30 years of Lorzensaal Cham

It was a long journey to the Chamer Zentrum development, which was meant to provide the growing town with a new center and symbolize the transition from village to city. The first planning began in 1968, but the actual opening took a full 24 years. Three committees, five town meetings, and a public vote on June 4, 1989, with 72.29% of the votes in favor of a construction loan of over 21 million, finally made the hall, library, and town square possible. 

The construction went according to plan, and on May 23, 1992, Lorzensaal, together with the municipal library and the new town square, was officially opened with a celebration and subsequent public festival for the people of Cham. Later that year, the new community hall was booked for 295 events over 149 occupancy days, marking its successful debut. With its character, aesthetics, and technical features, Lorzensaal quickly became known as a new cultural meeting point for Cham and the region. 

From folklore to opera and cabaret to fairy tales, the program at Lorzensaal is designed to appeal to a wide audience. A special subscription even includes performances like "Swan Lake," "Wolga Cossacks," "Dinner for Dummies," "Carmen," and "The Bird Seller." The hall is very popular and attracts many visitors. However, the staffing situation with a 50% position for the hall manager and the full-time position for the hall master is increasingly concerning the town council. To ensure continued maintenance and optimal marketing of the hall, an additional 1.5 full-time staff units are requested. 

Since September 1, Lorzensaal has been present in the digital media with its own website and email address. This allows access to the offerings and possibilities of Lorzensaal, seating plans, and the event calendar online. Tickets can now also be purchased through Ticketcorner sales outlets. 

In its first ten years of operation, Lorzensaal proved itself, gaining local, regional, and national recognition. With 304 booking days for the hall and side rooms in 2001 and 7,500 events since its opening, the target of 180 events per year was exceeded by four times. At Lorzensaal, performances by Divertimento, Marco Rima, the Bo Katzman Choir, and Peach Weber fill the seats, along with live reports from Burma and Tibet and ballet performances of "The Nutcracker." The events are selected not according to a concept or a commission, but based on the principles of the managing director, Hans-Martin Oehri. 

With the departure of managing director Hans-Martin Oehri, a true all-rounder leaves. “As an organizer, manager, improvisor, host, cleaner, hall technician, and spa director in one person, the people of Cham lose a committed, sympathetic worker,” said town councilor Susi Gassmann at the time. Marianne Sidler takes over his position. With great enthusiasm and dedication, she has since brought a breath of fresh air to the cultural and conference center in Cham and has established Lorzensaal as a respected venue far beyond the town’s borders. 

In 2013, the town council approved a planning and construction loan of 3.5 million francs for the renovation of the stage technology and the replacement of the heating and ventilation systems. Over the course of four summer breaks, Lorzensaal and various stage facilities were modernized, and the event technology was certified according to the ISO quality label. To meet the increasingly complex demands regarding professionalism and event expertise, the team worked intensively on internal processes and workflows. Moreover, in August 2014, Schöpfer Gastronomie from Cham took over as the new kitchen partner, leading the culinary direction at Lorzensaal. 

Lorzensaal Cham focuses on quality and strives to continuously improve its operations and processes. To document these values, the company was certified with the ISO quality label on February 2, 2015, in the field of "congresses, seminars, meetings, and events." Additionally, the "Optimus" quality management manual was introduced, which is still lived and maintained by the staff today. 

As part of the Swiss Location Awards, the best venues in Switzerland are evaluated by an independent panel of experts and the general public. Over 100 locations from across Switzerland were nominated. Lorzensaal Cham made it to the podium and was awarded as one of the three best conference venues in Switzerland. To be among the top ten conference venues, a venue had to have above-average conference infrastructure and, ideally, offer various smaller side rooms for workshops or breaks alongside a larger main hall. Other criteria included hall design and customer orientation. Lorzensaal continues to receive the Swiss Location Award in the following years and is recognized as one of the best conference venues in Switzerland with the "Excellent" quality seal. 

Due to the coronavirus, the Swiss government declared a state of emergency in March 2020. Lorzensaal Cham remained closed for several months, and normal operations could only slowly resume. Since February 17, 2022, all protective measures have been lifted, and events in any form are once again possible. However, the responsible team continues to ensure that events at Lorzensaal are safely held for all involved and provides Clean&Safe facilities for the events. 

This year, Lorzensaal has several reasons to celebrate. On the one hand, the event business has resumed after the corona break: with the arrival of spring, Lorzensaal is flourishing again with numerous unique events. On the other hand, Lorzensaal is celebrating its 30th anniversary and looking back on three exciting and diverse decades of the Chamer Zentrum development. To mark this occasion, it is hosting a new event: Together with the Cham Library, it is organizing an Aperitif Talk with Giulia Steingruber about her new book, hosted by Sascha Ruefer. Additionally, it is launching its own newsletter to keep guests, prospects, and clients informed about the latest events, important updates, and exciting topics related to Lorzensaal.