"For eleven days, thousands of people come together on our exhibition grounds and experience their own personal Olma moments. This creates a strong sense of community that makes Olma the best eleven days of the fall," says Christine Bolt, CEO of Olma Messen St.Gallen. Olma will take place for the 81st time in 2024.

2024 with some innovations

After parts of the then almost completed St.Galler Kantonalbank hall were used for the first time last year, the foyer and the outdoor area in front of the hall will also be used at the 81st Olma. There will be various special shows in the foyer, while food stands and exhibitors, including Feldschlössen with the Schwing- und Älplerhütte, will be present on the open-air site.

The offer in the St.Galler Kantonalbank hall is also being expanded: The Olma Genussmarkt, presented by Laveba, enjoyed great popularity last year and is therefore being enlarged. Looking at the entire site, Olma has over 50 more exhibitors in a larger area than last year.

Another new feature between the exhibition grounds and the fairground is the "Olmaplaza", the new meeting place next to the Olma main entrance. This offers a mixture of gastronomy and entertainment for up to 4,000 guests throughout the day. In the evening, it transforms into a lively party zone with DJs and exclusive lounges. "With the Olmaplaza, we are taking the Olma visitor experience to a new level. The meeting place invites visitors to linger in its cozy atmosphere from early in the morning until late at night," explains Katrin Meyerhans, Head of Products at Olma Messen St.Gallen. Another new feature is the Olma Ostwind Pass, which is being introduced in partnership with the Ostwind fare association. From October 7 to 20, 2024, the pass offers free travel on the Ostwind network and free admission on all eleven days of the fair for 72 francs.

"Aha" moments at the special shows

In addition to around 600 exhibitors presenting their specialties, novelties and classics to Olma visitors across the entire site, agricultural and social topics are also part of various special shows. In the foyer of the St.Galler Kantonalbank hall, for example, Uefa will be providing a preview of the Uefa Women's Euro 2025, which will be held in Switzerland and also in St.Gallen.

At Swissint's special exhibition on peacebuilding in Hall 2.0, visitors can find out how members of the Swiss Armed Forces are involved in voluntary missions abroad in conflict-affected areas.

Commitment is also a top priority at the special exhibition of the Sempach Ornithological Institute - which is celebrating its 100th anniversary - in Hall 9.0: In the interactive exhibition "Experience Meadow Breeders", interested visitors are made aware of the endangered bird species with films, animations and games.

Visiting the guest canton of St.Gallen "uf Bsuech dihei"

This year's guest canton is the home canton of St.Gallen, which has appropriately chosen the motto "uf Bsuech dihei" and is inviting visitors to the St.Gallen living room (Markt-kom.com reported). Its oversized design forms the centerpiece of the presentation in Hall 9.1B. On the "Day of the Guest Canton" on Saturday, October 12, over 1,500 people parade through the city center of St.Gallen during the Olma parade.

Sales rose by 8.3% to 236.6 million Swiss francs in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year, as detailed in a press release issued on Tuesday. Operating profit EBITDA reached 15.3 million after 20.0 million. However, the result for the first half of 2023 included a positive one-off effect.

MCH also puts organic EBITDA growth for the reporting period at +0.9 million. "After several challenging years, the first clear progress in the turnaround process has been made," the company says. The aim is "long-term financial health as a foundation for sustainable corporate success and significant growth".

Measures for cost savings

The bottom line was a net profit of 3.6 million after 4.7 million in the previous year. A year ago, the result was positive thanks to a one-off effect of CHF 5.5 million, and it was the first time since the first half of 2018 that the company made a profit.

In the first half of 2024, the Group invested in stabilizing its business activities. The 2030 strategy was defined together with the Board of Directors: In the current phase, the company is focusing on improving efficiency and making cost savings. Initial measures have been taken worldwide to improve the organization and processes.

Looking to the future, the focus in the second half of the year will be on achieving a break-even net result. The main objectives are to improve profitability and consolidate earnings. Sales growth is expected to be moderate, mainly due to seasonal fluctuations in the company's own exhibition business in Switzerland.

Successful "Art Basel" fairs expected

However, this should be offset by a strong performance in the USA and the Middle East in the Experience Marketing division, as well as successful "Art Basel" trade fairs in Paris and Miami Beach.

In 2023, MCH had suffered a net loss of CHF 14 million. Most recently, in March, with a view to the current 2024 financial year, the company stated that it would "do everything in its power to break even".

The MCH Group has been making losses since 2017, as it had already been overrun by the transformation process in the exhibition business before the coronavirus pandemic. It was plunged into a real crisis after the Swatch Group, the largest exhibitor at the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair, turned its back on the event. Although Baselworld is now history, MCH is now focusing on numerous other exhibitions - in particular the Art Basel art fair - and on experience marketing. (SDA/swi)

The takeover will take place on January 1, 2025, according to the Daily Gazette wrote on Wednesday. The newspapers affected are Zürichberg, Zurich-West, Zurich 2 and Zurich-North.

The free newspapers will appear in their current form for the last time in December. Like the titles in the Daily Gazette The question of who will be integrated has yet to be answered. It remains to be seen whether there will be any personnel changes, Christoph Blocher told Personal.com.

The Blocher family took over the Daily Gazette 2018 by Tamedia in exchange for the Basel Newspaper. (SDA/swi)

This was announced by the European police authority in The Hague. According to Europol, a total of 51 suspects were arrested, including 38 in Australia. Further arrests have not been ruled out. Drugs, weapons and around one million euros in cash were confiscated.

Even the most secret communications would stand little chance against the international efforts, said Europol chief Catherine De Bolle. Investigators from nine countries were involved in the operation.

Ghost's servers were found in France and Iceland, the company's owners were discovered in Australia and funds were found in the USA. There had been several searches and technical interventions since the investigation began in spring 2022.

According to Europol, "Ghost" was attractive to crime gangs because of its sophisticated security measures. These included triple encryption of messages and the automatic deletion of messages on cell phones. Several thousand people around the world had used the network. Every day, around 1,000 messages were distributed via it.

Organized crime is making extensive use of new encryption techniques to ensure their safety from prosecution and their anonymity, the European police authority said. (SDA/swi)

241 project submissions had been received by Monday for Best of Swiss Apps. This means that this year's edition has set a new record. The judging process begins on Friday. The experts will take a first look at all projects before they meet on September 30 for the jury day.

On October 3, it will be announced which projects have made it onto the Best of Swiss Apps 2024 shortlist and will therefore enter the race for the title of "Master of Swiss Apps".

Ticket sales for the Award Night will also start at the same time. All entrants will receive details of their tickets on October 3. Additional seats can be purchased directly from the organizers. The award ceremony will take place on November 19 at the Zurich Kongresshaus, in combination with the "Best of Swiss Software" award.

Winner Talk in January

The Best of Swiss Apps Winner Talk will take place on January 22, 2025. Winners of Best of Swiss Apps 2024 will report on what makes an app project successful and answer questions from the audience. The event will be rounded off with a breakout session. Click here to register free of charge.

The group of experts led by the former head of the Federal Finance Administration, Serge Gaillard, has drawn up various savings proposals to bring the federal budget into balance. The working group presented a total of 60 measures that could save the Confederation up to CHF 5 billion a year. One proposal is a source of irritation for the Digitalswitzerland association.

It concerns the proposed waiver of start-up funding for digitization projects from the private and public sectors that are of "high public interest". From next year, up to CHF 2 million per year would be earmarked for this.
This would be an "incomprehensible cut", according to Digitalswitzerland, adding that it only involves 2 million in a total package of 5 billion Swiss francs. The association also "warns" against "stopping investments in digital infrastructure - especially in times of artificial intelligence", as the press release states. This is because digitalization can also help to save costs.

Gaillard's group of experts, on the other hand, is skeptical about direct support for companies for reasons of efficiency. It carries the risk of deadweight effects and market distortions, according to the Detailed documentation of the report. Financial aid for companies is also very complex to implement, especially for this relatively small subsidy. And finally, the Swiss Digital Administration is already a funding vehicle for the digital transformation of public administrations. (Joël Orizet/gal)

This article first appeared in Netzwoche.

With its unique structure and depth of content, the Masterclass aims to set new standards in professional development. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical applications and offers comprehensive insights into the latest technologies and strategies in the field of marketing and sales automation. The mix of online and face-to-face modules is designed to ensure a flexible and practical learning experience.

"Our aim is not only to impart knowledge to the participants, but also to enable them to apply this knowledge effectively in their professional environment. The combination of theory and practice is essential," explains Prof. Dr. Uwe Seebacher from Munich University of Applied Sciences, head of the masterclass.

"With this masterclass, we are offering specialists and managers a unique opportunity to receive comprehensive and practical training. Our participants benefit from the best experts in the industry and a unique network," adds Tanja Auernhamer from BVIK.

Overview of modules and lecturers

• Introduction to Marketing-, Communication- (Mar-Kom) and Sales-Automation (MCS-A), Prof. Dr. Uwe Hannig & Prof. Dr. Uwe Seebacher
• Customer Experience Management (CXM), Cyrill Luchsinger & Claudia Gabler
• MarKom-Automation-Tools and -Platforms, Lutz Klaus
• Sales automation and CRM integration, Prof. Dr. Hannes Huttelmaier
• Data Analytics, Reporting and Predictive Intelligence, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Legat
• Personalization and content management, Norbert Schuster
• Campaign optimization and A/B testing, Bernd Trummer
• Integration and implementation strategies, Stephan Wenger
• Strategy and consulting skills, Prof. Dr. Uwe Seebacher
• Case studies and applications in practice, Prof. Dr. Uwe Hannig & Prof. Dr. Uwe Seebacher

Interested parties can register on the official website and view further details.:

The Basel-based healthcare company Doetsch Grether is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. As part of its strategic development, the company's identity has also been updated to include its purpose, vision and values. At its core is a sharpened self-image that emphasizes the daily commitment to customer orientation and health promotion. Under the motto "Simply experience health", Doetsch Grether is thus underlining its position in the Swiss market for high-quality health products.

Doetsch Grether commissioned the Yellow agency to adapt the brand identity to the updated corporate identity. The brand specialists took care to combine the company's long-standing tradition with forward-looking elements.

The new image encompasses all visual aspects of the brand, from the umbrella brand to the color scheme and imagery. Yellow has set out the guidelines for the application of the new brand identity in a comprehensive corporate design manual. This now serves internally and externally as a binding basis for all future brand applications and communication measures at Doetsch Grether.

Responsible at Doetsch Grether: Uriel Frank (Head of Marketing). Responsible agency: Yellow.

Bozzato has led ADC Switzerland since 2012 together with three presidencies and an ambitious board. In the meantime, a simple competition that honors good advertising has become an institution that anchors creativity as a value in society and the economy.

The association of creative professionals in Switzerland now has more than 220 members and has various partners and sponsors at its side in order to be involved in significantly more areas - from different creative professions to the integration of strategists from the former APGS to numerous exhibitions, the establishment of Creative Week and collaborations with the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK, for example. Above all, the promotion of young talent was strongly promoted with the Ad School and the ADC Young Creatives Award and, of course, the digitalization of the association was continuously driven forward. ADC Switzerland has opened up and is open to all those who master communicative challenges with creative solutions or even solve the problems of our time.

"I was able to initiate, help build, move, promote, help shape, celebrate and renew many things at the ADC. Now the time has come for me to tackle something new," Gioia Bozzato is quoted as saying in a press release. "Of course, I won't leave without the right successor to take my place." With Hanna Jackl, a long-standing employee will follow in her footsteps, who "will run this office with the same passion and commitment to the cause", Bozzato continued.

Jackl herself has been part of the ADC Switzerland team for nine years and is looking forward to her new role: "The development of the club, with all its additions and departures, successes and challenges, continues and I am delighted that the Board has placed its trust in me to be even more involved in the ADC as Managing Director," says the new ADC Managing Director.

ADC President Thomas Wildberger regrets the departure of Gioia Bozzato: "Gioia fulfilled her role with dedication and showed great loyalty to the creative industry during her tenure. However, I understand that she wants to do something new, because that is exactly what we as ADC are constantly proclaiming. I would therefore like to thank her for her many years of service and wish her all the best. At the same time, I am delighted that a new generation is taking over the management with Hanna. She will bring fresh impetus and take the association forward."

There are initial ideas for a platform on which the cultural representatives of the municipalities and cities could make their cultural offerings visible, said Government Councillor Jacqueline Fehr (SP) on Wednesday on SRF's "Regionaljournal Zürich-Schaffhausen".

There is an urgent need for creative artists to find their audience and for the audience to find what is on offer. However, it remains to be seen whether this platform can be realized.

On Tuesday it was announced that Tamedia is merging several editorial teams and cutting jobs (Markt-kom.com reported). For the culture and nightlife magazine Züritippthat corresponds to the Tages-Anzeiger is settled, this means the end. It will be discontinued at the end of the year. (SDA/swi)

According to the communiqué, a maximum of five people would have to be made redundant. The savings would affect "every area of the company". The affected departments will be informed "as quickly as possible".

As the share of the fees charged by SRG will not be adjusted for inflation, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) says it will have to save a total of CHF 50 million next year. RSI will therefore have to save five million francs next year and probably over ten million francs in 2026, the press release continued.

From now on, RSI will enter a "phase of reduction and redefinition" that will last at least five years, Director Mario Timbal is quoted as saying in the press release. Following initial savings, the current business model will have to be redefined from 2027. This redefinition will affect the entire public media sector.

Last week, the French-speaking Swiss radio and television station RTS announced 55 job cuts (Markt-kom.com reported). Those responsible explained that they wanted to make savings in production in particular. Among other things, the production of broadcasts is to be simplified and certain non-priority broadcasts eliminated altogether. (SDA/swi)

The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is one of Germany's major multi-divisional theaters and, in addition to opera, drama, ballet and concerts, combines innovative and diverse formats for a broad audience. In order to sharpen and rejuvenate the brand image, a new umbrella brand strategy has been defined that focuses on the Baden State Ballet and the Baden State Orchestra as brands alongside the Baden State Theatre. The International Handel Festival is consistently presented as an offering under the umbrella brand of the State Theatre.

The brand experience focuses on artistic diversity and combines the most diverse offerings in a consistent and flexible concept with a strong signal effect - Let Type Talk. The idea: a typeface stages the message. A concise typeface dramatizes the titles and content-related themes. Words are made to sound: they speak, play, sing, make music and dance. They transform, change perspectives and move emotionally.

The idea for the overall appearance is already represented in the brand logo itself: Making words resonate. A small intervention - two twisted letters - creates a small difference and refers to the power of transformation.

In a collaboration lasting several years, the rebranding process includes the foundations for the brand strategy, the concept for the digital and analog brand presence, the involvement of employees and the development of central themes for the premieres from the 2024/2025 season onwards.

Responsible at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe: Christian Firmbach (Artistic Director), Nico Enger (Head of Marketing & Communication). Responsible at Studio Geissbühler (Artistic Direction): Nadine Geissbühler (Creative Lead), Pascal Geissbühler (Strategy Lead).