This year again, the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award ceremony will take place as a physical event - albeit in a smaller format and in accordance with the Covid-19 regulations. For the first time, there will also be a live stream of the event simultaneously. We asked Stefan Steiner, Co-Managing Director at Venturelab, about the challenges and highlights that the audience can expect.
A lot of business events have been cancelled even some planned for next year – why did you decide to stick to a physical event?
Stefan Steiner: We are celebrating the 10th edition of the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award this year. To honor this milestone, we decided to organize a hybrid event: There will be a physical award show to celebrate with the 100 startups, the jury, and key partners in a very small and exclusive setting, and we are offering, for the first time, a public live stream so that people can participate, even in times of COVID-19.
How has Covid-19 affected the preparations of the award ceremony?
For example, when the caterer canceled a week before the event, our pulse rate was jumping up. But we are all entrepreneurs who are agile and flexible in order to find the best solution for a successful and, above all, safe execution. Thanks to a great team, we will be able to hold the TOP 100 and meet all the health and safety regulations.
The Top 100 event is one of the first major business events taking place physically – were the regulations you have to comply to always clear?
This is an unprecedented situation for the authorities, so the regulations kept changing. Or there were different directives from the canton and the federal government. But we are in close contact with the authorities and all partners to ensure a safe event.
What can people watching the live stream expect – why should they join?
In the past, the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award was always an invitation-only event. This year, for the first-time, people can join online to discover the most promising Swiss startups and celebrate entrepreneurship in Switzerland. For example, not only can the founders reap the well-deserved applause for their work on stage but the whole team can join online. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the innovative ability in our country and discover how we will get ready to turn the challenges of the 21st century into opportunities and transform the future.
Will there be any other elements apart from the short pitches of the start-ups?
We will have surprise guests who started in the ranking 10 years ago and have achieved outstanding successes. Furthermore, we will showcase 10 newcomers to watch and the 25 scale-up startups with future unicorn potential. Stay tuned for an exciting 10th anniversary celebration, and join us online!
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