Finally we are allowed to meet again for physical events. However, admission is only granted to those who have a valid ticket and a Covid certificate. This can quickly lead to long queues and high personnel and material costs if event staff have to check each guest twice. An innovative admission app from a Thun-based technology company provides a remedy.
Editorial - 12 July 2021
No long lines at events: A new admission app checks both ticket and Covid certificate. (Image: zVg)
As we all know, in order to utilize the full event capacity, the current BAG guidelines require event organizers to check a Covid certificate of the guests. In concrete terms, this means that every admission must be checked twice: Ticket and Covid certificate, including identity. If the process is not right here, this leads to long queues and high staff costs. There is a risk that guests will become dissatisfied even before the actual event and forgo a visit. This further erodes the profit margin of already beleaguered event organizers.
New intake app offers perfect process solution
The Thun-based technology company NextEvent, through which we here have already reported, is therefore coming up with a further development: An admission app with integrated Covid certificate verification. With the app, which is operated with a common smartphone or industrial scanner, the concierge verifies both the ticket and the Covid certificate on the guest's smartphone or in printed form in one process. A quick glance at the identity card is all that is needed to validate the scanned data. This means that only one application is needed for the entire process, and all data such as admission, Covid certificate status and, if necessary, exit can be found in one place.
Everything data protection compliant
The verification of a Covid certificate is stored with the ticket in line with data protection requirements, so that for events lasting several days, such as open airs or sports and city festivals, the certificate only needs to be scanned on the first day. This eliminates the need to scan the Covid certificate again for guests who have already been verified. The Covid data is deleted after 14 days.
NextEvent's admission app works with both personalized and impersonal tickets. By scanning the ticket and Covid certificate in one process, the app automatically links these two records - either with the full personal record or with the ticket number in the impersonal case. All functions of the admission app are also offline-capable.
Also possible for third-party tickets
For tickets from third-party providers and ticket platforms, the corresponding ticket data is simply imported into NextEvent so that event organizers can continue to rely on the proven simple process with the NextEvent app. So if organizers have already sold tickets via third-party providers, these can also be checked consistently via NextEvent.
New reality in the world of work: companies are insufficiently prepared
Although employers are taking steps to address "new reality" challenges and work models, a Willis Towers Watson study shows they are not prepared.
Editorial - July 9, 2021
Old or new reality? Many companies seem insufficiently prepared for the changes in the world of work and give too little consideration to a positive employee experience. (Image: Pixabay.com)
As companies shift to new ways of working, there is a growing number of organizations in Western Europe that are making improving the employee experience a top priority, according to a new study on the so-called employee experience by Willis Towers Watson. As the sum of all touchpoints and moments that matter between employees and their employer, this experience is at the heart of delivering outstanding customer experiences and superior business results, it says. However, while employers recognize that adapting to the new reality will take time and require a hybrid work model, many are not ready to address the challenges associated with improving the employee experience.
Positive experience is the key factor
Almost all employers surveyed in Western Europe (91 %) indicated that improving the employee experience will be a key priority in their organization over the next three years. By comparison, only 40 % said it was important to their company before the pandemic. And for good reason. Most Western European respondents believe a positive employee experience is an important factor in employee well-being (81 %), engagement (74 %), productivity (68 %) and talent attraction and retention (67 %).
Many respondents believe it will take time to fully adapt to a post-pandemic world. Only 9 % indicated that the pandemic has receded enough to end temporary pandemic-related policies and programs. The rest felt they would be ready to do so in the second half of this year (42%) or in 2022 or later (49%). In addition, employers expect the percentage of their employees who work primarily from home to drop from 51 % currently to 21 % in three years. However, they expect one in three employees (34 %) to be working a mix of on-site and remote work in three years, twice as many as today (17 %).
Employers are not prepared for the new reality
"Whether through employer actions such as pay cuts and layoffs, or through virtual work and personal hardships for some employees, the pandemic has exposed shortcomings in the employee experience at many companies," said Chloe Karam, director of talent and rewards at Willis Towers Watson. She added, "Improving the employee experience has therefore become an imperative for employers that will take time and present challenges that many are currently unprepared for."
In fact, nearly nine in ten employers (87 %) recognize that the new reality of labor markets will require a hybrid model for many roles; however, many employers are not yet ready to implement this aspiration. Only four in ten (42 %) of employers surveyed plan to adapt career models in response to the changing way work gets done. A similar proportion (39 %) are in the process of dissolving Total Rewards to reflect a changing employee profile. More than half of employers surveyed (57 %) are flexible about where or when they work.
Digitization important tool
Leveraging digitization to fundamentally transform the employee experience over the next three years was highlighted as an important focus area by a large proportion (75 %) of companies surveyed in Western Europe. And areas where companies said they plan to improve the employee experience by enhancing their offerings or changing aspects of their programs to meet needs include learning and development (63 %), manager training (61 %), inclusion and diversity (61 %), and flexible work arrangements (59 %).
Marijana Cvitkusic, Associate Director Employee Experience at Willis Towers Watson Switzerland, added: "As companies move towards a post-pandemic era, their ability to improve the employee experience will be critical. To succeed, they must start with a bold employee experience strategy that supports their business strategy and is based on a consistent model. Then they can turn to execution - aligning programs and policies that reflect flexible working, paying employees fairly, improving benefits offerings, including well-being programs, and also supporting employees in a more agile and flexible work environment and aligning total rewards programs to meet the needs of a diverse workforce."
Time and again, tourists are left with part of the treatment costs after an accident abroad, if they were treated by a private hospital or a private doctor. If the accident victims are inadequately insured, the financial consequences can be devastating. Suva therefore recommends taking out vacation and travel insurance before every trip abroad.
Editorial - July 8, 2021
Being affected before a serious accident abroad often also means high costs afterwards. That's why you should check your insurance coverage before every trip abroad. (Image: Pixabay.com)
Now that the number of corona cases is declining and travel restrictions have been eased, many people are drawn abroad to the sun, the sea or the mountains for their vacations. Even if nobody wishes it, it can always happen: an accident abroad. According to Suva, an average of around 70,000 accidents occur abroad every year.
Devastating consequences loom in the event of an accident abroad
Holidaymakers who have an accident abroad often unknowingly end up with a private doctor or in a private hospital. There, they receive good medical care, just as they are used to from public hospitals in Switzerland - but sometimes at much higher costs than in this country. Those who do not have appropriate additional insurance in the form of vacation and travel insurance in such a situation often have to pay a large part of the treatment costs themselves. For some, this has devastating financial consequences.
Higher treatment costs abroad
It is true that all employees who work at least eight hours per week are also compulsorily insured against non-occupational accidents via the employer for basic insurance. In EU and EFTA countries, this accident insurance covers the same benefits as if you were insured in the corresponding country. In other countries, it pays at most twice the amount of the costs that would have been incurred for treatment in Switzerland. Especially in countries with extraordinarily high medical costs, such as the USA, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Japan, this amount is far from sufficient.
Expensive private clinics and private doctors for tourists
"Before going on vacation, no one likes to think about the possibility of having an accident," says Roger Stalder, team leader abroad at Suva. Nevertheless, he recommends being prepared for this eventuality and taking out vacation and travel insurance. If you have an accident outside Switzerland without this, you have to go to a public hospital or to a doctor who charges at the basic rate for the country in question. But this is not always so easy, because in tourist areas such doctors and hospitals are sometimes rare. Besides: "Anyone who has slipped accidentally at the edge of the swimming pool after a refreshing swim, for example, and is in severe pain, understandably wants medical help as quickly as possible," says Roger Stalder. In such a situation, few people would check whether the nearest doctor is a private physician or not. For most people, it is more important that the doctor speaks their own language.
What most people also don't know: Many hotels in classic tourist areas make arrangements with private clinics and private doctors to bring their guests to them in the event of an accident. "It can quickly happen that an insufficiently insured accident victim has to pay for services amounting to several 10,000 Swiss francs.
24-hour emergency helpline
Vacation and travel insurances usually cover all costs for emergency medical services, medication and hospital stays that are not reimbursed by your own health and accident insurance. They also cover rescue operations worldwide and return transport to Switzerland. "The benefits can vary greatly depending on the provider," says Roger Stalder. Before traveling, he recommends clarifying exactly how you are insured and always having the emergency number of your accident insurance ready when abroad.
What costs does Suva cover abroad?
Medical expenses in EU/EFTA countries: The same benefits as if one were socially insured in the corresponding country
Medical expenses in the rest of the world: at most twice the amount of the costs that would have been incurred for treatment in Switzerland
Emergency return transports to Switzerland from all countries
Suva policyholders also receive assistance from Europ Assistance when abroad. This includes a 24-hour helpline with the telephone number +41 848 724 144, a worldwide medical care network, care and advance payments of costs such as doctor, medicine and hospital costs on site, as well as transport to a trustworthy clinic or return transport home.
A large-scale experiment recently ended in Iceland: Around 2,500 workers worked just four days a week between 2015 and 2019 - with the same pay. Researchers wanted to find out what effects a shortened working week has on people's productivity and health at work. Now the results have been presented.
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Renewable energies: Swiss data solutions for international customers
Within just a few years, the Zurich-based company Nispera has become a global provider of data solutions for renewable energy plants. The recipe for success: targeted development of target markets. Now the company has been nominated for the Export Award 2021.
Editorial - July 7, 2021
Renewable energy plants need to be monitored and controlled. A Swiss startup has developed a data solution for this purpose that has already been used successfully several times around the world. (Image: Nispera AG)
A renewable energy plant generates millions of data points every day from the various sensors installed. While it is already a big deal to retrieve and store this operational data, it becomes an almost impossible task to process it and gain insights from it. Those involved in managing large-scale renewable energy plants face the problem of having too much data but too little information. This becomes even more complex because data with different structures, coming from different sources, must be considered together to get a complete picture (e.g., plant operating data, current weather and forecasts, electricity prices, transmission grid, etc.). The dimensions involved are illustrated by the example of a solar plant with 200,000 modules. These generate more than 4 million data points per day!
Producing renewable energies highly efficiently
The company Nispera AG, which was founded in 2015, deals with projects of this magnitude and the corresponding challenges. The ETH spin-off has developed a software solution for comprehensive data analysis. The fully decentralized platform enables the monitoring of actual and forecast production of energy, the identification of areas with insufficient performance, the detection of deviations through AI-based analyses, and the automation of reporting. For example, solar installations can be continuously monitored and corrective action, such as panel orientation, can be taken immediately to ensure the installations are always delivering maximum value.
Presence in 25 countries within 6 years
The start-up's software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is now in use in over 150 wind turbines, 250 photovoltaic plants and 20 hydroelectric power plants in more than 25 countries. Last but not least, the targeted approach has helped with internationalization: Participating in relevant events in the target markets (before the corona pandemic) and carefully identifying and approaching potential customers. Within a few years, Nispera was able to build an excellent reputation and become a leading supplier in its niche market thanks to a solid base of satisfied customers.
Growing portfolio in the field of renewable energies
However, the 15-member international team around CEO Gianmarco Pizza not only provides the software, but also the necessary technical know-how to advise customers on how to improve the performance of their plants based on the data obtained. This is possible thanks to the experience the company has gained working with a growing portfolio of customer plants, as well as the company's motto: high inquisitiveness and attention to customers' needs. It is also possible thanks to the collaboration with various partners, such as ZHAW, which supports Nispera in the development of advanced analytics with artificial intelligence.
Business model promotes good customer relations
By actively supporting its customers in identifying potential improvements to their plants and implementing appropriate corrective actions, Nispera increases the perceived value of the service and strengthens the relationship with the customer. Another important USP is the ability to adapt very quickly and flexibly to specific and rapidly evolving customer requirements and market needs. For example, if fixed government subsidies expire in a market, it is essential to manage the risks of market exposure in order to monitor the financial performance of the assets.
Ambitious expansion plans
With its "Swiss-made" SaaS platform, Nispera has managed to generate more than 80 % of its revenue abroad within a few years. In the next few years, the company aims to expand into other markets such as the USA and Asia and increase the revenue generated abroad to 97 %. The export promotion organization Switzerland Global Enterprise S-GE supports the start-up by providing information on relevant topics and markets and assessing opportunities in different markets. Nispera is among the three finalists for the Export Award 2021.
New management structure at Ramseyer und Dilger AG
The Bernese company Ramseyer und Dilger AG gives itself a new management structure: Sandro Wyss takes over the management; his brother Remo Wyss can devote himself to the strategic further development of the successful SME as delegate of the board of directors.
Editorial - July 6, 2021
Mainly responsible for the new management structure of Ramseyer und Dilger AG: Sandro Wyss (left) is the managing director and takes over the operational keys from his brother Remo Wyss (right). Remo Wyss, as delegate of the board of directors, takes care of the strategic development of the Bernese SME. (Image: zVg)
What do the Bundeshaus, the Zentrum Paul Klee, the Interlaken congress building, the Loryhaus of the Bern Inselspital, numerous mountain railway stations and mountain houses, many other public buildings and hundreds of private detached houses and apartment buildings have in common? Either their roofs, facades or heating systems or their sanitary installations were co-designed, co-built or renovated by the plumbing, roofing, sanitary and heating specialists of Ramseyer und Dilger AG. The renowned Bernese SME with its more than 100 employees (including around 20 apprentices) delivers quality work every day. Because the principle applies: "Only those who love their work do it well."
To ensure that the company, which has proven itself for 127 years, continues to impress its customers in the future and remains fresher than ever thanks to a great deal of innovation, those responsible have adjusted the management team: Sandro Wyss is taking over the management of the company; his brother Remo Wyss is devoting himself to strategic development as Delegate of the Board of Directors.
New management structure and strategically fit
Sandro and Remo Wyss agree that the market in the main and ancillary construction trades is becoming increasingly demanding: "Only those who have the organization and processes under control and at the same time can invest a lot of energy in innovation and thus in the future will remain on the ball in the medium and long term and thus successful." Remo Wyss, who in his function as Delegate of the Board of Directors will be able to drive this very further development in a more targeted and stronger way than before, is glad that his brother Sandro Wyss is taking over the management. "Sandro Wyss is a top man and will perform his task excellently," says the co-owner, who is also particularly concerned about promoting young talent in the industry both inside and outside the company and is also involved in the building technology association Suissetec for this purpose. "Above all, however, I can see to it that we create additional solutions and offerings and can thus offer our customers even better and more beautiful solutions for their facades, roofs, heating systems and sanitary areas," Remo Wyss adds.
Operationally optimized
His younger brother, Sandro Wyss, has set himself and all the employees big goals in the operational area: "Organizationally, we also have potential: we want to become even more effective and efficient - this is entirely in the interest of our customers. It is my task to make sure that this will succeed", explains the new managing director of Ramseyer und Dilger AG. For the two brothers - as well as for the Board of Directors and the remaining members of the Executive Board Marcel Filli, Roland Herzog, Robert Burri and Alain Meuwly - the new management structure is a double benefit: "Strategically and operationally, the advantages are considerable", Remo and Sandro Wyss are pleased on behalf of the entire management of Ramseyer und Dilger AG.
Non-functioning devices lead to motivation problems among employees: Especially in the home office, technology problems cause a lot of frustration - and morale drops. This is the result of a study by a major office technology service provider.
Editorial - July 6, 2021
Technology problems in the workplace cause employees to become less motivated. (Image: Ricoh)
Wobbly network connections, slow computers, printer failures, missing software: technical problems can drive employees up the wall. Glitches happen from time to time, but when technical inadequacies become a permanent feature, user morale also drops. According to a study by Ricoh Europe, more than one-third of workers report motivation problems in the home office due to communication and technology problems. That's 16 percent more than a year ago, when a similar survey was already conducted.
Ongoing technology problems drive employees away
The Ricoh Europe survey was conducted among 573 European office workers from companies with 251 to 1000 employees. It shows that the reason for the loss of motivation is inconsistent technical investments. These result in workers lacking the time for personally satisfying or value-adding activities. As a result, companies run the risk of losing top talent to competitors who offer more advantageous and better adapted digital working methods.
Inconsistent technical investments
Almost two-thirds (65 %) of respondents believe that their company copied customers or partners when digitizing processes instead of analyzing the specific need. In terms of the relevance of their employer's digital processes, more than one-third (39 %) of respondents complain of not having real-time access to information needed to properly serve their customers. At the same time, only one in four (26 %) say their employer has invested in e-commerce or digital tools that improve the customer experience.
New technology platforms lead to additional work
Technology should help people do their jobs - you would think. The reality seems to be different: Despite all the new technology, employee workloads have not decreased, Ricoh's study finds. Rather, 42 % of respondents felt that their workload had actually increased as a result of the technology platforms introduced during the pandemic, it says. At the same time, 34 % felt pressured to be online longer - 13 % more than the previous year.
Mistrust and uncertainty
The proliferation of remote working and new working methods is also increasing fears of security breaches: 45 % of workers said they were worried about accidentally sharing files with the wrong recipient via the new digital channels. A similarly high proportion (47 %) of respondents also assume that their supervisors will use technology to monitor them while they are working in their home offices.
Missed a year to fix technology problems?
David Mills, CEO of Ricoh Europe, is surprised by the results: "It is surprising that after more than a year of remote working, when there is finally light at the end of the pandemic-related tunnel, employee motivation continues to fall due to technology and communication problems. Yet companies have been anything but inactive. However, their biggest mistake is investing in technology as an end in itself - or because a partner or competitor is doing the same. The first and most fundamental step in any technology investment is to assess the real needs of your business. In doing so, it's important to consider the perspectives of your workforce and customers. Only armed with these insights can technology solutions be found that lead to optimal results."
The Swiss plastics industry has come through the pandemic-related crisis quite well. There were only minor sales losses: These amounted to only 5 percent compared to 2019.
Editorial - July 5, 2021
The Swiss plastics industry did well in the pandemic year 2020. Pictured: Granulated polymers before processing. (Image: Pixabay.com)
The Swiss plastics industry is dominated by SMEs with an average of 10 to 40 employees. This industry thus has a typically Swiss composition. The industry consists of around 800 companies with a total of 33000 employees. The companies in the industry are united in the umbrella organization KUNSTSTOFF.swiss. This also includes globally active companies such as EMS Chemie, Sika, Geberit and Georg Fischer, to name but a few.
Pleasingly small decline in sales
Every year, the Swiss Plastics Industry Association collects its economic data. The recently presented figures gave a pleasing impression: The industry seems to have come through the pandemic-related crisis quite well. In 2020, for example, it generated sales of 14.4 billion Swiss francs. This is only 5 percent less than in the previous year. Association President Silvio Ponti and Managing Director Kurt Röschli were correspondingly pleased: "One reason for this is certainly the flexible handling of the crisis by the companies and the unbroken demand for plastics precisely when hygiene becomes the main issue, because plastic protects," Silvio Ponti emphasized.
Winners and losers in the Swiss plastics industry
The largest tranche of industry sales - around 67% - comes from plastics processing. The decline in sales there was marginal at 1%. For raw materials traders, the drop in sales amounts to just under 8% and reflects the still very low prices at the time. According to the survey, the machine and periphery suppliers lost the most with just over 30%. This impressively shows how restrained processors were with regard to investments and how they immediately cut back on them out of respect for the crisis.
Of course, there are also winners: these include companies that manufactured partitions from Plexiglas. They had a massive upswing of around 60% and were in some cases barely able to deliver due to the sudden demand. Manufacturers of respirator components and disinfectant containers were only able to meet the massive demand by adding shifts. Mask manufacturers and distributors - masks are also largely made of plastics - experienced a rapid upward trend.
Packaging and construction: plastics protect the climate
With a share of around 40% each, the packaging and construction segments continue to be the areas in which plastics are used most. Here, plastics make a major contribution to climate protection. They insulate, save energy and reduce food waste. The use of plastics makes means of transport lighter, which thus require less fuel. The insulation (mainly plastics) of buildings means that less heating is needed. Suitable plastic packaging makes food last longer, and less has to be produced and thrown away. This also contributes to climate protection. By the way, packaging accounts for only 1.5 - 2% of the CO2 footprint of the packaged product.
The industry association's figures also show that the use of recyclates will increase from 8% (2019) to 14% in 2020. This is due to improved production processes and companies' attention to recycling. For some companies in the logistics and construction sectors, shares of around 30% of recycled material are quite the order of the day, which once again underscores the recyclability of plastics.
Skilled workers and Switzerland as a workplace
Although the number of companies with 743 has decreased compared to the previous year (854), the number of employees with 33'029 compared to 33'935 shows a pleasing stability, as KUNSTSTOFF.swiss further reports. Especially since, as President Silvio Ponti emphasized, this is not mainly due to the crisis, but much more to the lack of skilled workers. Managing Director Kurt Röschli added: "The industry offers many attractive and promising training positions. After all, plastics technologists are extremely sought-after skilled workers."
The pandemic has once again shown how important Switzerland is as a production location. The proportion of skilled workers increased from just over 64% to almost 69%, to the detriment of semi-skilled workers, whose proportion decreased. Overall, however, there is still a major shortage of skilled workers in the Swiss plastics industry. Today, only about 75 apprentices graduate from plastics trades every year - but there would be twice as many apprenticeships.
Fake vaccination apps: What travelers should watch out for during the summer vacations
After weeks full of privation, the anticipation of the well-deserved vacations is now growing. But despite all the euphoria, a few precautions should be remembered, especially when using digital tools. False vaccination certificate apps, for example, are lurking.
Editorial - July 2, 2021
Fake vaccination certificate apps: IT security experts warn against this in particular for the vacations. (Image: Pixabay.com)
Vacations at last: For many people, the past few months have been associated with great privation. The anticipation of the most beautiful weeks of the year is all the greater. But along with the joy, caution is sometimes forgotten. Cyber criminals could take advantage of this, especially since many digital devices continue to be used even during the vacations, for example for payment transactions or for the use of various apps related to Corona measures. Fake vaccination certificate apps could pose an additional threat, according to security experts.
Fraud and data theft
According to experts from IT security service provider Eset, cybercriminals are focusing particularly on fraud schemes, mobile device theft, WiFi spying and data theft this year. "Anyone going on vacation should make their digital companions fit before the start of the trip. It is important to update the operating system and the installed apps to the latest version. It is also recommended to install an anti-theft module on smartphones, tablets and laptops. Travelers should also remember to enter their digital vaccination certificate in the official apps," advises Thomas Uhlemann, Security Specialist at Eset.
Camping vacations are once again in full swing this year, and the number of caravan registrations has been rising steadily for quite some time. From 2019 (29,837) to 2021 (39,120), new registrations of caravans alone have increased by 31 percent (source: Civid).In Switzerland, the figure is 26 percent higher than the previous year, according to Statista. "Especially when traveling, public WiFi hotspots at campsites are very popular. There's nothing wrong with using these offers, but you should never enter confidential data such as credit card information there, nor should you conduct online banking transactions or the like."
Fake vaccination certificate apps in circulation
Cybercriminals have been exploiting the Corona pandemic for their own purposes for more than a year. Security experts are convinced that fraudsters will also abuse the digital vaccination passport. Phishing emails or fake apps will appear especially in the summer months, designed to trap vacationers shortly before the start of their travels. It can be assumed that many tourists will still want to digitize their analog vaccination certificates in the short term.
Six tips for a safe vacation
Deploy anti-theft solutions: Smartphones, tablets and notebooks are quickly lost during the vacations. To make it difficult for thieves, modern anti-theft modules, such as those included in Eset's security solutions, use the built-in camera, for example, to photograph the perpetrator unnoticed. They also localize the geo-coordinates of the lost device.
Beware of fake Corona apps: Cybercriminals want to make profits with fake or harmful apps (e.g., fake vaccination certificate apps). Travelers in particular are currently increasingly looking for apps on the subject of Corona, for example to digitize their vaccination cards.
Back up important data: Important data on the smartphone and tablet can be backed up. USB sticks, external hard drives or cloud services are suitable for this. If the hardware is lost, at least the data is not lost and can be restored later.
Update software and security solution: The operating system, the installed apps and the security solutions used should be up to date. This prevents the exploitation of known security gaps.
Use WiFi hotspot only with VPN connection: Hotels, campsites, bars and other locations entice vacationers with free WiFi access. However, there is a risk that criminals can spy out sensitive data such as login or credit card details. Users should therefore additionally secure the connection with a trustworthy VPN solution. Purchases or financial transactions should nevertheless be postponed until after the vacation.
Be careful when paying: Contactless payment has been more popular than ever since the Corona pandemic. This is also becoming more and more common at vacation resorts. A special protective cover or wallet shields the credit or debit cards. This prevents thieves from reading the data with special devices. Alternatively, Apple or Google Pay can also be used, depending on the support of the house bank. This increases security during the payment process.
First major live business event after Lockdown: The Circle Conference submits
On July 1, 2021, The Circle Conference took place, probably the first major live business event in Switzerland after the lockdown. In compliance with a rigorous protection concept, 880 visitors literally met face to face again at the Circle Convention Center at Zurich Airport.
Thomas Berner - July 2, 2021
Showtime! The Circle Conference on July 1, 2021 was the first big live business event after the Corona drought. (Image: Thomas Berner)
It was finally showtime again: After more than twelve months without events, a major live business event took place for the first time again at the Circle Convention Center on July 1, 2021: The Circle Conference. 880 visitors, 70 exhibitors and 19 speakers provided the framework for a successful premiere. The event was hosted by Oliver Stoldt of MICE Service Group Switzerland in cooperation with the hosting partners Flughafen Zürich AG, The Circle Convention CenterHyatt Regency Zurich Airport The Circle and Hyatt Place Zurich Airport The Circle. He wanted to offer the MICE industry, i.e. the event and hospitality sector most affected by the Corona pandemic, a fitting re-start. Accordingly, the industry made itself the theme of the event. The exhibiting companies all showed their services for the organization of meetings, events, conferences and other occasions.
Live business event under corona conditions
Oliver Stoldt and Janine Heukamp began planning The Circle Conference while still in the midst of the lockdown. Their goal: July 1, 2021 should be the deadline for the first large live business event after Corona. As recently as April of this year, it was far from clear whether events with 1000 attendees would be approved as early as the beginning of summer. The relaxation of the Federal Council on May 26, 2021 paved the way, and a few days later the approval by the authorities followed. "We gambled high," Oliver Stoldt said on the sidelines of a media conference held to mark The Circle Conference. "There was only this Plan A." But the effort must have paid off: everywhere you looked, you saw happy faces - and not hidden behind protective masks. The rigorous protection concept - only pre-registered people were allowed in, and everyone had to show a valid Covid certificate or a negative test result - allowed for this newfound freedom. "You have to get right back into the habit of personal closeness," was a statement often heard. Indeed, the "elbow salute" could still be observed frequently, and even when applauding, the audience sometimes seemed to exercise a little restraint...
Congress tourism in transition
At the media conference, Andreas Züllig, President of HotellerieSuisse, epidemic expert and consultant Daniel Koch, jazz festival organizer and St. Moritz community president Christian Jott Jenny, Oliver Stoldt and Stefan Feldmann, Head The Circle, Flughafen Zürich AG, expressed their views on the future of the MICE business. There was agreement that new, creative concepts will naturalize in the congress and event business alongside classic solutions - thanks to rapidly developing digital tools. "We learned a lot during Corona," said Andreas Züllig, pointing out that quite a few seminar hotels, for example, are now "igniting the turbo" to upgrade their infrastructures. It is possible that there will be fewer very large congresses in the future than before the pandemic, said Züllig. He and Christian Jott Jenny were optimistic about tourism for the coming summer season in the mountain regions, but less so for places that rely on international customers. And Jenny is further clear with regard to cultural creation: "Concerts cannot be digitized." The Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz, for example, will be held live next week with the 3G concept.
The future of the MICE industry: from left to right Stefan Feldmann, Oliver Stoldt, Christian Jott Jenny, Daniel Koch, Andreas Züllig. (Image: zVg / Marco Stalder)
More sustainability - also for a live business event
What is the current demand for seminar hotels, for example? Andreas Züllig knows of good booking levels with corresponding providers. However, in addition to technical possibilities for hybrid implementation, the focus has recently shifted to completely different values. "Customers are paying more attention to sustainability. It is becoming more important to them to rely on regional products," says Züllig. And what about internationally? A little patience still seems to be in order there. Stefan Feldmann pointed out that The Circle and its convention center, which is geared toward international events and has a capacity of 2,500 visitors, opened in the middle of the crisis. However, he is optimistic that demand will also increase here as soon as the market situation permits. Then the second hotel, Hyatt Place, which is currently still closed, will also definitely open its doors.
Audience enjoys live performances
However, the virus will certainly keep the industry busy for some time to come, according to Daniel Koch, who was also a speaker. He assumes that the normality we knew before the Corona pandemic will be reality again in a few years. In addition to Daniel Koch, the presentations of other renowned speakers also met with lively interest. Solar Impulse pioneer Bertrand Piccard and the honorary president of FC Basel, Bernhard Heusler, impressed the audience. International expert Sita Mazumder and experts German Ramirez and Reto Wampfler spoke on digitalization, innovation, social selling and change management. On topics such as new work, communication, leadership and mobility, the expert Leonie Müller, ex-FIFA referee Urs Meier, the pilot group #clearedtoland, professional pilot Philip Keil and the "king of pickpockets" Christian Lindemann, who as a keynote speaker addressed topics such as self-confidence, repartee and performance. "People buy from people" was one of the things he called out to the audience. What might generally be dismissed as an often-heard marketing platitude took on an almost programmatic meaning on July 1, 2021: live and face-to-face, the atmosphere is simply different from digital via screen...
Emerging Technologies: Switzerland offers the best framework conditions
Emerging technologies such as data & analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain have experienced a major boost in recent years. Companies around the world and in Switzerland are increasingly recognizing that the interaction of these new technologies can make a decisive contribution to business success.
Editorial - 1 July 2021
Those who want to focus on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, will find the best framework conditions in Switzerland. (Image: Pixabay.com)
Cloud solutions, data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain or 5G - no forward-looking company can ignore technology topics today. A look at the Global Emerging Technologies Survey by KPMG International shows this. 900 business and technology executives from the 2,000 largest global companies were surveyed last year about their attitudes and plans in the technology sector.
Great interest in emerging technologies
Interest in emerging technologies is very high, the survey reveals, with 80 percent of companies already investing in new technologies or planning to do so. Nearly 60 percent of executives said the pandemic had added impetus to digital transformation. And more than half of respondents cited migration to the cloud as an absolute priority.
"In Switzerland, too, we are seeing immense interest from companies in technology topics," says Mark Meuldijk, Partner and Head of Data & Analytics and Emerging Technologies at KPMG. "That's a good thing, too. After all, companies need to move with the times in order to be able to identify the opportunities and risks of digitalization. Companies that approach digital transformation strategically and holistically can achieve longer-term competitive advantages and operate profitably in the long term."
Good framework conditions in Switzerland
The conditions for companies in Switzerland to benefit from digitization are certainly in place. For example, Switzerland was ranked as the most innovative country in the world in the Global Innovation Index 2020 of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Tech giants with offshoots in Switzerland, for example, are taking advantage of this innovation climate.
Efforts to foster a technologically innovative environment have already yielded considerable success, KPMG notes. Within just a few years, for example, the canton of Zug has developed into a major blockchain hub known as Crypto Valley, with more than 380 blockchain companies. In addition, renowned education and research centers such as ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne regularly occupy the top positions in international university rankings. Together with other institutions, they train specialists who are urgently needed for digitization. All of this offers the best conditions for local companies to exploit the opportunities of digitization to their advantage.
The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating digital B2B sales - according to a study by Bain & Company, virtual sales is the tool of choice for the vast majority of companies. However, many expectations are still not being met. What factors need to be taken into account to make virtual sales a success?
Editorial - 1 July 2021
Virtual sales have long been a reality in the B2C sector. This model is gradually gaining acceptance in the B2B sector as well. (Image: Pixabay.com)
The Corona crisis is also changing sales between companies, and virtual selling is now also becoming very important in the B2B sector. In its study "Virtual Selling Has Become Simply Selling," the international management consultancy Bain & Company determined that 92 percent of the B2B sales managers surveyed now prefer digital business relationships. This corresponds to 17 percentage points more than in May 2020.
Virtual sales and purchasing: from low-cost variant to standard
Purchasing has also discovered the benefits of digitization, according to another result of the study. For example, 79 percent of those employed there recognize the efficiency of virtual sales, compared with just 54 percent a year ago. They particularly value faster and more frequent communication, more cost-efficient transactions and the ability to reach more potential contacts. Around 250 sales and purchasing managers in the B2B sector worldwide took part in the study.
"The shift toward digital B2B sales has accelerated noticeably once again due to the impact of the Corona pandemic," explains Dr. Eric Zayer, Bain partner and B2B commercial excellence expert. "What was once seen in many places as merely a low-cost option has now become the preferred channel for most buyers." Increasingly powerful and affordable virtual solutions have enabled B2B companies to continuously virtualize their activities, even for more complex transactions.
Comprehensive strategy instead of small steps
Digital sales channels have undeniably been able to play out their advantages. This, of course, arouses further desires. "However, given the rapid increase in the use of digital B2B sales, the associated expectations are also growing," notes Dr. Tobias Umbeck, Bain partner and sales expert. According to the Bain study, respondents believe there is still room for improvement in practice. In fact, companies are reporting rising closing ratios and revenues from virtual sales channels, but these still fall short of their own forecasts. For example, executives and sales staff were prepared for a win rate that was in some cases significantly higher than was actually achieved on average.
Five success factors
"In order to exploit the full potential of virtual sales, it is not just a matter of turning individual digital adjusting screws," emphasizes Umbeck. "Rather, leading companies have adapted their strategy in all dimensions of the virtual B2B market." Overall, five factors are crucial for success:
Attract clientele early. According to the Bain study, around 80 percent of enterprise customers know exactly what they need even before their first contact with sales staff. More than 35 percent even have a clear preference for a supplier. Digital information channels are now more popular among purchasing managers than exhibitions or trade shows. When researching online, it should therefore be possible to find the desired product categories quickly and application examples should be easy to access, for example through demo videos. If there is interest, it is advantageous to contact the supplier as easily as possible - via chatbots, live chats or in person.
Align virtual services with customer expectations. Efficient B2B companies make product and sales managers available for personal consultation only if the corporate customers explicitly request this. Specialist personnel are deployed in a targeted manner to answer questions or demonstrate products. This makes the sales process leaner and reduces costs.
Develop scripts for sales scenarios. With the help of sample templates, sales and specialist departments can prepare precisely for the various customer interactions. For example, who contacts prospects in what situation and provides what information? In addition, sales scripts enable better training and performance evaluation of the company's own staff and thus increase their efficiency.
Intelligently strengthen sales teams. Systematic, data-driven analysis of customer behavior complements traditional sales training. Machine learning helps sales staff to increasingly convert potential deals into actual sales and create new cross-selling opportunities. In addition, when hiring new employees for virtual sales, the focus is on their digital skills, which increases the talent pool.
Special software solutions for specialist departments. The flood of product and marketing tools overwhelms many teams involved in sales and customer contact. Leading B2B companies therefore use specially tailored software solutions for data analysis, the sales process or customer service in the various specialist areas. Not least because of the time saved, sales staff can ultimately also focus more intensively on the key revenue drivers for their own company.
"Virtual B2B sales has become a matter of course for everyone involved, and this is true regardless of whether the pandemic continues to subside or whether a new crisis occurs," notes Bain expert Zayer. "Those who adapt decisively to the new market conditions and customer demands now will use the crisis as an accelerator and improve the clout of their sales force."
