Planning a Winter Brand Trip? These Destinations are made for it

There’s something about winter that gives brands more to work with.

Snow-covered landscapes. Christmas markets. Mountain hotels. Northern Lights. City streets lit for the festive season. Even the journey itself can feel more like an occasion.

For brands planning a winter product launch, Christmas client trip, incentive, press event or end-of-year experience, the destination can do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Here are some of the winter destinations we think work particularly well for brand trips — and how private charter can help make the journey simpler.

Lapland, Finland: Go all-in on winter

If the brief is Christmas, it’s difficult to beat Lapland.

Rovaniemi sits directly on the Arctic Circle and combines snowy landscapes with reindeer, huskies, snowmobiles, forests and the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. It is also, of course, home to Santa Claus Village.

For brands, that gives you plenty to build an experience around.

Imagine flying a group of clients, influencers or competition winners out for two nights. A private dinner in the snow. Husky sledding the following morning. Product gifting waiting in guests’ rooms. An evening around the fire followed by a Northern Lights experience.

Rovaniem gives the ultimate in Christmas. Think campaigns, gifting launches, fashion and outdoor brands, automotive brands, family-focused products and client incentive trips.

And because the destination itself provides so much of the atmosphere, you don’t necessarily need to over-brand every part of the experience.

Sometimes the location is enough.

Copenhagen, Denmark: Christmas without leaving the city

Not every winter brand trip needs deep snow and thermal suits.

Copenhagen gives you a completely different feel: design-led hotels, great restaurants, Scandinavian architecture and a city that really comes into its own during the festive season. It is consistently recognised as one of Europe’s standout Christmas destinations.

For a brand that wants to take clients or press away for 24 or 48 hours, it works brilliantly.

You could fly out in the morning, host a lunch or product presentation, give guests some time in the city, arrange dinner and return the following day.

The trip doesn’t need to be huge to make an impression.

Twenty of the right people around one table in Copenhagen can be far more valuable than an event for hundreds back home.

Vienna, Austria: Christmas done properly

For a traditional European Christmas setting, Vienna is difficult to overlook.

The city combines Christmas markets and decorated streets with impressive venues, restaurants, hotels and a strong cultural programme. Vienna remains one of Europe’s most established festive city destinations.

That makes it particularly useful when you want the trip to feel special, but still need the infrastructure of a major European city.

You could charter an aircraft from London in the morning, bring everyone together at the airport and have the group in Vienna in time for lunch.

No asking 20 guests to book their own flights.

No five different arrival times.

Everyone arrives together and the event starts from there.

Zermatt, Switzerland: Take the launch to the mountains

For winter launches where the setting needs to be a big part of the story, the Alps give you plenty to work with.

Zermatt is one of the obvious choices.

Snow, the Matterhorn, mountain restaurants and chalet settings create a natural backdrop for launches and content, while winter in Switzerland lends itself particularly well to short stays built around skiing, dining and time in the mountains.

It is also where combining aircraft and helicopter charter becomes interesting.

Rather than thinking simply about the flight, we can look at the whole journey: where your guests are starting, the most appropriate airport, onward transfers and whether a helicopter makes sense for the final leg.

The aim is simple.

Get everyone there with as little unnecessary travel as possible.

Reykjavík and Iceland: Give them something to talk about

Some brand trips work because they don’t feel like something guests would normally arrange for themselves.

Iceland is a good example.

Volcanic landscapes, geothermal lagoons, waterfalls, snow and Northern Lights experiences give event planners plenty of options within a relatively short trip from the UK. Winter is also one of the key seasons for aurora experiences in Iceland.

It lends itself to a two or three-day programme where the schedule moves between experiences rather than keeping guests inside one hotel.

You also come home with something every marketing team needs: plenty to talk about and plenty to photograph.

Tromsø, Norway: For something further north

If Lapland feels a little too closely associated with Father Christmas for the brand, head further north in a different direction.

Tromsø offers Arctic scenery and Northern Lights experiences, giving brands the drama of a winter trip without necessarily making Christmas the central theme.

It also gives you a destination that’s a bit less conventional that your guests may not have visited before.

That matters.

The best brand trips often create the reaction: I’d never have thought to come here myself.

A Few Things to Think about for a Winter brand trip

Winter brings a few extra considerations.

Daylight can be limited in Iceland, Scandinavia and Arctic destinations, which matters if photography, filming or outdoor activities are part of the plan. Ski resorts and popular Christmas destinations also get busy quickly, so aircraft, hotels, venues and transfers are worth looking at earlier than you might for other trips.

And then there’s the weather.

Snow, fog, ice and strong winds can affect flights and helicopter transfers, particularly in mountain destinations. Having an alternative airport or transfer plan agreed in advance means there’s already an answer if conditions change.

December Isn’t your only option

If the trip isn’t specifically Christmas-themed, consider January, February or March.

You can still get the snow, mountains and winter setting, but without competing with the Christmas rush. For launches, content trips and client experiences, that can open up more choice and potentially make the whole event easier to plan.

Start with the story

Lapland for Christmas magic. Iceland for dramatic landscapes. Copenhagen for Scandinavian design. Zermatt for the mountains. Tromsø for an Arctic experience. 

Rather than starting with where should we go?, think about what you want guests to remember.

Once you have that, we can help work out how to get them there.

Our team are experts at handling the logistics for your team. Let’s get the ball rolling and make this launch one to remember.