Company anniversaries are actually his daily work and less a moment to celebrate. This time, however, it hit him right away. Charles Krabichler has been working in the event business for 20 years. The event location "Chicago 1928" has existed for ten years and five years ago the agency Eventframe was transformed into a stock corporation. These stories were celebrated with the move from "Chicago" to the ABB halls in Oerlikon and a stylish opening party.
Charles Krabichler started working for SBB in 1973 as an operations dispatcher. He specialized in group travel. "We said excursions. The term events wasn't fashionable back then," he explains. Soon, however, his later vocation became more concrete when Krabichler moved to the SBB General Management. In the marketing department in Bern, he launched the new area of leisure offers for groups and individual travelers. After two years, he moved on to the Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund.
At the Zurich headquarters of the orange M, organizer Krabichler gained additional experience in the PR department and also underwent further professional training. He became responsible for the Group's annual report. At the same time, he continued to organize many events and special PR campaigns. Krabichler was responsible for coordinating these PR measures within the entire company with the many cooperatives.
After four years with the growing giant, Charles Krabichler also ventured into self-employment. In an initial phase, he again organized company trips and excursions for groups. At that time, there were still no event agencies. At most, an agency called "Fiesta" did something similar. "We were really among the pioneers," Krabichler recalls and smiles somewhat proudly when people tell him that he survived for years as a trendsetter in an industry where there are now agencies "like sand on the beach."
In the 20-year history of Eventframe, Charles Krabichler and his initial partner Heinz Omlin have had to fight their way through various phases. "Especially the first years were hard," he recalls. After all, right after the euphoria with their own company came the first Gulf War and, at that time for the entire economy, a profound recession. That was not a good time for company parties, and accordingly it took five years for Krabichler's start-up to break even. Only then was the 2-man company allowed to think about hiring its first employees.
A decisive milestone in the agency's tenth year was the offer of its own event location. "At that time, themes were in demand for everything to do with staff events," says Krabichler, looking back to 1999. So why spend a lot of money on décor and logistics every time, when you could serve clients much more rationally and cheaply with the right idea and furnishings? Krabichler first looked for a suitable location in Zurich. But because all offers were either too expensive or could only be used for a short time, he finally set up his first "Grizzly Town" in Glattfelden. The decoration was an occasional purchase. But for two years, the theme "Country and Western" exactly met the taste of the widest possible audience. Numerous interactions from rodeo riding to gambling could be staged in the settings of a small movie town.
Even before the Western town was quiet after "High Noon" following any trend, Krabichler moved on to the next scene and set up "Chicago" in Glattfelden. The 1928-style nostalgia alluded to the time of Prohibition. Alcohol, betting and gambling were forbidden. In Glattfelden, however, they were once again permitted for exclusive guests. With counterfeit money, of course, but with a guaranteed profit for the customers.
When setting up "Chicago 1928," Krabichler and his team were inspired by the fact that in such an event venue "the most diverse possibilities have to be covered. It needs an attractive backdrop for music and entertainment. In addition, space is needed for interaction and communication. Finally, the customers also want to be able to eat and drink in style. All this could be offered in the "Chicago". However, with events becoming more and more trendy, Krabichler's portfolio increasingly lacked a venue for larger events.
He finally found what he was looking for in 2004 at ABB's real estate in Oerlikon. "Wow, that's exactly what we were looking for!" recalls Krabichler of his first impression of the second "ruin" that ABB's administrators were able to show him. However, MFO's assembly hall, which had been idle for several years, was still "way too big." So, for lack of other interested parties, they agreed to rent out half of it. A large part of it had already been renovated and fitted with ventilation, heating and insulation. These installations were made by the management consultants PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who used the hall as a provisional solution for a short time.
In the meantime, Krabichler has converted his trouvaille with state-of-the-art event technology and a lot of infrastructure in the backstage area into an address that is indispensable in the event calendar of banks, telecom companies, IT companies or even labels in the luxury goods industry. "We are very well booked for product presentations, general meetings and congresses. Instead of conference seating, we can also serve a banquet with up to 1200 guests or a standing party with 2000 people." For such expansions, Eventframe can temporarily integrate the second half of the ABB hall, which is still empty, into the fixed wing.
After six years, Krabichler has just been able to extend the contract for his "Stage One". "Zurich needs such a hall. The hotels in question as well as the Kongresshaus are too small for many events." At the same time, Event¬frame was able to rent an empty staff restaurant in the ABB area. Here "Chicago 1928" has now once again received new coordinates. "At a customer event or staff event, employees also want to be able to celebrate a little and leave their cars at home," Krabichler knows. In this sense, the connection to the S-Bahn in Oerlikon is now a decisive advantage.
With the opening of "Stage One," Krabichler also moved his office from Fehraltorf to Oerlikon. In practical proximity to the event venues, seven people now work here. Five years ago, the collective was converted into a stock corporation with the new name Eventframe. Charles Krabichler is majority shareholder and also chairman of the board. He can count on his former employer Migros and Habegger as important partners. Both have also invested in the two event locations. The Migros Zurich cooperative has exclusive catering rights and Habegger is responsible for the event technology.
Exclusivity is also an argument in favor of "Chicago 1928". It would be tempting to operate the atmospheric location publicly as a restaurant. But with the concept in place, the appeal is enhanced because people only come in for an event. "A company can offer its employees something they've never seen before," Krabichler enthuses. That's why guests often come in matching costumes to these staff parties, which account for 80 percent of rentals, he says.
With all his events, Charles Krabichler feels it is a privilege of his profession that he can make a living from bringing joy to other people. "We are always there when there is something to celebrate, and thus a positively occupied profession," he says, summing up his motivation and sense of achievement. In addition, he likes the fact that he has to deal with customers from a wide variety of industries. But of course he also has to be able to deal with a wide variety of demands and special requests. It is always a great satisfaction when he is personally present at an event and receives the praise: "That was a successful event.
Andreas Panzeri
In the team of Eventframe all are trained as marketing specialists and have experience as event managers. Therefore, to the offer of hall rental, the entire know-how of an event agency can also be used. "We develop ideas and organize an event with all the trimmings - from catering to entertainment." In this area, for example, "Stage One" also differs from the Maag event halls, where you "only" rent the hall. Krabichler sees another differentiation in the image. While the Maag hall can benefit from the fact that Swiss television records its casting shows such as "Musicstar" here, "Stage One" deliberately wants to remain more anonymous. Regular customers such as Economiesuisse or other high-end business events appreciate the exclusivity.
