 800 professionals, working across service, kitchen and reception.
The real challenge is not simply recruiting 800 employees. It is about finding the right profiles — sometimes within extremely tight deadlines.
For certain events, preparations begin up to three months before the opening. The teams must identify needs, source profiles, organise teams and anticipate unforeseen circumstances as far as possible. A last-minute absence, a change to the schedule or an additional client request can be enough to disrupt an organisation that has been prepared for months.
A Small Team, a Great Strength
Despite the scale of its work, the agency stands out for its dynamism. The team works effectively thanks to its close collaboration and complementary strengths. Everyone knows their role. Communication is constant, decisions are made quickly and mutual support is part of everyday life.
This organisation allows the agency to remain agile, even when unexpected situations arise.
In the events industry, the ability to react quickly is not simply an advantage. It is a necessity.
A last-minute change can have a knock-on effect. The team then has to find a solution, contact new resources and reorganise teams, sometimes within just a few hours.
Trust between team members therefore becomes a genuine working tool.
Behind Every Assignment, a Relationship
If there is one aspect the team particularly emphasises, it is the importance placed on temporary employees.
Before assigning them to a position, the agency takes the time to meet them, talk with them and understand their expectations before checking references. This knowledge then makes it possible to offer assignments that better match their skills, experience and aspirations.
Over the course of different events, some employees return regularly. In this way, a genuine pool of talent is built, based as much on skills as on trust.
The relationship with clients is based on the same principle.
The objective is not simply to respond to a request for staff, but to understand the neednbehind that request. What type of event is it? What image does the client want to convey? What level of service is expected?
A Profession in Constant Evolution
In 2026, the hospitality, catering and events industries continue to evolve. Professionals’ expectations are changing, available profiles are shifting and companies sometimes need to rethink their recruitment practices.
For the Hotelis Palexpo team, these changes are not simply constraints. They also require methods to evolve and teams to remain closely connected to what is happening on the ground.
By prioritising human values, support and the search for tailored solutions, Hotelis Palexpo continues to support its clients in their most ambitious projects while offering its employees new professional opportunities.
