This young woman brings together people from all over the world

"100 percent Swiss cheese": When Sandra Herzog is asked who she is, that’s how she describes herself. "I'm typically Swiss, I rather be at home than anywhere else," says the 23-year-old, who grew up in Hünenberg and still lives there. She also likes to show off her home, the Canton of Zug, and the local cultural traditions to new people - and to bring people from all over the world together.

Sandra Herzog founded the meet-up group "Meeting new friends in Zug" two years ago. The idea behind the platform, on which groups can organise themselves all around the world, is simple: The founder or the administrator plans various occasions, and the participants can sign up, meet and can upload photos of the events afterwards. Sandra Herzog’s group has more than 1,200 members, making it one of the most popular networks for social events in Zug.

Since the launch, the open-minded clerk has already set up around 120 meet-ups. These include informal meetings in a bar twice a month this includes, but also hiking, bicycle tours, a visit to the Chrööpfelimee, a Samichlaus parade, the Jazz Night, the Zug fair or a city tour. Expats from all sorts of countries take part in their occasions, as well as more and more locals - to the delight of the initiator. Sandra Herzog got the idea when she took part in a three-month language stay in Vancouver in 2016.

After her return, she wanted to continue to maintain contact with foreigners – and to not lose her English skills so quickly. She still remembers her first event: having a drink together at the Mr. Pickwick Pub in the city of Zug. "I was a bit nervous," Sandra Herzog looks back. "I didn’t know how many people would actually come. I also had no special identifying feature, so it took a while for us to find each other. "The nervousness and concern had finally vanished quickly. "Twelve people came by, and we had a great evening with exciting discussions.”

Found great interest in her idea: Sandra Herzog from Hünenberg

The response to her idea surprised the young woman herself. "In a society that’s becoming more and more anonymous, the need for social contact outside the workplace is evidently great," she says, adding, "I want to contribute to an open, tolerant and open-minded world." Meet-ups involve people between the ages of 25 and 60, and the groups are very mixed, says Sandra Herzog. It doesn’t bother her at all that she is often the youngest. “I have found friends from all over the world. The age, the sex or the origin are completely irrelevant. "It’s never happened that nobody has been interested in an event, says the 23-year-old. " I even have to start a waiting list for some events, for example, the after-work drinks."

Thanks to Sandra Herzog's group, many newcomers quickly find their way about in their new home. It is not without pride that the initiator tells us that two love relationships have already emerged from her network. Another nice anecdote is that two expats who previously lived in Brussels in the same house, but didn’t know each other, met in the meet-up group in Zug. For Herzog, such stories are the thanks for her commitment.

But not only that: the Hünenberger, who likes to travel, has often benefited from "her" community abroad. “I receive valuable tips and contacts. Even if I travel alone, I'm never alone in the end," she explains with a laugh. When asked if the organisation of the meetings has ever become too much for her, in addition to her 100-percent job, Sandra says: "In the past I offered German conversations, but I had to stop because of time constraints. But apart from that, I don’t think about quitting. The meet-ups have been my biggest hobby, my life. "

More information can be found under "Meeting new friends in Zug" on the platform www.meetup.com.