Mr. Pettenhofer, you established Fête Accomplie in 1997. What exactly does the agency offer?

We provide support to people and companies planning a high-level event, be it a special birthday party in a lovely country home, the grand opening of the Lucerne Festival with hundreds of guests, or a fundraising dinner for the Zürcher Kunstfreunde.
Fête Accomplie offers all services required for a perfect event management: starting with the development of a concept, continuing with the planning and organisation all the way to mailing thank-you notes.

How would you describe Fête Accomplie’s style?

We offer creativity to satisfy the highest expectations. Our events are always very up-to-date in style and include surprising elements to make them elegant and sophisticated. This is why each and every one of our events is individually designed. We often choose an unusual path, especially in terms of selecting the location. We also collaborate with top chefs and hotel management schools depending on the theme of the event, and we do not shy away from working with well-known artists and authors like Martin Suter or Roman Signer.

Which is the best location for an event?

That obviously depends on the event — but, in principle, there are no limits to our imagination. We once converted a public transport depot into a giant lounge, built a city of tents in a forest covering a range of themes, turned a museum into a ballroom including a lively bar, and organised a birthday party in the conservatory of a botanical garden. Thanks to our extensive network of contacts we have access to locations that are not open to everyone.

How do you develop ideas for your events?

First, we ask very detailed questions to understand what our clients envision and expect. Someone aiming to celebrate an important birthday in an intimate setting has a different frame of mind to someone planning a staff party on the company's premises. An exclusive product presentation by an old-established chocolate manufacturer requires a different backdrop than an event for the key customers of a multinational company scheduled to last several days. In an initial creative phase we define the essence of the event, the framework — its DNA, if you will. From this we develop a concrete concept which we then bring to life.

Do you take on the entire planning and implementation of an event?

Once we have been given the go-ahead for a project, the hosts can lean back and relax because we provide everything required for a perfect event. We organise the location, decoration, staff, food, service, drinks and valet parking. We also design the invitation and handle the invitation management, digital and analogue.

Who are Fête Accomplie’s clients?

In the more than twenty years of our existence, we have organised countless events for a wide range of clients. Fête Accomplie has opened luxury hotels, such as the Park Hyatt in Zurich and The Chedi in Andermatt, but we also organise the grand opening of the Lucerne Festival. We have designed numerous product presentations as well as birthday celebrations for the owners and CEOs of major Swiss companies.

These are complex events. Does the perfect event have to be expensive?

The charisma of an event does not depend on the budget. In case of a builders' and artisans' invitation, for example, it is often the simplicity that creates a special appeal. A wonderful ambiance with lots of atmosphere can be created by means of a simple barbecue in a garden, a few lovely flower arrangements and a handsome barkeeper. Ultimately, it is the details that make the difference, but they don’t have to be expensive. You don’t need champagne. However, sometimes it is a glass of champagne accompanied by the right music that will set a special tone. It is exactly at this point that our extensive experience and our aesthetic sense of atmosphere, composition, colour, sound and fragrance come into play.

Do you ever regret that you will never participate as a guest in one of your events?

I enjoy my work very much. And when I feel in the course of an event that the host and the guests enjoy themselves, the conversation is lively, there is dancing and laughter, then I experience a deep feeling of satisfaction — and that is my very personal way of being part of the celebration.

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