The first short-term rental conference in Switzerland took place on 19 September 2026 at FHNW Olten. More than 150 hosts and property managers came together, and Elev8 was initiator, co-organiser and exhibitor. This is our look back at a day that changed more for the industry than we expected.
Why we organised a short-term rental conference
Switzerland has more than 50,000 short-term rental listings. Until 19 September 2026, however, it had no national industry event. Hosts had no place to exchange experience. There was no common voice towards policymakers and platforms. There were also no reliable data.
That was our starting point. Reto Baumgartner, CEO of Elev8 Software, initiated the conference. He built it together with an organising committee that worked out of the emerging association. Six months of preparation were carried by people who operate properties themselves and know where things break.
A software vendor co-organising an industry conference needs some explaining. To us, it follows logically. We operate around 65 units ourselves, in Switzerland and in Bali, and Elev8 grew out of that daily reality. An industry that professionalises and organises itself is better for everyone working in it.
The talks at the short-term rental conference
Jannik Abraham, Managing Director of Smoobu, opened with a sober market analysis. Switzerland recorded 28.5 million overnight stays in the first half of 2026. Hotels lost just under one percent, while holiday rentals declined considerably more. His diagnosis: younger travellers search for destinations rather than accommodation types, and they compare hotels and holiday rentals on the same platform.
Dr. Domenic Brand of Kellerhals Carrard mapped the legal landscape. Since 1 September, Zurich requires a permit for short-term rental in residential zones with a minimum housing quota, and the Federal Supreme Court has backed municipalities on this. For operators working across municipal borders, the result is a patchwork of rules. His recommendation: develop voluntary standards before legislators impose stricter ones.
Chris Beyeler, AI expert and Digital Shaper 2026, asked how humans and machines will divide the work in hospitality. His answer was more nuanced than the usual AI hype. Automation removes workload, but it reaches its limits wherever things get emotional.
The first Swiss short-term rental market study
The highlight came from Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter of HES-SO Valais-Wallis. Together with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, he produced the first comprehensive market study on short-term rental in Switzerland. It covers 234 participants from every tourism region. The audience in the hall saw the results first, while media were under embargo until that evening.
The picture is more nuanced than the public debate suggests:
- For 62 percent of respondents, short-term rental is a secondary income. For 36 percent, it is their main income.
- The median sits at CHF 160 per night and 57 percent occupancy.
- Only 36 percent use a property management system at all.
- 58 percent use a channel manager, 37 percent use dynamic pricing and 26 percent use smart locks.
This is particularly relevant for us. The market is digitalising faster than it is standardising operationally, and that gap is exactly where we work. Property management automation is where the next gains will come from.
Marc K. Peter explicitly pointed out the limits of the survey. It is not representative and is heavily weighted towards alpine regions. That transparency is what makes it credible.
Founding the Swiss Short Term Rental Association
In the afternoon, the board took the stage and signed the statutes of the Swiss Short Term Rental Association. Based in Olten, the association represents the industry towards policymakers, authorities, media and platforms. It also develops quality standards and will run both the conference and the market study every year.
In the post-event survey, 88 percent of participants gave the founding of the association the highest possible rating. Not a single rating fell below 4 out of 6.
Our breakout session was packed
Two rounds of parallel breakout sessions ran in the afternoon. Ours was in the second round and was titled «What it feels like when everything really runs in one tool». The room was full to the last seat, which surprised and delighted us in equal measure.
We showed what happens when distribution, reservations, guest communication, self check-in, housekeeping, payments and owner reporting all run on a single record. We did not present a feature list. Instead, we followed one booking through everything around it. A damage claim only holds up if the housekeeping timestamp sits in the same system. Likewise, an owner report is only credible if the channel revenue sits in the same system.
The questions afterwards were concrete. What does a migration look like? What happens to existing data? How long does setup take? Those are exactly the conversations we came for, and they are the reason we attend conferences instead of only buying ads.
Our stand in the foyer was busy throughout every break. Participants rated the exhibition area 5.36 out of 6.
The partners behind the short-term rental conference
Funding a first-time conference with no track record takes trust. These partners brought it:
- Main partners: Shelly Group, Myotaku
- Business partners: Elev8 Software, Guesty, FEWOlution, Visionary Hospitality, Yale, CheckYout
- Service partners: Immohost, Ivy Stenzel Photography
- Academic partners: HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts
We also thank Thomas Marbet, Mayor of Olten, for his welcome address and for hosting the conference in his city.
What we take away from the first edition
The short-term rental conference scored 5.58 out of 6 overall, and recommendation reached 5.64. Three quarters of respondents gave the highest rating for value for money.
We take two criticisms seriously. Sessions repeatedly started late while waiting for people who were not yet seated. In addition, five men spoke from the stage. We will change both for the next edition.
The second edition of the short-term rental conference is coming, and we will be there again as organiser and as exhibitor. All details are available at hostsummit.ch.