XAVER Award 2026: Gold for Mobiliar's Anniversary and ESC Basel
The Swiss LiveCom industry gathered on Tuesday evening at the Festhalle Bern for the 2026 XAVER Awards ceremony. Two projects took home gold: the ceremony marking Mobiliar’s 200th anniversary and the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. Urs Kessler received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
XAVER Award 2026: Two Gold Awards for Switzerland's LiveCom
On Tuesday evening, September 8, 2026, the Swiss LiveCom industry gathered at the Festhalle Bern for the 2026 XAVER Awards ceremony. The industry’s most prestigious award was presented in several categories—two projects were honored with gold, including an anniversary celebration and a European music event of international stature.
Nadine Imboden Production – Entertainment in Motion received the XAVER Gold Award for «Best Corporate Event» for the ceremony marking Mobiliar’s 200th anniversary, titled «Better Together.» The production won over the jury with an emotional and impressive ceremony that transformed the company’s history and values into a shared experience.
In the «Best Public Event» category, the gold award went to the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, submitted by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) and the Canton of Basel-Stadt. The Eurovision Song Contest turned Basel into an international stage in May 2025 and, with its numerous events and productions, had an impact far beyond the actual competition itself.
Silver and Bronze for Outstanding Projects
In addition to the two gold awards, the jury presented numerous other XAVER Awards in silver and bronze. Among the projects honored with silver are HeroFest 2025 by MYI, «Unwritten – The Moment a New »We« Begins’ by standing ovation, »Reflecting Again for Ruckstuhl @ ZDW «25» by Bureau Hindermann, “UBS × SwissSkills – Activate your superpower!” by WWP Weirather – Wenzel & Partner, the Azerbaijan Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, and the Hörnli Bergland community center by Bellprat Partner. Aroma also won silver in the “Best Brandworlds & Installations” category for MUNI MAX.
Bronze went to, among others, the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, SYMA EuroShop 2026 – Next Level System Architecture, the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest Opening Ceremony, the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals in Basel, Celonis – Executive Briefing Center, the VSNZ Winter Festival 25 / Mirror Tower, Marti goes Phantasia, Pink Rabbit, and SPS at OLMA 2025. Aroma received the XAVER Public Award for the MUNI MAX.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Urs Kessler
The 2026 XAVER Award honored Urs Kessler, former CEO of Jungfraubahnen, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. According to the press release, Kessler has set new standards over many years for combining tourism, experiential travel, and live communication. Under his leadership, numerous projects were carried out that went far beyond traditional tourism communication and positioned Jungfraubahnen on the international stage. He exemplifies a generation of leaders who view the “experience” not as a single event, but as a long-term relationship between people, the brand, and the destination.
Premiere: The XAVER LiveConvention
For the first time, the XAVER LiveComvention took place before the awards night—the Swiss LiveCom industry’s first unconference. This new, participatory format from the Swiss LiveCom Association was aimed at professionals, executives, service providers, and the next generation of the industry, with a focus on peer-to-peer exchange. The LiveComvention was moderated by Kiki Maeder. Panelists included Lea Frisch, CMO & interim CEO of Bernexpo; Marc Probst, owner of smARTec Veranstaltungstechnik; Iwan Funk, partner at Bellprat Partner; Lukas Meier, founder of Aroma; Mareike Ahlers, Managing Director of Bruhnpartner; Fabio Marino, co-owner of Verve Festival; Maximilian Souchay, founder of Live Lab; and Christian Studer, CEO and founder of Bright Live.
With this year's awards ceremony, the XAVER once again underscored its role as a benchmark for quality and innovation in Swiss live communication.
