Expo Event moves forward strengthened by crisis

At its 13th General Assembly, the Expo Event Swiss LiveCom Association was able to announce a wealth of good news in Hall 550 in Zurich, despite the continuing aftermath of the pandemic and new challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers and raw materials. "The event industry has been severely tested over the past two years as a result of the crisis. The effects are still great, but the majority of our members are looking ahead with confidence," explains President Christoph Kamber.

The association's track record is most clearly demonstrated by its members: since 2016, Expo Event has successively increased its membership by over 50%. "We are very pleased that more and more industry players are joining us and existing members appreciate us. Our 2022 Event Trend Study Switzerland showed that over 84 percent of respondents are very satisfied with the association's work. This shows us that we are on the right track," says Kamber.

Lobbying work remains in focus

Maintaining and expanding political lobbying work remains an important part of the association's work. Expo Event was able to make its voice heard during well and has also launched the Alliance of Event Associations. This continues to be in constant exchange. Together, the alliance has achieved, on behalf of its members, that since March 2021, more than 435 protective shields have been put in place and several million francs in damages have been paid out for pandemic-related losses.

Furthermore, the Expo Event Association is committed to implementing the lessons learned from the pandemic: "During the crisis, we experienced how unprepared the system was. This must now also be corrected at the legislative level. That is why, together with ten other associations, we have Popular initiative 'For regulated compensation in the event of a pandemic'. for which we are continuing to actively collect signatures," says Christoph Kamber.

Sustainability and training: Focusing on the future

In the interest of its members, Expo Event currently has numerous other projects underway: for example, in 2022 it launched the Event Sustainability Monitor, a web-based tool that monitors the sustainability performance of members' events while providing relevant data.

Expo Event has been offering its members and other industry representatives certification based on the ISO 20121 standard - Event Sustainability Management Systems - since 2021. Both offers have met with lively interest: "The implementation of events according to binding sustainability criteria meets a social need. There is a great chance that these standards will not only be a success factor in the future, but a central self-image," explains Christoph Kamber.

In addition, Expo Event is launching the CAS module "Leed" in fall 2022, which was developed in collaboration with the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. This is a course for industry specialists from the field of live communication that will expand the skills of participants across the board. In addition, the association will further expand its presence and activities in the Italian- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland by means of a well thought-out expansion of its offerings.

Two staff transfers on the Executive Board

Two new members were elected to the Board of Directors at the AGM: Roman Imgrüth, Managing Director of MCH Events succeeds Theresia Saner and Danilo della Ca, Head of Events Structures Switzerland at Nüssli replaces Daniel Wyss. In addition, long-time Managing Director Evelyn Mischler has left Expo Event; the post is currently being filled ad interim by Martin Kuonen, Director of the Centre Patronal Bern.

The 13th Annual General Meeting was immediately followed by the Anniversary edition of the XAVER Award The 20th edition of the event attracted a record number of 52 project submissions.