Changing the world: That was the focus not only at the World Economic Forum in Davos last Monday and Tuesday, January 16 and 17, but also on a smaller scale at InfoTech in Nottwil. The two-day bicycle trade training event, which the bicycle supplier association Velosuisse always organizes in the third week of January, attracted around 650 professionals and provided good entertainment.
The participants did not travel by private jet, but by cargo e-bike. Like the German speaker and "Velonaut" Gunnar Fehlau, who even traveled from the German city of Göttingen by e-cargo bike despite rain, wind and snow. He was one of 119 speakers who offered 299 hours of seminars. The highlight of the event was the forum on Monday evening. In the packed auditorium of the Guido Zäch Institute, Dr. Klaus Abberger of the ETH Zurich first spoke on the current economic situation. The economic researcher did not paint the gloomy picture of crisis and inflation that has been circulating in the media for months and is depressing the mood. Using facts and data, he showed the silver lining that only a country with a strong franc and its own monetary policy has.
Then the three industry trendsetters Beat Zaugg (CEO and co-owner Scott), Matthias Klopfenstein (Market Leader Specialized) and Urs Keller (CEO Region D-A-CH Trek) took center stage. Questioned by moderator Christian Rocha, delicate topics such as "Direct Retail" (where bike companies take over local bike stores to address customers directly) were also discussed. Zaugg, completely in the role of the patron, repeatedly managed to amuse the audience with a lot of wit and sharp-tonguedness.
The organizers were also able to draw a positive balance. After a purely digital InfoTech 2021 and a break in 2022, the first hybrid event - part of the seminars can be streamed in the InfoTech Web Academy - was again able to attract around 650 cycling professionals at the first attempt. 150 of them were even present on both days.
January 18, 2023