Spotlight on … Susanne Zehntner, Head of Venue Administration & Sustainability, Austria

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

“Things will all become clear in the end”. This advice came from my mum and would annoy me when I was young. But it turned out that she was (almost) always right. You very often don’t see the sense of things immediately, but usually do in time.

What recent podcast would you recommend and why?

“Frauenfragen” which means something like “Women’s Issues”. In the podcast male celebrities are asked the kind of  questions which are normally put to women on the red carpet, such as “what brand is your suit” or “who is taking care of your kids tonight”. The men are not used to these kind of questions what makes it funny to listen to. It highlights how outdated the mindset of many people still is on the classic division of roles of men and women in our society.

If you could time travel, where would you go?

I would go back at least 20 years to get the chance to spend some more time with my parents. They both died very early and being a teenager by myself often brings up questions about my childhood which nobody can answer for me anymore. Although they’ve been gone for a while I still miss them a lot.

What work achievement are you most proud of and why?

To initiate, develop and implement sustainable practices at our venue in Vienna!  Creating greater awareness for CSR topics inside and outside RX is important to me. We have already made good progress with initiatives such as our Green Meetings certification, ‘Healthy Venue’ accreditation and Austrian Ecolabel. As one of the largest event locations in Austria we are aware of the impact and influence we can have in the local vicinity and our environment – in a good and a bad way! With every decision we make we keep sustainability in mind. We are far away from perfect but we have made real improvements over the last few years and are proud of what we have achieved so far.

What do you enjoy most about working in events?

The variety! Every event and every client is different - different set ups, different clients and different conditions mean different daily challenges. I have been in  the event industry for more than 20 years and I am still asked questions that have never have been asked before. When the unexpected happens, that is what brings you out of your comfort zone and makes work fun!

What attracted you to work at RX?

Working for one of the biggest event organizers in a location where we also managed the venue is both a challenge and a great opportunity. My daily work as Head of Venue Management brings many unforeseeable issues ensuring that every day different. Not feeling bored after 21 years with RX shows that I definitely made the right decision!