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Reloading Live: Congress Center Basel, Messe Basel and Messe Zürich defy corona.

The three infrastructure providers have used the lockdown imposed by the authorities to restructure their congress business. They have merged their sales departments under a single roof and launched offers that enable organisers to hold their meetings and conferences in the same way as they did before corona.

Christine Waelti
Christine Waelti · 2 min read
Messe Zürich Reloading Live

In the past, the key advantage of the venues has doubtless been their location. Messe Zürich is located in the middle of a vibrant metropolis, while the two Messe Basel halls and the premises of the Congress Center Basel can pride themselves on together forming one of the world’s largest inner-city congress centres. But now there is a further weighty argument in their favour. They have set themselves the goal of enabling their customers to hold events at no extra cost and with no compromises on quality even in the current situation. To achieve this, they have come up with the following solutions:

  • If the rooms and exhibition space required under normal conditions are not sufficient for the expected number of guests on account of the COVID-19 regulations, organisers will be allocated additional floorspace or bigger rooms at no extra cost.
  • If restrictions on entry into Switzerland or subdued booking levels due to corona lead to a fall in visitor numbers compared to the organiser’s expected figures, a proportional discount will be granted on the room rent.
  • All three venues are offering modified General Terms and Conditions permitting the uncomplicated cancellation or postponement of events.

“We want to make the on-site planning easier for our customers too”, says Jonas Scharf, Head of the Congress Center Basel. “To achieve this, they will be benefitting from our comprehensive know-how regarding the requirements imposed by the Federal Office of Public Health.” His team has thus compiled a template of precautionary measures, setting out the basic equipment required for the safe staging of events. “This also spares organisers additional expense”, explains Scharf.

According to a study by the Deep Knowledge Group, Switzerland is regarded as the safest country in the world in respect of COVID-19. Although it has to be admitted that the situation in this country has not returned to normal in every respect, one could almost be forgiven for thinking that it had at the three venues. The Congress Center Basel, Messe Basel and Messe Zürich are thus convinced that, with their attractive conditions, they will be able to attract more events to their cities once again.