For one evening, Santorini left the Cyclades to arrive in Lugano. Not via a direct flight, but thanks to a project dedicated to the world of business aviation and the relationships between companies, customers, and partners.
On September 3, 2026, the Lugano Airport hangar hosted Santorini Sensations , a cocktail party organized by Air-Dynamic , a Swiss company specialized in private aviation and tailor-made private flight services, thanks to the event concept, organization & coordination of Simonetta Rota Agency.
The initiative, open to customers, partners, and guests, used the airport space as a meeting place, temporarily transforming its operational function into an environment dedicated to conviviality and networking.
The idea behind the evening was to connect two seemingly different dimensions: that of private aviation, linked to travel and international mobility, and that of lifestyle, built instead through gastronomy, music, culture, and a focus on hospitality.
White, blue and references to the Mediterranean
The reference to Santorini was evident primarily in the interior design. White and blue, bougainvillea, and references to Greek island architecture temporarily altered the hangar’s appearance, introducing elements reminiscent of Mediterranean aesthetics.
The choice was no coincidence. For Air-Dynamic, the airport represents the natural starting point for the travel narrative. In this case, however, the journey wasn’t just the one experienced on an airplane, but also the one evoked through the setting, cuisine, and entertainment.
Guests were welcomed with champagne and a gastronomic journey through several food stations. The cocktail menu, rather than a traditional dinner, encouraged movement and, above all, the opportunity to converse and create new opportunities for interaction.
It’s an increasingly popular model for events aimed at a professional audience: the convivial moment becomes an integral part of the relationship-building process, not just a sideline.
Greek culture between dance and music
The theme chosen by Air-Dynamic wasn’t limited to visual elements. Part of the evening was dedicated to Hellenic culture through the performance of the Associazione Greca Terpsicoreo , a Greek dance group from the Hellenic Community of Brescia.
The performances brought some expressions of Greek folk tradition into the airport, inserting the cultural aspect into the event’s program.
The traditional component was complemented by contemporary music. Matteo Ghione and The Ambassadors provided the backdrop for various moments of the evening, alternating live performances, roving acts for the guests, and a final dance set.
The program then followed a progression designed to accompany the event from the welcome to the more informal part of the evening, with music also used as a tool to encourage guest participation.
Private aviation and the business world
Beyond the setting, Santorini Sensations represented above all an opportunity for meeting between entities active in different sectors.
Alongside Air-Dynamic, partners from the finance, automotive, marine, hospitality, and luxury lifestyle sectors were present. Among the names involved were UBS, Lamborghini Lugano, Boîte d’Or, Timone Yachts, One & Only Resort, and Pilatus.
The presence of companies from different sectors reflects the very nature of the clientele and relationships that revolve around business aviation. Private aviation, in fact, is not just about quickly reaching a destination, but is often part of international professional and business networks.
From this perspective, an appointment organized directly at the airport allows the company’s services to be connected to an audience composed of interlocutors belonging to complementary worlds.
Travel as an experience
Raffaella Meledandri, Director of Air-Dynamic, linked the initiative to the company’s vision of the meaning of travel.
“With Santorini Sensations, we wanted to create a moment that embodies our way of understanding travel: not simply moving from one place to another, but living experiences, building relationships, and dedicating attention to people.”
According to Meledandri, the decision to bring clients and partners together at Lugano Airport was also a way to share the values associated with the company’s business and offer guests an experience distinct from the traditional corporate event.
The concept of travel thus expands beyond simple mobility. The plane remains the starting point, while the experience built around the flight encompasses hospitality, connections, and time spent together.
Lugano Airport at the heart of the project
Perhaps the most significant element of the initiative is the role assigned to Lugano Airport.
The hangar wasn’t just used as a space for an event, but as part of the narrative. Its aviation-related identity allowed for a direct connection between the context and Air-Dynamic’s work.
On the one hand, there was the airport’s concrete function, linked to mobility and connections; on the other, for one evening, the airport became a meeting place and a social hub.
This temporary transformation made it possible to associate the theme of travel with an experience organized directly in the place where the journey begins.
An event model that focuses on relationships
Santorini Sensations fits into a trend that particularly affects events aimed at clients and stakeholders: bridging the gap between institutional moments and personal experiences.
In this case, there were no formal speeches or a traditional company presentation. The evening was structured around various elements—food, music, dance, and staging—allowing the relationships between guests to play a central role.
Networking thus became part of the program without necessarily being presented as such. The informal format created the conditions for conversations and meetings between professionals, companies, and partners.
For a sector like private aviation, where personal relationships are an important component of the service, this choice appears consistent with Air-Dynamic’s positioning.
Air-Dynamic and its focus on business aviation
The initiative also highlights the role of business aviation in Ticino. Lugano, due to its geographic location and international financial and business activities, represents a context in which private mobility services are part of an economic network that transcends regional borders.
Air-Dynamic operates in this field, offering customized private flight services. The September 3rd event was a way to showcase this activity without relying solely on the commercial aspect.
Santorini was thus used as a narrative theme to construct an event in which the product – the private trip – remained in the background, while the people and relationships were placed in the foreground.
From the airport to the Cyclades, without leaving Lugano
The result was a meeting in which the airport environment and the Mediterranean imagery coexisted for one evening.
The choice of Santorini allowed us to play on the contrast between the hangar’s technical function and the elements traditionally associated with the Greek islands: white and blue, Mediterranean vegetation, dance, cuisine, and music.
A project therefore built not only to evoke a tourist destination, but to associate the concept of travel with a series of complementary experiences.
For Air-Dynamic, Santorini Sensations was primarily an event dedicated to its network of clients and partners. For Lugano Airport , the event demonstrated another potential function for airport spaces: not just a point of departure and arrival, but a place to create opportunities for meeting in the worlds of aviation, business, and lifestyle.
