Exclusives for the city centre

Sven Hertwig

This weekend, the city centre will once again be transformed into the longest catwalk in Chemnitz. The next fashion nights invite you to stroll, look and shop. The organiser is Sven Hertwig and his agency exclusiv events. But his portfolio is not limited to fashion nights. The 47-year-old former competitive speed skater contributes to the revitalisation of the city centre with other events. He reveals what these are and what his visions are for Chemnitz city centre in our Doer of the Week interview.

What can visitors expect?
Sven Hertwig: Fashion takes centre stage - as the name suggests. Visitors can expect four catwalks again. This year we will be staging Düsseldorfer Platz more than usual. We will of course have the Innere Klosterstraße back again, the Rosenhof with an attractive catwalk and the Neumarkt with the largest catwalk.

Have you been involved in the organisation of all the editions?
No. The origins lie with Kaufhof. They launched the event back then. When I took on my role as location coordinator for the Rosenhof and Rathaus Passagen, we naturally had the goal of participating in the fashion nights. We were able to involve Innere Klosterstraße two or three times in co-operation. I was then asked whether I could imagine taking over as organiser. This is now probably the sixth event that we have organised.

Chemnitz is not necessarily known as a fashion city. But the concept works. Why is that?
I believe that if the concept is right, people will come. You can see it especially this year, which is an extreme event year. The fashion nights are just one part of it: from the hat festival to the brewery market and the wine festival. I believe that if people are reached with a proper concept, they will simply turn up. People are interested in fashion nights. Retailers present themselves well, people are offered entertainment and go there.

So fashion nights are important for retail in the city centre?
Very important. We have Fashion Day in spring and Fashion Nights in autumn - both extremely important for city centre retail, also in terms of sales. These are events that not only attract people to the city centre, but also to the shops in order to generate sales and be able to hold such events.

You have already mentioned this: Compared to previous years, does it feel like there is a lot going on in the city centre this year?
Yes, we are definitely doing well. I've already mentioned this recently. If, for example, you find out from the newspaper which artist has played in the city and you didn't know about it yourself, even though you work in the industry, then you realise that we are developing into a pretty vibrant city. I really feel that way at the moment. Stadthallenpark, the city centre, Karl-Marx-Kopf right up to the opera - there's always something going on. I have the same feeling that things have been really moving forward for the last two years.

Was there any turning point?
No, I think when I look at my job as location coordinator for Rosenhof/Rathaus Passagen - my team and I have been doing this for nine years now: It's like a big cruise ship. It has to be moved first. Many things have been moved in the past few years that were basically the origin. But you don't notice the effects straight away. I believe there are many players who are not only active in the city centre, where the time is now ripe and bearing fruit. In our city centre, one of the things that has been initiated is the gastronomy mile. For two years now, it has become visible where remodelling measures are taking place, where events are being held. People are becoming more and more aware of this. I don't think this will stop, but will become more and more positive.

That sounds like the kind of staying power you need and have?
Yes, it always helps that I was a competitive endurance athlete.

When people talk about an event in Chemnitz city centre, your name often comes up. Isn't that exhausting in the long run and how do you motivate yourself?
I don't have any problems with that. Once you've done competitive sport, it's in your genes. But it's not a one-man show: without a team and the good co-operation here in the city, there's no chance of success. I am extremely proud of what we have built up here together.

Chemnitz Fashion Nights, Night Skating, Festival of Sounds, Sport Chemmy, Fashion Day, Charlie Kinderfest, Brewery Market - the list of events that you are in charge of is long. Which one is particularly close to your heart?
You can't really say. The most emotional event for me personally, which is also in my past, is the Chemmy. If you were once an athlete and are still an athlete at heart, then that's special. The Chemmy is a special gala. I really have to say that. After the Opera Ball, it's the second most important social event in the city. Apart from that, all events are important to me. For example, I'm not a beer drinker, but I still love organising the brewery market.
I'm still fascinated by how the brewery market has taken off. We organised it for the first time last year together with Henrik Bonesky. People are now talking about the brewery market as if it had been around for 20 years. It really is a phenomenon.

It was a sensational festival with a lot of visitors. Does that give you hope for the pub mile?
Yes, definitely. But the opening is one thing. The fact that we have the "Hans im Glück" and "dean&david" restaurant chains here is like winning the lottery. But after the opening, the marketing work begins. And that will never stop. It's then our job to keep bringing the place back to life and to keep coming up with new concepts. That brings us back to perseverance.

But it also has to be accepted outside of these festivities. Right?
Absolutely. The events should only help with that. Of course, at some point you have to move on to good day-to-day business.

Your path to becoming an event manager was rather accidental. Does it sometimes surprise you where you've ended up? From a travel agent to one of the leading event managers in the city?
Yes, somehow my team and I have learnt the ropes quite well, although the training was different. In the end, the travel agent was the starting point. I still have the travel agency and I think it was a good school, because a lot of organisational things are extremely important in tourism. Of course, that puts me in a very good position today when I'm talking to people.

How did you become the location coordinator for Rosenhof and Rathaus Passagen?
Ten years ago, we retailers were not so happy with the development in the city centre. There were situations where things weren't going as they should. We thought about how we wanted to move forward and how things should continue. We then organised a series of workshops together. This brought together the owners, landlords and retailers. Various results emerged from this, such as standardised opening hours. Another aspect was that there had to be someone to represent the interests externally, a kind of centre manager. That's how we got talking.
We practically bundled our location first. Nine years ago, there was actually nothing in this direction. There was no advertising budget, no joint logo, no website and no events. That's where we started.

Your motto is don't complain, do it. Where does this characteristic come from?
That's my nature. I'm just like that. I can't quite cope with complaining, I do complain sometimes, but that's project-related. At some point I learnt that if things aren't going well, you first have to question yourself and then change and step on the gas.

What events are still on your mind? What else do you want to do in Chemnitz at some point?
I'm not allowed to say. There are still a few things we have in mind. But nothing concrete at the moment.

In the "City Stroll" project, Chemnitz residents were able to tell us how they see their city in 2025. How do you envisage the city centre in 2025?
Definitely lively. A colourful life with restaurants and shops, everything that belongs to a big city. I've always used this as an example: everyone feels great when they come from Italy or Spain on holiday and sit on the market squares. I personally like that too. There are always exciting things that I learn from tourism that I want to bring back to the city.

Chemnitz wants to be European Capital of Culture in seven years' time. What still needs to be done before then or how do you see the chances?
At first I thought, what's the point? Then I got involved and today I'm a big fan and support the project. The bid can unleash so much momentum that a dynamic comes in that most people can't even imagine today. I think it would be excellent for the city and I believe we have a huge chance of winning the title. Cities like us are the ideal candidates for this title.