What will happen next to the rink area in the centre of Gstaad? The Eisbahn AG Gstaad board of directors informed the numerous shareholders of the plans at the general meeting in the Hotel Bernerhof. President Stefan Romang described the rink’s past year as rather quiet, despite the fact that onsite activities had increased in comparison to the previous year. This is due to good organisation by the operator, the Sportzentrum Gstaad. Also, collaborations with the municipality of Saanen have proved to be an asset as the municipality is the leaseholder of the site.

Renovation of the area
“The fact that the municipality now manages the project Les Arts Gstaad separately from Eisbahn AG, means we’ve been able to put more energy into tackling our own projects.” Both major and minor repairs to the rink and a renovation of the grandstand are up for discussion, said Romang.

Next, there’s the question of expanding the underground car park. “20 years after the last major renovation of the facilities, these are natural steps to take.” The board of directors has asked the partners involved about their concerns. These partners include HC Gstaad-Saanenland, the Beach Volleyball Major Series Gstaad, the private school Le Rosey, the Swiss Open Tennis Tournament and Gstaad-Saanenland Tourismus.

The board of directors for the shareholders and the municipal council have already summarised their wishes as part of an overall concept. “Now, we can get on board with our partners,” said the president at the Annual General Meeting. It’s also important to make sure that the projects don’t interfere with events.

Right of first refusal to parking spaces
“When the Unter-Gstaad car park was expanded in 2005,” said Romang, introducing a separate agenda item, “Eisbahn AG didn’t have enough funds to acquire its own parking spaces.” In the meantime, the financial situation of the organisation looks better and they want to invest their money in a meaningful way. The shareholders unanimously granted the board of directors the right of first refusal to purchase up to two parking areas within the next four years.

The annual financial statements closed with a profit of CHF 20,000, half as much as in 2017. According to cashier Jürg Horn, the reason for this was the complete renovation of the ticket office. Eisbahn AG currently shows a high level of equity on its balance sheet, with almost 85 percent.

Based on AvS/Sara Trailovic
Translated by Justine Hewson