Alumni event with 180 former employees

BAIERSBRONN - Traube Tonbach celebrated a special anniversary with its 10th alumni event from 14 to 16 January. Around 180 former employees from several decades came together in Tonbach - from the 1970s to the 2000s. The intergenerational exchange made the meeting particularly inspiring. Alumni events are a tried-and-tested "offboarding" measure and an integral part of the corporate culture of the long-established Baiersbronn-based company.

The three-day event was personally attended by members of the Finkbeiner owner family and numerous department heads. While most of the 180 alumni came from Germany and neighbouring countries, the longest journey was from Indonesia. In addition to festive programme items such as a welcome reception and a gala dinner, those responsible offered the alumni a variety of insights into the developments and innovations of their former place of training and work. This included a visit to "WildparkTaste", the Traube Group's stadium catering for KSC, as well as a joint lunch in the company catering restaurant "CANtine - Made by Traube Tonbach" in Karlsruhe. The highlight of the three-day programme was a ceremony under the motto "Once a Traube, always a Traube", at which the reunion was celebrated accompanied by a DJ and culinary delights from the Traube kitchens. A raffle in favour of the "Luftikus" foundation, which supports children, rounded off the 10th alumni reunion.

For years, the Baiersbronn-based family business has focussed on sustainable employee loyalty and appreciation, which deliberately goes far beyond the contractual relationship. Sebastian Finkbeiner from the Traube Group knows why alumni events play an important role in this: "It is important for us to actively cultivate the bond with our former employees and to follow their career paths in the long term. They are an essential part of our history and, as valuable ambassadors in the industry, contribute to our positive image as an employer."

From the Black Forest to the world and back

While the topic of "offboarding" is becoming increasingly important across the industry, it has long since become a success factor for the Traube Group: Many former employees return to the Black Forest after working in Germany and abroad. One current example is Hotel Director Benjamin Scheiter. After training as a hotel specialist at the Traube Tonbach, the now 37-year-old continued his career in first-class hotels around the world. After 15 years in management positions in Dubai, Thailand and London, including for Four Seasons and the Oberoi Group, Scheiter returned to the Baiersbronn-based family business in 2024 with valuable international experience.

"The high rate of returnees shows once again how valuable long-term relationships with our employees are," confirms hotelier Matthias Finkbeiner. "We really appreciate how many stay in close contact with us over the years. The annual alumni events are not only always a joyful reunion, but also a valuable platform for networking and winning back talent." In addition to the five-star superior hotel in Baiersbronn, the Traube Group also operates the Schlosshotel Monrepos in Ludwigsburg as well as subsidiaries for high-quality company catering and stadium catering.