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According to the tournament director, Brennwald, the decision to cancel the Swiss Indoors at the beginning of the summer “avoided a mid-size catastrophe”. The organizers should have responded almost every day. Up to three days before the start of the tournament, they could have expected up to 5,000 spectators per day. On October 21, the canton of Basel-Stadt banned major events with more than 1,000 visitors. And since Thursday, no more spectators should have been allowed into the St. Jakobshalle.
Unlike the Swiss Indoors, the tournament was played in Vienna. There the organizers planned in the huge Wiener Stadthalle with at least 3,000 spectators. In the last days before the start of the tournament, organizationally everything went haywire due to the new regulations. In the end, the daily capacity was 1,500 spectators: 500 VIP with daytime tickets plus 500 spectators each for an afternoon and evening session.
Vienna had to change every day
But it is not just the number of spectators that makes it difficult to organize a large event in times of a pandemic. Herwig Straka, Vienna Tournament Director, can tell you a thing or two about it. Only two days before the start of the tournament he learned that he was allowed to operate a VIP area and still sell food. “Thank goodness, the ban on gastronomy was relaxed shortly before the tournament. Last Wednesday we dismantled the food stalls, a day later we were allowed to rebuild everything. “
In the end, all of this cost Straka a smile: “We have been adapting our plans every week for months, and finally every day.” How much is this? Straka does not want to and cannot name numbers: “But unlike the previous year, which was very successful, this time we will write numbers in bright red. Without an audience, it would definitely have been cheaper than 1,000 now. But having a good atmosphere in the room is worth a lot for the sponsors and, above all, for the players. I also see the tournament as an investment. Novak Djokovic should be able to imagine how it feels when the town hall is full. I hope you find it that way and that you were not in Vienna for the last time. “
The rejection of Basel cost a lot
In Basel, early cancellation was also due to financial considerations. But the Swiss Indoors are also suffering financially. “Our loss is in the low million-digit range,” says tournament president Roger Brennwald. It is estimated at two million Swiss francs. “With the early decision to quit the tournament, we were able to minimize follow-up costs and avoid a much larger shortfall on the bill,” says Brennwald.
A tournament without spectators would have cost a lot more, even if the ATP allowed large cuts in prizes and taxes and Vienna, for example, did not pay (almost) exit guarantees. The people of Basel did not want to do this “milk churn bill” (quote from Brennwald). Brennwald: “A tournament without spectators doesn’t pay off, certainly not in Basel. I show respect for Vienna. I will allow the organizer to make ends meet with the tournament thanks to political and financial support. “
The creators of Swiss Indoors do not assume that the cancellation of 2020 will have negative effects for the future. Brennwald: “In special times, as we are currently experiencing, we recommend that you not only think about your own advantages. The focus is on health, everything else is secondary. The Swiss Indoors winners list also reflects the great reputation of our tournament. So we have nothing to fear. “
