Cumulative advertising print for the first four months of the year is 2160.8 million gross francs, 57.0 percent above the 2021 annual advertising print.

Tobacco products significantly stronger in terms of advertising

As in previous months, the events (+176.3 percent) and leisure, catering, tourism (+117.3 percent) sectors were able to recover after low advertising due to Corona and significantly increase advertising pressure again in April. Since the beginning of the year, the events sector has shown a striking increase of 193.5 percent. Leisure, catering and tourism has also performed significantly better since the beginning of the year (+167.2 percent). However, it falls just short of the podium, which is occupied by the retail trade, construction, industry, furnishings and services sectors.

However, the absolute leader in terms of percentage increase compared to the same month last year is the tobacco industry, which increased its advertising print by 448.7 percent and thus also gained significantly YTD (+65.5 percent).

Vehicles reduce further

As in March, the Cleaning (-49.3 percent) and Vehicles (-27.3 percent) sectors also reduced their advertising in April. They are thus the only sectors to have reduced their advertising print since the beginning of the year. While vehicles are down 5.0 percent, only slightly behind the previous year's figure, the cleaning sector is cutting back significantly (-42.1 percent).

Despite the federal referendums in May, the Initiatives & Campaigns sector reduced its advertising pressure slightly in April (-4.2 percent) and the Energy sector also fell short of the 2021 figure (-8.2 percent).

The entire study on mediafocus.ch

The network built up in recent years between the Alliance of Organizer Associations of Switzerland, the German Interessengemeinschaft Veranstaltungswirtschaft e.V. and the Austrian Theatertechnische Gesellschaft is organizing the Light for Peace campaign on March 3, 2022.

Starting at 8 p.m. that day, event houses, event venues, theaters and stages, corporate offices of service providers and selected locations will light up for two hours in the rainbow colors of peace. Using the hashtag #lightforpeace2022, participants are encouraged to share photos and videos of their installations on their social media channels. With this, the event industry will send a clear, strong and international symbol through Europe and into the world in all ways.

The action is accompanied by a joint statement from the associations: "The network from Switzerland, Germany and Austria not only represents the interests of promoting quality, safety and cooperation in the event industry. As international, diverse, heterogeneous and open-minded as the self-image of the event industry is in its various fields, we act with a clear thought for peace in many of our endeavors. It is a privilege to be able to show attitude and we want to use this to express our solidarity. Solidarity with the people who are victims of political, physical and psychological violence all over the world and with all those who take to the streets with courage against aggressors. We believe in internationally valid values and work with everything we have and in the framework in which we can for democracy and human rights - with you and for you. It is our duty to say NO. NO to aggression, NO to war! We let the event branch shine - against war and for peace!"

Further information can be found at lightforpeace.org

Marcel Gilgenbach replaces the outgoing position holder Alexander Bitter, who will leave the company at the end of June 2021. "The fact that we were able to find an internal successor in Marcel Gilgenbach is the best solution we could have wished for," says Christian Stoob, CEO at Mediarent.

Dr.W.A.Günther Media Rent is one of the large total suppliers of event technology in Switzerland. The company is active annually for over 1000 large and small events.

2021 should actually be the summer of reunion. The Swiss entertainment industry is in the starting blocks, but is dependent on clear guidelines from politicians as to what a return to the event business might look like. So far, these have not been forthcoming. As long as there are differences, it goes back and forth between the Council of States and the National Council, he said. "It is difficult, but we give everything," Meyer said. The National Councilor likewise said there would soon be a solution that would bring planning security to the event industry. "By the end of spring, that should be in place," Mattea Meyer hopes. When can the first large events with over 10,000 people be implemented again? National Councilor Mattea Meyer's assessment: "I assume that the first large events will take place again in 2022." Asked if the industry has been loud enough, Bill says: "We have tried to achieve something with each other. What's not happening enough is the dialogue between the organizers and the authorities. We need to know what's coming so we can prepare for it now."

In the medium term, however, the desire for events should finally bring about a turnaround. Futurologist Dietmar Dahmen pointed out that mankind has many years of experience with the plague and other pandemics. "Pleasure and the love of life will return," Dahmen predicts.

A new start instead of a slumber

Venue operators long for opening soon. "At the moment, we would like nothing more than a return to normality," said Felix Frei, former Hallenstadion boss and current president of the Swiss Stadium and Arena Operators Association, VSSA. However, normality for venues will have changed after Corona. As will the entertainment market. Because there will be a shakeout in the market." Roger Büchel, CEO of the Kongresshaus Zurich, and Bruno Vollmer, COO of the ZSC Lions, also agreed on this. There is also agreement among the experts that hybrid events will gain in importance. "Nevertheless, the live experience will never die out." According to Frei, an opening concept with adapted protection concepts would currently be necessary.

Sponsors on the lookout for new event formats

Until now, event organizers' partners have often stood in solidarity with them. But the longer the Corona pandemic lasts, the more the sponsors' industries suffer. Is their solidarity suffering as a result? Jörg Schönberg, head of sales and founder of Doppelleu Boxer, denies this. He is interested in long-term partnerships. Together with his partners, he wants to emerge from the crisis stronger.

For this reason, Jörg Schönberg is not currently planning to reduce the budget. Neither are the two other participants in the discussion, Oliver Niedermann, Head of Marketing at Raiffeisen Switzerland, and Martin Koch, Head of Sponsoring and Events at the Federation of Migros Cooperatives. Rather, all three are on the lookout for new event formats. For Koch and Schönberg, for example, a ghost festival, without spectators, represents an interesting new possibility.

Innovation born of necessity: hybrid events

According to Niedermann, hybrid events could also open up completely new target groups. Nevertheless, according to Koch, they will not displace live entertainment. After all, live emotions cannot be replaced. Schönberg even believes that the appreciation for events and gastronomy will increase in the future because people have noticed what they get out of it through Corona. Niedermann says demand could even rise above where it was before Corona. All three experts say the event industry must come to terms with a new reality. This consists of protection concepts and alternative event formats. They are convinced that those who react flexibly to these changes will succeed in mastering the transition to the new normal.

Exact forecasts do not exist

"The event industry must finally wake up from its artificial coma. It is completely wrong what is being done to our industry in terms of opening up," says Thomas Kastl, director of St. Jakobshalle Basel. At the moment, however, the industry is rather being thwarted by politics. A protective umbrella would be a good instrument to get more planning security again. But this would require the political will. Now the industry is hoping for clear answers from politicians and a protective umbrella that will soon cover the event industry. Whether that will be enough for all event organizers is another matter.