Who is Michel Loris-Melikoff – and what’s he doing here?

You’re the ‘newbie’ at the Convention Center, but your name has been legend in the sector for many years now. So what does Michel Loris-Melikoff stand for?

I believe people know me as a passionate event specialist. This is something I’ve been doing for 20 years now, and I’ve already organised some events in Zurich, Switzerland and beyond – always with a huge amount of passion, and that’s been a common thread throughout my career. However, I’m not just a passionate person myself: we also create and sell passion in this industry. As CEO of Zurich Convention Center, I’ve found myself the perfect job: we offer space for emotions, and I find that extremely exciting.

You’ve been on board since November 2023. What insights have you gained in your first few weeks at the helm?

There’s one thing that’s already clear to me: the Convention Center is brilliantly organised, and the team here is highly motivated. I’m enthusiastic about the new LUX Restaurant: I enjoy being and eating here, and this is also where I can indulge my passion for welcoming visitors!

That’s a good basis. But what about the future? What’s your strategic direction?

It’s still too early to say anything strategy-wise. However, it’s definitely important that we should continue to use our capacity to the utmost, with the courage to try new event formats, but also (for example) via more intensive collaboration with the Tonhalle. Two venues that possess such vibrancy should do more together. The occupancy rate for 2024 is already excellent, and I’m confident that we’ll not only achieve the sales we need, but exceed them too – but you must never, ever stand still in this sector.

What exactly do you mean by that?

We must constantly ask questions and consider which new formats we can offer our visitors. Of course we’re not simply a venue that provides rooms and spaces: it’s our job to continually consider how we can surprise event organisers and our visitors. That includes supporting event organisers, offering them advice, and providing them with some fresh ideas. We should always concentrate on providing the best possible experience for our visitors.

So are there already some specific plans for new events and event formats?

I have a few ideas, but they’re still secret! (Laughs) They still need to be developed first. However, we definitely have some potential thanks to our wonderful terrace with the best view of the lake. We’ve already made a good start in terms of congresses and corporate events, but I’d like to offer even more major events in the area of entertainment, such as a festival. Or maybe smaller exhibitions and trade fairs such as ‘Blickfang’, which I think is really exciting. There’s a market in Zurich for small exhibitions of this kind; we’re talking about niche formats here, not enormous trade fairs – others are doing that already.

Of course you’re very familiar with the sector: what challenges do you anticipate?

There are always challenges – life would be dull without them. It’s certain that our challenges will on the one hand relate to the competitive environment in Zurich, because of course we aren’t the only event venue. This is where we need to come up with an exciting mixture of congresses, exhibitions, entertainment, and corporate events, but also smaller events such as weddings or events for clubs and associations. However, the cost is important too: Switzerland is expensive for visitors from abroad, and Zurich is slightly more expensive within Switzerland too. In return, we have a unique building in a prime location. One further and especially important challenge is the lack of skilled workers. Everyone in our sector – whether it be tourism, the hotel trade, or events – is struggling to attract good people. It’s important to me that the Convention Center should be an attractive employer, that the team should enjoy coming to work, and that every single person should be able to embody our passion for events and hospitality. And of course we must be able to retain these good people too – you have to work at this every day.

You’ve mentioned prices, which are high when compared to the rest of the world: how important is an international outlook?

Of course it’s relevant for us; Zurich is an international destination too. We constantly have international clients, and that’s fine – we’ll continue in the same vein. But regardless of whether or not we have an international outlook, we can certainly further intensify collaboration with congress and concert organisers, event and communication agencies, and Zurich Tourism, so that together we can create something new.

How will you be using your strengths in order to make the Convention Center a success?

I’m a passionate manager, and I always achieve new things in conjunction with teams, event organisers, and various stakeholders. In order to do so, it’s vital that you should genuinely be interested in their requirements, be curious, and approach people. That’s definitely one of my strengths. What’s more, I’m bringing a huge network with me, so if I have an idea, I immediately know who I should discuss things with to see if it’s feasible.
Then I’m driven by a desire for constant improvement and innovation. I’m always trying to improve something and find something new, something surprising. Actually you can never be satisfied in this sector, and that also involves trying lots of things out. Usually they work, but sometimes they don’t. That’s only to be expected. I simply enjoy tackling something new.

So what are you tackling next?

Well, specifically: tomorrow morning we’ll be discussing a few organisational issues with the management, things where I can see room for certain optimisations. In the afternoon I’ll have contact with a client, the organiser of a trade fair / exhibition I definitely want to host in the Convention Center. We’ll be discussing how we might make this a reality in 2024. So it’ll be a day that’s very much to my taste – like so many things since I’ve been here!