Impressions 17-20

KITZ-RACE-PARTY

My team and I have successfully developed the Kitz Race Party, one of the most exclusive events in Austria, for over 4 years.

Background

The Kitz Race Party, a key event during the Hahnenkamm Races in Kitzbühel, reflects the city’s vibrant ski culture and rich alpine heritage. The Hahnenkamm races themselves, which have been held on the legendary Streif slope since 1931, are known for their challenging conditions. With gradients of up to 85% and speeds of up to 140 km/h on the finish section, the Streif demands everything from the world’s best skiers.

The 3 downhill winners are the central theme of the Kitz Race Party and the VA concept and process are built around these heroic figures every year to celebrate a different facet of this unique event.

Together with my “createSYNDICATE” team, I was able to oversee four of these unique events between 2017 and 2020.

The task

RECURRING EVENTS

RETHINKED & REVITALIZED

In addition to developing the creative theme, I was entrusted with the conception and production of all artistic content for the Kitz Race Party and the Kitz Race Club during the race weekend in cooperation with Beda Percht.

I was also part of the directing team that staged and performed this content on stage. My focus was on process planning, technical implementation and ongoing coordination with the customer.

The challenge and task of my team was to shed light on one of Austria’s most exclusive annual VIP events from ever new perspectives, to sharpen our focus on the essentials and to connect the audience with the meaning and purpose of the event.

Kitz-Race-Party 2017

ICE – Heros on the EDGE

In 2017 we were able to make some decisive changes and adjustments to the event structure. These mainly concerned the stage situation, the moderation, the projections and visual integration with the stage events, as well as the artistic acts.

The “Kitz-Race-Ensemble” was introduced which was staged throughout the entire event with a clear common thread and integrated into the visuals with the central theme of the evening, the winners of the downhill run.

Kitz-Race-Party 2018

Funkytown

In 2018, the successful innovations that my team was able to create were further expanded.

Inspired by the official poster of the Hahnenkamm Race, the theme “Funkytown” was chosen and the Kitz Race party was transformed into a disco landscape with art and entertainment from the 70s.

As with an event of this class and magnitude, the design was integrated with the theme down to the last detail, from the charger plate in the form of an LP to the star act “Kool and the Gang”.

Kitz-Race-Party 2019

The Classic Challenge

In 2019 we designed the theme “Kitzbühel – The Classic Challenge”.

The idea was to celebrate the Hahnenkamm Race as THE classic challenge, as well as to give the framework of one of Austria’s most exclusive events a noble, “classic” setting – dress code: tuxedo, baby!

We produced a multimedia performance with a strong technical component in the event room based on a modern classical composition by the composer Roman Kariolou. This performance ultimately led directly to the winner’s departure and his appearance on stage.

Kitz-Race-Party 2020

Myth to the power of 80

In 2020, a special Kitz Race Party was celebrated, it was not only about reinventing the event for the fourth time and illuminating it from a distinctive perspective, it was also the anniversary of the 80th race on the Hahnenkamm.

We conceived the theme “Myth to the power of 80” which took this special occasion into account.

The idea was to stage a journey through time from the Big Bang to the creation and conquest of the mountains, the 80 races, down to the last hundredth of a second that makes the difference as to which racer emerges as the winner in this historic race.

Results

MOMENTS that count & impressions that last.

From 2017 to 2020, I and my team staged the Kitz Race party so that it became an unforgettable highlight for the audience.

By reinventing the event every year, we have been able to create a fascinating, new experience that is closely linked to Alpine culture and skiing.

Our creative and technical expertise not only underlined the exclusivity of the event, but also intensified and emotionally enriched the experience for the guests.

The introduction of innovative elements such as the Kitz Race ensemble and the seamless integration of visuals and artistic acts around the evenings’ themes not only exceeded audience expectations, but also set the standard for future events.