"Digital is now socially acceptable"

m&k: Mr. Leder, Corona has left its mark and will change the future of the event industry. Where do you see challenges and opportunities?

Reto Leather: I see two major challenges: First, to plan existing resources in such a way that we can get through this time with a black eye. Second, to use the time now - especially in terms of digitization - in such a way that we can start a new event season better and stronger afterwards, whereby the question of new event formats or event dynamics is probably the most difficult question to answer.

As CEO of Trafo Baden, you initiated steps toward digitization long before Corona, which now give you a clear head start. How did that come about?

Since the beginning of 2019, our approach has been to make it easier and more transparent for our customers to calculate and plan an event. To this end, we have turned our pricing model upside down, abolished fixed hall rentals and instead created various attractive per-person catering flat rates. This, together with the possibility of viewing the hall live and virtually from a distance. This is an advantage in these and the coming months.

You are an innovative and curious spirit. With the "allseated" project, you have established a pioneering digitization process in your halls. Why did you go down this path?

I think the key word here is "curious." When we started talking to allseated rather randomly in May 2019, Corona was really just a beer to most people.

What exactly can allseated do and how do you use this tool?

Simply put, allseated is a gaming platform designed to plan events virtually. To do this, you need a "digital twin" of an event space and the corresponding furniture, also digitized in 3D. The photo-realistic twin of the hall is made using a "photo carpet" with a Matterport camera, and allseated then models the digital version of the event hall from it. Originally, we chose this platform because it would allow us to have a way of interacting with our clientele. But today, in Corona times, the platform serves completely different purposes: walking, seating and discussing an event hall from your office chair in a live video conference. And the climate is happy, too, because fewer people are on the road. In the beginning we invested in the Matterport camera and license. Then came the allseated license and the internal effort to coordinate the whole thing, the photos, etc. During one year we worked in phases on the project, then in mid-August 20 we went live with the new website and integrated allseated tour.

You've even launched a webinar series. What is the intention behind this?

Like probably most, we started thinking in March about how we can stay in touch with our clientele in these times and impart knowledge at the same time. Our answer is the "EventPerspectives" concept. With webinars and live talks, we impart knowledge on the topic of events at weekly intervals. The topics range from new event formats and new vegan concepts to events and whisky. The live talks last about 45 minutes each, mostly on Wednesdays at 11 am. You can register for all webinars for free on our website.

Climate protection is also a topic at Trafo. Where do you see opportunities, with or without digitization, to move in the direction of "green events"?

On the one hand, it's the processes before and after the event that can be made more climate-efficient with digital tools, and on the other hand, it's the attitude of the event visitors. I am convinced that "vegan" will be adopted on a larger scale. Hybrid events will also lead to a more climate-friendly event industry in this context. One example: I am participating in a hybrid trade show. Instead of two people manning the booth, only one travels. The other person serves the virtual visitors from the office or at home. Some of the visitors do not have to travel either, because the participation takes place virtually.