Miss Universal

The chance came at the last moment. In an interview with SonntagsBlick, a good conversation ensued at the end after the repeated similar questions about her experiences as a "Miss Mommy. The reporter wanted to know what else Karina Berger had up her sleeve. In the future, she and her husband Thomas Russenberger are planning to get more involved in the event business, said the former Miss Switzerland from 1988, Miss Globe International from 1989 and co-organizer of the Miss Switzerland pageant from 1993 to 2014. "The Zurich Press and Media Ball would be a suitable assignment for you. There is currently a call for tenders," the journalist knew. And Karina Berger was immediately interested. The problem, however: "The deadline for the pitch was the day after tomorrow. And we wanted to go on vacation the other day," says Karina Berger, describing this cinematic opening scene for the new Swiss "media night". They then got two days of "extra time," discussing the concept all the way in the car to their house in France, Karina at the wheel, Thomas on the laptop in the passenger seat. After two days in the pampas, they finally decided: "Look for Wi-Fi in the nearby village.
 
On May 10, the result of this pitch win can now be seen at the Kongresshaus. In its 83rd edition, the "Press & Media Ball" will become the new Swiss "Media Night" for the first time. Rainer Maria Salzgeber will guide through the evening. Pepe Lienhard and DJ Luca will ask for a dance. Luck can be tickled with the Swiss Casino Zurich. Likewise with a tombola "with tempting and great prices". The really big prize, however, is promised this year for the first time by the presentation of the "MedienStar" award.

Illustrious names in the committee and jury

Proposals for the award of an "outstanding personality from the Swiss media scene" could be submitted on the platform www.mediennacht.ch. A selected committee acts as the honorary committee. A select committee serves as the honorary committee, on which the current publisher president Hanspeter Lebrument sits as well as Hans Heinrich Coninx as honorary president, Nadja Schildknecht from the Zurich Film Festival, Hans E. Schweickardt, Pietro Supino and Pierin Vincenz. The patronage around Christoph Richterich as president, Franca Siegfried as representative of the ZPV, Dominique Morel, the new president of the Harbour Club, Christian Wick as president of the Zurich Public Relations Society as well as further personalities like Roger Baur as managing director IAB as well as Thomas Russenberger will then determine the "MedienStar" as jury. A glamorous award ceremony is to enrich the renowned ball with a new tradition. At the same time, Berger and Russenberger want to give the event "a contemporary touch" with other new elements. The most important innovation in this departure: in addition to the Zurich Press Association as initiator, the Zurich Public Relations Society, the Chief Communications Officers from the Harbour Club, IAB from the digital world and News Aktuell from the SDA are also partners in the new concept. "We thought about: What is media? It used to be print. Today it's a whole big fan that you can open up with various platforms of communication. Everything is intertwined, and that's why we wanted to go further for the Media Ball," says Karina Berger, explaining the concept behind the relaunch. Next year, she also wants to bring advertisers onto the committee. "Initial talks are already underway."

With the opening of the ball, the previous location at the Dolder Grand has also become too small. In Zurich's Kongresshaus, there is enough space for the expected 600 guests. "Most of the seats are sold out. But there are still a few tickets left," Berger is pleased to report. In the "stroller" category, a deliberate downward price adjustment has been made. "Here we also see growth potential for the coming years." The move to the Kongresshaus was preceded by in-depth research including interviews with previous ball guests. Otherwise, Karina Berger and Thomas Russenberger see it as an advantage that they have never attended this tradition-rich ball themselves. "That gave us more freedom when planning."

History repeats itself

With the goal of being able to insert the "Media Night" into the series of "most popular gala events", Karina Berger and Thomas Russenberger have found the ideal project to promote their event agency "Bookings by:" in a desired direction. Until now, the company has mostly been perceived in the shadow of Miss Switzerland, although Karina Berger has been in the market for more than ten years with her otherwise specialized event agency.

Regular clients include the annual "The Swiss Hairdressing Award", major events were the opening of the new Leder Locher, restaurants such as Lys Assia at the Prime Tower, various fashion shows or a charity event at Kaufleuten with sponsor Jelmoli in favor of children with Down syndrome. Another "really big box" was the completely redesigned Miss Switzerland pageant last summer at the Hallenstadion. "That came from the pen of "Bookings by:"," Karina Berger looks back with pride. And this "look back" goes a little deeper.

"Twenty years will have to do. We have more than succeeded in relaunching the election. Now I want to put the organization in new hands," the mother of the Misses reasons. Because the concept of the new owners with investor Guido Fluri "has progressed faster than expected" and Miss 2014 is already to appear with a changed image, "our task is already over," says Karina Berger, explaining why she only wants to be a spectator at the pageants in the future. She also handed over the marketing of the beautiful and popular ambassadors to a booker ten years ago. Nevertheless, she remained friends with most of the Misses. Even the current Miss Switzerland, Dominique Rinderknecht, regularly asks her "mentor" for advice. At the media night, the communications student will act as a short-haired fairy godmother at the raffle.

"It repeats itself with me that I like to take old things and make something new out of them," muses Karina Berger around these developments. That is the case now with the old press ball, she says. It was the case with the realignment of Miss Switzerland in 2012, and it was already the theme when Karina Berger joined the pageant as co-organizer in 1993. The ex-Miss, who had already been a successful model for five years since her election, became pregnant that year. Her model agency in Zurich at the time had a shortage of bookers at the same time. So Berger stepped in. "I was attracted to the job. During pregnancy, it was a good alternative to not just sitting around at home." Then chance would have it that after three months the Miss Switzerland organization was sold to a new owner. "Christoph Locher was a good acquaintance of mine. He asked me if I wanted to join. After all, with the child, I couldn't go around the world as a model all the time."

Those around her reacted skeptically to the proposal. "Many of my friends were advertisers and photographers. They didn't know what to do with the misses of the time." For Karina Berger, too, the girls looked far too much like "Barbie dolls. She therefore knew: "I have to bring the Missen more into the model look, then we also have a chance of being noticed by the advertising agencies. Which in turn helps to get to the sponsors afterwards. That was the goal." The "makeover" started with little things. Instead of the beauticians from the department store that sponsored the makeover, well-known makeup artists from the fashion business were brought in. "They did makeup in a completely different way. " In the future, Coiffure Valentino, who radically cut off many curls and old braids, took care of the hairstyles. Even the dresses were no longer simply taken over by the sponsor, but selected by a stylist. "This has given the competition a much younger look, fresher and more modern."

As a result of the increased awareness, television got involved in 1995. At first, only the French channel, "because they saw in Geneva what high ratings could be achieved with the Miss France contest. Then, for the election of Melanie Winiger in 1996, all SRG channels were live. In 2012, there was an artistic pause. In 2013, the election was broadcast by Sat.1. Media, sponsors and advertising soon gave the new princesses of Switzerland a joyful welcome and paid them princely wages. "More than a Federal Councillor" has since been earned by public favorites such as Mahara McKay, Fiona Hefti and Christa Rigozzi. "What's exciting for the public is that we've offered the media a new face every year, with a new story and a new starting point. That's also interesting for the sponsors, because they can always start over under the same cover of Miss Switzerland with a fresh wind and a new testimonial that is nevertheless recognized by the public."

Learning by Watching

In Karina Berger's day, the hype was still pretty modest. The fact that she also became "Miss Globe International" in 1989 was almost not noticed in the Swiss press. "For me, however, it was still worth it." In Los Angeles, the most beautiful Swiss woman was invited to the TV show "Star Search." From this casting show with the largest audience rating in the U.S., greats such as Whitney Houston and later Beyoncé or Britney Spears have already emerged. "Fortunately, I never saw my performance," Karina Berger can laugh today about her brief chance to become a world star. "My English was still terrible back then." And anyway. "Actress was never my thing." She also turned down an offer for a production at Zurich's Bernhard Theater, although in retrospect the experience might have been "a fun addition to the resume."

Thanks to the Miss Switzerland title, however, she was also allowed to travel to the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants, "which was a very exciting experience. In addition, there were modeling jobs and photo trips all over the world, with which Karina Berger was "able to live well" for more than five years. A side effect she cleverly used: "When waiting for hours in makeup or on the set, I followed everyone's work very closely." Thus, with "learning by watching," Miss has become a very well-trained event professional. The future clients of her agency "Bookings by:" will appreciate the details.

Andreas Panzeri