Masterstroke by the Kilchenmann team

Kilchenmann once again demonstrated its expertise in event technology at the YB championship celebrations. Over 12 tons of lighting and audio technology were set up within a short space of time. Stephan Huber was right in the middle of it all as production manager.

Hopp YB! BSC Young Boys won the championship title for the second time in a row. The performance of Kilchenmann's Event and Rental Service at the championship celebrations in the Stade de Suisse was also masterful. Stephan Huber, Head of Technology and Logistics Event and Rental Service, was responsible for the strategic coordination and adaptation. In this interview, he explains how the schedule has to remain agile for an event of this size and what it means for the event technicians to offer the fans an unforgettable show.

1. The BSC Young Boys' championship celebration at the Stade de Suisse was a spectacle with 20,000 visitors. What part of the event do you remember in particular?
   Major events such as the two YB championship celebrations are always a highlight in themselves for us at Event and Rental Service. The dimensions of the event technology are immense. But then there's also the tight schedule. For example, it made me quite nervous this year when there was still no stage in the stadium at 6 a.m., but the celebrations were due to start at 3 p.m. on the same day. Of course, thanks to our many years of experience, we were able to keep calm in such situations and still get started on time. 

2. The Kilchenmann team showed full commitment. When the going gets tough, a major event like this can be coordinated and organized in just 8 days. What does it take to manage such a feat of strength?
   Such a tight time frame is of course a major challenge - but not one that causes us sleepless nights. In addition to our expertise, we fortunately have a strong network to fall back on. This means that freelancers can be called in at short notice if necessary. But we can also count on fruitful cooperation within the industry. For example, if there is a shortage of a stage element in the stadium at short notice, a phone call is often enough. One partner even delivered said additional stage elements directly to the stadium on a Sunday morning.  

3. There was a football match on the eve of the championship ceremony, so there wasn't much time to set up. How did Kilchenmann's team perform under these conditions?
   That's right, there were only 20 hours between the starting signal to set up and the lights going out in the stadium. At 11pm the night before, the stadium was empty. Then everything was dismantled and steel plates were laid so that our trucks could drive in. The stage was delivered at 6:30 am and we knew that everything had to be ready for the sound check at 1 pm. In addition to the football match, we were also working as an event and rental service for the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken until the evening before the championship ceremony. A large part of the event technology material was there and had to be checked and transported to Bern for the championship ceremony immediately after dismantling.
   
   The fact that everything went so smoothly was only possible thanks to meticulous preparatory work. As production manager, I was already familiar with the conditions on site and I knew that we wouldn't have time for any additional deliveries. That's why I drew up a detailed plan down to the last detail. Each team leader received a briefing with precise notes for their area and their crew. This meant that everyone knew what was to be set up where and how. Informative labeling of the material boxes ensured additional efficiency. I was the central point of contact for any questions. I had a folder with the detailed concept with me and was therefore able to keep the threads together. 

4. The light show was breathtaking, the speech intelligibility of the audio quality was impressive. What technical equipment was used? How can you imagine the dimensions?
   This year, the stadium was played across for the championship celebrations, which meant that 220° sound reinforcement had to be guaranteed. Over 12 tons of event technology material was used for this. Broken down into individual figures, this included DiGiCo SD11, SD8, SD12, Shure Axient D and GrandMA II, around 80 spotlights, 90 loudspeakers and around 8,000 meters of cable. Each loudspeaker had its own amplifier channel (d&b, array processing), as a more homogeneous sound system ensures optimum speech intelligibility. After all, an event like this is less about the sound pressure of the music and more about introducing and celebrating the team. 

5. Were there any particular challenges with this media-effective event, also in comparison to other events?
   The YB championship celebration is a very emotional occasion. That's why a lot of flexibility is required on our part. You have to imagine it: The football players come on stage, fueled by the cheering fans, euphoric about winning the title. This celebratory mood harbors the potential for mistakes. It can happen that one player suddenly wants to say something into the microphone, but the other needs 5 minutes less for his speech. It is important that the Kilchenmann crew adapts to these emotions and acts competently and flexibly so that the band is also ready if the speech takes less time. At this year's championship ceremony, the schedule was thrown out of kilter after just 5 minutes. An exciting contrast when you think of the SEF, where everything is timed almost to the second.
    
6. There was no outward sign of any last-minute changes. A real masterstroke! But hand on heart, isn't the nervousness a little higher than at other events?
   It's certainly the case that the pressure at an event like this is a little greater than usual. When you know that it's going to be full and the media will be reporting on it, you think twice about whether everything will work and whether you've done the electricity calculations correctly. Nothing must go wrong, otherwise the whole of Switzerland will know the next day. But basically it doesn't matter whether there are 48,000 or 30 people. For us, it's important that our customers' message reaches the audience audiovisually. That is the focus. We know that our employees are experts in their field. During the one-month lead time, I was able to carefully put together a top team of freelancers who work quickly and cleanly, think for themselves and keep calm in hectic situations. 

7. In your opinion, are these the greatest strengths of Kilchenmann's event and rental technology team?
   Yes, in addition to many years of relevant experience, our team is definitely characterized by its coolness in hectic situations. They remain calm, decent and of course competent, even in stressful situations. For us, this is everyday life. However, many of our customers only manage one event like this a year and are correspondingly hyper-nervous. Our strength is to radiate calm and professionalism. One of the ways we achieve this is through proportionate detailed planning. In addition, as mentioned, we have a large network in the event technology sector that we can call on at any time. 

8. Kilchenmann actively supported the championship celebrations in 2018 and again this year. Does a certain routine settle in over time?
   Routine is perhaps the wrong word here, because there is no such thing in our job. Every event is different and we have to act according to the situation. That's the exciting thing, that you always experience new surprises. Of course, we can draw on a wealth of experience, which also benefits our customers. But at the same time, we are nervous about every new event, even if you can't tell by looking at us. I believe that a certain amount of basic nervousness is part of the job, and is even healthy.