A friend once asked me if I am always called on and involved in projects at the eleventh hour. Good question! At that time I frowned and wondered how he had recognized that pattern after only a few years. Today, four years later, I would answer the question with yes, that he was right. Because I have now realized that this was not only the case once. Yes, we are solution-oriented reliable and—with a large network of freelancers and partners—also very flexible when it comes to the short-term implementation of projects. But why do we voluntarily, even with excitement, expose ourselves to this type of adrenaline?
It all started with my first customer in 2012. I was involved in a project in London at the time, when I got a call that a VIP and Hospitality Manager was urgently needed. Less than two weeks later, practically two hours after landing in Vienna, I was sitting in the viennafair office, and from then on, I was working 18 hours a day to ensure the success of the trade fair. That was the first event under new management, and it certainly has something to do with the level of enthusiasm I brought with me that I have been asked to organize the event every September since. Then it was off to India in the spring of 2019 for a major project, the request fluttering onto my desk two weeks before take-off and the flight being booked just two days beforehand. In the fall of the same year, we were involved in a completely new field of activity… we were brought on board as coordinators for hospitality support and given the task of ensuring the smooth running of a concert. Both tasks showed that we’re more well-known for our spontaneity than we could have ever dreamed of.
We were asked to organize the entire guest experience for the concert within two weeks, from invitations to comprehensive location management, decoration, permits and transport of the team to their positions. Many unanswered questions. Why us? We create hospitality concepts, but not concerts. Then there was Teodor Currentzis, at the time, the most ambitious and well-known conductor on the international circuit. Are we even the right people for the job? Challenging would be an understatement when it came to the list of requirements. A church in the center of Vienna was chosen as the location. Setups and rehearsals were squeezed in between other trade fairs and concerts. All 60 musicians were asked to hold a candle during the performance. “Help, the last thing I need is a Notre Dame disaster in Vienna”… is what shot into my head as I simultaneously began to plan the appropriate security measures. But it was the wish of a long-standing client and we wanted to support him in successfully launching his project.
While we were indeed at full capacity, we still managed to juggle all of the projects and tasks, putting together a new team within 24 hours and welcoming 500 enthusiastic guests at the Friars Minor Conventual Church in Vienna for a midnight concert just two weeks later. Pure adrenaline. Enormous focus on solutions and flexibility is very much in demand in these sectors. It’s good if you can rely on a strong network. Without these partners, many of the tasks would be nearly impossible and the thrill would be more like a small panic attack. What happened to my first “short-term project” from 2012? The planned short intermezzo turned into an outstanding, fixed annual date. And being able to shape the viennacontemporary each and every year is truly an exciting experience.