Without its patrons, there would be no Rega. For this reason, Rega attaches great importance to fostering direct contact with the Swiss population – such as at Open Days at the helicopter bases, on guided tours of the Rega Centre or with a booth at public fairs and exhibitions. In mid-March, the crew from  Rega’s Zurich base presented “their” new H145 helicopter to the public at a rather unusual location: in the concourse of Zurich Main Station. Pulling all the strings in the background was André Urech. Together with the Events team, he is responsible at public events for ensuring that the rescue helicopter is at the venue at the right time, the information stands are set up and sufficient shop items are available. In order to ensure that things go smoothly, everything needs to be planned right down to the very last detail – from the barriers around the helicopter to the helpers’ work schedule.

“Despite the best preparation, unforeseen hitches always crop up and need to be dealt with,” says the event manager. As in the cockpit of a Rega aircraft, the rule of thumb is: keep calm and act in a considered yet swift way. At moments such as these, André Urech can draw on his many years of experience in the event and tourism industry. Before joining Rega, the qualified tourism specialist HF worked on a seasonal basis in hotels in the Swiss Alps and organised major events and corporate trips for event agencies.

“My time in South Africa during the 2010 Football World Cup was particularly exciting,” André Urech recalls. “I organised accommodation, local guides, safaris and football tickets for groups and at the same time got to know the country and its people.” Between jobs, the 39-year-old often spent months travelling. “Anyone who travels across the continents with a rucksack is an event manager per se,” says Urech. Flexibility and organi sational talent are called for every day: “You continually encounter new things, as you’re not familiar with the environment, the language or the people.” Whether on his travels or in his activities at Rega, the thing he values most of all is the contact with people. “When I see all the smiling faces at a Rega event, that’s my greatest reward.”

Karin Zahner