Innovation

Art Basel sets out to contribute to the success of exhibiting galleries by bringing them together with experienced and new art aficionados. Alongside physical events, this will require more digital formats in future, enabling customers to call up product information and go online shopping at any time and location.

The 2021 reporting year saw the successful return of physical art shows and the combination of physical and digital elements in hybrid formats. The Online Viewing Rooms (OVR) that had been set up in 2020 when the art shows had to be cancelled were embedded in the newly introduced “Art Basel Live” digital initiative. This also included virtual tours and special social media content as well as exclusive footage behind the scenes. The expanded digital program was implemented for the first time at Art Basel in Hong Kong. It was then deployed to complement on-site presentations in Basel and Miami Beach, transmitting the vibrancy and excitement of the show to a global audience.

Work is continuing on the development of digital formats and offerings for Art Basel. Just as the gallery owners expect Art Basel to support them in accessing new circles of art enthusiasts, they also wish to benefit from modern digital service packages that extend beyond the highlights of the physical events.

Developments in the physical events sector will similarly contribute to further strengthening the leading position of the Art Basel brand. MCH Group and Art Basel are thus committed to further boosting the Asian art market among other things. The group has a 15 % stake in the new ART SG show in Singapore, which is being held for the first time in January 2023 and is also providing consultancy services to the S.E.A. Focus Event in Singapore and the Art Week in Tokyo.

In January 2022, MCH Group was also able to announce that Art Basel had been awarded the contract to stage a new show for contemporary and modern art in Paris. This new project is designed to build bridges between the French cultural industries – from fashion and design through to film and music – with a reach that extends to the entire city. The new show is being held for the first time in October 2022 in the Grand Palais Éphémère. As of 2024, it will relocate to the renovated Grand Palais.

Information on Art Basel:
– Link: www.artbasel.com

It is striking that precisely events like the Digital Festival and HackZurich serve to illustrate just how important direct and physical contact is for people – even for proven experts in the digital and technology scene. “Make it Personal!” was thus the motto adopted for the 6th Digital Festival and the 8th HackZurich staged in the Schiffbau and the Technopark in Zurich in September 2021.

How do we proceed from a product vision to the prototype? How does product management succeed in a high-tech environment? Are NFTs (non-fungible tokens) really the future? These and similar questions were discussed by numerous sharp minds from business, society and technology at the Digital Festival – in a vibrant festival atmosphere both on site and virtually. A multifaceted program with more than 25 keynotes, 40 interactive labs and 15 sessions delighted a proven mix of some 2500 international and national managers and experts.

HackZurich, which is part of the Digital Festival, was designed as the world’s first hybrid hackathon in 2021. Receiving more than 5,000 applications to enter, it constitutes one of the most significant platforms of its type internationally. More than 1,000 applications were selected and entrants worked in small teams, developing over 150 innovative, technical prototypes within a period of 40 hours. In addition to the 420 participants present on site, more than 600 participants from over 90 nations took part virtually.

The winner, by the way, was the “Thunderstroke” team, who make it possible for friends to socialize online. “Thunderstroke” is an application that uses real-time image processing algorithms and artificial intelligence to liven up online meetings with music. A laptop is all that is required for a jam session with an air guitar or an air percussion instrument.

Information on the Digital Festival and HackZurich:
– Link: https://digitalfestival.ch/en
– Link: https://hackzurich.com/

That “trade fair feeling” also made a comeback to the life sciences industry when ILMAC was staged in Basel in October 2021. Some 250 exhibitors and around 4,500 visitors gave the fair a highly positive rating despite the Covid restrictions. This industry meeting point was supplemented by the “Pharma Logistics Days” (logistics and packaging) and the “Maintenance Excellence Arena”.

The new ILMAC Community digital platform was also launched on the occasion of ILMAC 2021. This platform is used all year round by suppliers to publish their innovations, expertise and events, plus a great deal more. By the end of February 2022, more than 5,500 users had registered for the platform, which contains brief presentations and posts from some 240 suppliers. The 400 or so posts are divided up into three categories (focal themes, applications and product classes) with more than 30 theme blocks and a typological structure.

The ILMAC Community platform has been implemented with an external application. MCH Group is working intensively on developing more advanced community platforms that will offer additional functionalities to meet further needs. The main focus is on solutions that will be scalable across the group.

Information on the ILMAC Community:
– Link: https://www.community.ilmac.ch/en

For almost 100 years, the “Bureau International des Expositions” (BIE) has been responsible for allocating world exhibitions. Expo Dubai 2020, which had to be postponed by a year on account of the pandemic and ran from 01 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, was the first World Expo to be held in an Arab country. Its theme was “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” The site to the south of Dubai, which extended over more than 4 square kilometers, was divided into the subthemes of Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity.

For the first time at a World Expo, each of the 192 participating countries had a pavilion of its own. Four of these pavilions – for Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway and Finland – had been constructed by MCH’s Live Marketing Solutions division or, to be more precise, by Expomobilia with its head office in Effretikon.

The Swiss pavilion, named “Reflections” offered visitors an impressive and surprising encounter with Switzerland in all its diversity – from breathtaking landscapes through to innovative ideas for a sustainable future. Visitors entered the pavilion through a crystal cave before proceeding to the mountain peaks and then immersing themselves in urban Switzerland, where they were able to discover the country as a leading innovation and technology location.

As general contractor, Expomobilia bore full responsibility for implementing the architectural concept of the Swiss pavilion on schedule and within the approved budget. This also involved observing Swiss quality standards and obtaining and using ecologically sustainable materials. Expomobilia worked together with OOS Architects, Bellprat Partner and Lorenz Eugster on this project.

The Swiss pavilion incorporated 300 m2 exhibition space on the ground floor and 320 m2 on the upper floor as well as a roof area of 415 m2. In addition to the difficult conditions imposed by the pandemic (temporary closure of construction sites, travel restrictions for engineers, etc.), one major challenge was remaining within the budget. Expomobilia came up with numerous cost-efficient solutions and contributed to successfully mastering this challenge.

For the Netherlands, Expomobilia constructed a “Biotope in the Desert” – a 3,493 m2 circular climate system. The concept and its implementation were worked on by a consortium, with Expomobilia acting as general contractor. Expomobilia also assumed the role of general contractor for the Finnish and Norwegian pavilions. The Finnish pavilion entitled “Snow Cape” symbolized the fusion of the dissimilar Finnish and Arabic cultures. The Norwegian pavilion named “Ocean Space” portrayed the deep connection between the maritime environment and the treasures of the sea with the people and culture of Norway.

Information on the Expomobilia projects at Expo Dubai:
– Link: https://www.expomobilia.com/en/cases/industrien/world-expo/

Porsche is a brand that has always endeavored to go beyond the actual business of selling cars. In November 2021, Porsche achieved this aim with its first “Icons of Porsche” festival. This lifestyle festival in the Dubai Design District provided an experience for car enthusiasts of all ages, enabling them to immerse themselves in the brand's rich history which was portrayed over a number of themed areas. In the light of the event’s success, the “Icons of Porsche” is now to be staged as an annual event.

The strategic aim was to create a unique brand platform where Porsche could come into contact not only with existing Porsche owners but also with a wider audience. The result was exciting activations, exclusive displays, creative actions and edutainment. Brand partners including Hugo Boss and Tag Heuer helped address visitors, as did artists and performers who were able to exploit their social currency. Key influencers and brand representatives attracted further attention from the audience on their own channels.

The festival included a number of different zones offering something of interest for everyone. In “The Library”, guests were able to live out their passion for classic Porsche cars in exhibitions and exciting activities, while “The Garage” had iconic sports cars on display and guests were able to help design vintage posters. In “The Unseen” sector, guests could sketch futuristic models via a simple user interface. “The Studio” featured works by international and local artists, while younger visitors had their own sector with creative activities in “The Park”. The centerpiece of the festival was the stage, surrounded by hundreds of veteran cars, with dynamic screen contents that depicted legendary models and supported the performances of popular regional musicians over the course of the two days.

“Our idea was to test a new concept and to do what we can do best – portray our unique brand heritage in an appealing manner. We were delighted by the result”, says Dr. Manfred Bräunl, CEO of Porsche MEA.

The planning phase for the festival extended over a period of six months, with different teams working seamlessly on the creative, production and execution processes to deliver a number of experience zones. Prior to the festival, selected VIPs and media representatives were invited to a “Media Drive” in the Dubai Autodrome, where they were able to experience the Porsche DNA first-hand. An additional “Media Night” provided topics for conversation and conjured up interest and enthusiasm in the print media and on digital and social channels.

The festival itself, which was held on 19 and 20 November 2021, attracted 7,000 visitors to the Dubai Design District, which covers an area of 17,000 square meters. With 1,328 media articles and social media, the festival reached more than 100 million people. A total of 37,400 website clicks were registered. The PR value amounted to USD 4.5 million internationally and USD 1.5 million regionally.

Information on MCH Global:
– Link: https://www.mch-global.com/ch/

In July 2021, MC² realized in New York City an electrifying campaign for Lucid Motors named  “Dream Ahead” to officially launch “$LCID” on Nasdaq and to introduce the Lucid Air model to the electric vehicle market.

To kick off the four-day event, the MC² crew worked overnight to deliver and set up three enclosed displays at three unique locations in New York City: at the Vessel (an extraordinary structure in the Hudson Yards district), at the Oculus (a transportation hub near the World Trade Center) and in the Madison Square Park.

The boxes, set up under the cover of night, seemed to magically appear out of nowhere. The glass enclosed boxes, which concealed a Lucid Air model, were wrapped with black graphics. Through their social media platforms, Lucid sent out teaser posts about the mysterious displays. People on site had the opportunity to scan a QR code with a smartphone to gain a sneak peek to what’s awaiting inside. This piqued the curiosity and excitement of everyone who passed by.

On the fourth day, each display wrap was stripped overnight to showcase the latest addition to the electric vehicle market, the Lucid Air, and to celebrate the introduction of “$LCID” going public on the Nasdaq. The Lucid Motors team took over Times Square on the day of the unveiling while the Nasdaq video played in the background. It was a big party to celebrate this exciting time for the company. After the excitement in the previous days, with the boxes open, the cars attracted even more attention. Lucid Motors acknowledged the unveiling on social media: “Out of the box, in the wild.”

The Lucid Motors team was very impressed with how MC² provided a solution for the design, the installation and helping them to create this once in a lifetime event. Together, an event was realized that many are still talking about.

Information on MC²:
– Link: https://www.mc-2.com/