For the first time, two apprentices have taken over the complete management of two departments within a client project at the Hallenstadion: Fabrice Kern and Munira Baumann, both in their 4th year of training as Event Specialists EFZ. Steffen Schmid, Technical Manager, was responsible for overall project management – a new experience for all three of them. As part of our two-part interview series "Apprentices take over divisional management", you will gain exciting insights from our young talents about the highlights and challenges they have experienced and from Steffen's perspective.
Taking complete responsibility for a trade was something completely new: Fabrice for lighting and Munira for audio. In addition, all Habegger apprentices took part in the production day of the Fight Night event – a special collaboration that further strengthened team spirit.
Both spontaneously shout “MEGA” and add: the project was exciting from start to finish – full of joy, but also with a lot of pressure, because we wanted to do the job perfectly.
Fabrice: It was not only a new challenge, but also very complex. Despite the support from Steffen and the team, there were many new aspects, especially in the detailed planning. But the effort was worth it – it was great fun and we were able to implement the event successfully.
Munira: Throughout the project phase, I was constantly thinking about it. The planning was extremely detailed and challenged me. Normally I’m booked for productions, do my task and then I’m out. For the Fight Night project, we not only had to plan, but also learn to hand over responsibility during the production in order to maintain an overview.
Fabrice: First Munira and I organised the general tasks – from personnel planning and timing to creating the plans in Vectorworks, a new program for us. We also learned how to book and order materials in the company’s own ERP system, HIS. Only then were we able to focus on our trades and derive specific tasks with deadlines.
Munira: Vectorworks was really learning by doing – it caused us a few headaches, but we also gained a lot of knowledge in the process. In audio planning, I made sure that the speakers were optimally positioned in the Hallenstadion so that the acoustics, sightlines and homogeneous coverage harmonised perfectly. With the help of a 3D visualisation of the venue, I was able to calculate the exact angles and prepare the material order down to the smallest detail.
Fabrice: The lighting design centred primarily on the correct positioning of the lamps on the rig, their cabling and distribution. I had to define the number of lamps so that the lighting was neither too bright nor too dark, and at the same time plan the cabling. I discussed all the details with Tim, who was the operator on the day of the event, before the electricity plan was drawn up.
Munira: On production day, we were suddenly on the other side – we usually ask what needs to be done. The responsibility was clearly noticeable, because nothing could be forgotten in our areas. Every step had to be well thought out and coordinated.
Fabrice: My highlight was definitely the set-up – nothing was missing and all the apprentices were there. It was great to see their progress live.
Every single person really enjoyed the production and the atmosphere was simply fantastic.
Munira: To see my entire audio planning working smoothly was just wow.
A mega project with a top team.
Munira: The biggest challenge was definitely the budget, as it was fixed for our areas and the planning was very strict with the available resources. Creativity was required, especially because we had no experience of what was possible in planning. In the team, I received support from Aaron, Chantal and Steffen to make the audio planning more efficient and adapt it if necessary.
Fabrice: For me it was the timing. It was important not to get lost in the details and to make rapid progress in order to avoid stress at the end. What I learned: ask for support at an early stage, because the internal expertise is there and everyone is very helpful, even when they are under pressure. The production timing was also tight: we preconfigured everything the day before, started at 6am on the day of the event, set everything up and then, in the evening, the Fight Night took place with almost 4,000 spectators.
Both laugh and are delighted that their audio and lighting planning worked so well in realisation, without any major adjustments and without Steffen having to pull a plan B out of his pocket.
Munira: It was just really cool to be involved in such a big project. We were thrown straight into the deep end and had to think about what was needed from the first second. This was not only the perfect learning opportunity, but also gave me a lot of self-confidence.
Fabrice: I can only agree with that. It is indescribable that we were able to plan independently. The trust that was placed in us was simply fantastic.
Fabrice & Munira: Thanks to everyone who supported us, it was simply amazing!
Find out from Steffen’s perspective what it was like for him to successfully organise a customer event with two apprentices managing departments – a first for Habegger. What did that mean for him personally? What was his greatest joy? And what lessons has he learned for the next apprentice project?
Our team will continue to broaden in the future, as we are always on the lookout for exceptional personalities for live communication.
Every two years, Habegger takes a close look at its own working environment together with “Great Place to Work®”, with the aim of identifying optimisation potential in order to remain an attractive employer in the future, too. In 2022, we have once again received the award for an optimal working environment.
