GstaadLife

Do not panic when you here the sirens on Wednesday, Ferbruary 2 2011. Along with all towns and Gemeinden across Switzerland, they are just doing the annual tests of the 'general alarm' and afterwards of the 'water alarm'. So be ready between 13h30 and 15h00 - it's going to be loud. Above the official TV trailer.

 
Did you see these signs last Friday? They were all over town and our sister publication even changed the masthead of its Friday issue. It was all about the Gstaad-based software company Consenda AG, which in collaboration with Switzerland's leading media company Publicitas, has developed a publishing system for local newspapers known as LocalPoint. On January 21 2011 as part of its first annual LocalPoint Forum, Consenda invited media experts and publishers from all over the country to exchange ideas and experiences regarding the changes taking place in the media industry, with topics ranging from new technology, new ways of reporting local news, and new forms of advertising.

Above: the speakers at the 2011 LocalPoint Forum (from left to right): Walter Herzog (CEO Herzog Medien AG, Neue Fricktaler Zeitung), Xavier Ferguson (CEO, Consenda AG), Urs Dubs (Publisher Engadiner Post/Posta Ladina), Andrea von Siebenthal (moderator and Director of Publisher Relations, Consenda AG), Reto Pensa (Head of Customer Solutions, Publicitas), Joe Zihlmann (CEO SWS Medien AG Verlag, Willisauer Bote, Wiggertaler Bote, Seetaler Bote) and Markus Burri (ad sales director, Publicitas Wohlen).