Last October, I was one of about 30 media professionals and social media influencers who got to take a top secret trip to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. No joke – I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement ensuring I wouldn’t say, write or post any content until after the embargo lifted last month. In fact, the trip was so hush-hush, Hilti wouldn’t even tell us why they were bringing us all to Europe. All we knew was that there would be some big new product announcement. I love a good mystery, so my interest was definitely piqued. So I hopped on a plane and made my first solo trip to Europe.
Hilti planned a detailed, multi-day agenda that included a walking tour of Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland, dating back to roughly 11,000 BC, and a trip up Mt. Chäserrugg via gondola lift for brunch, meet Michèle Frey-Hilti and learn about the Hilti Foundation and their areas of focus. Then we got down to business. We were shuttled to Verrucano Mels, where Ruedi Wagner, head of open technology innovation and robotics at the Hilti Group, and Andres Bong, head of corporate research and technology for Hilti, discussed the company’s commitment to innovation. Then we were led inside a theatre for the big reveal.