The technology behind major events: 24 Minutes with Jacques Baehler, Swisscom Events & Media Solutions

If everything works, nobody notices

In a packed stadium or during a global ceremony, the digital experience feels effortless: mobile tickets, turnstiles, payments, sharing photos and video, media workflows running live. Because connectivity is “invisible” when it works, it’s often treated as a technical detail. In reality, it’s one of the most fragile and most critical infrastructures of the entire event.

Jacques Baehler, Head of International Events at Swisscom Events & Media Solutions and an ICT expert with 20+ years of experience, puts it simply: what the public doesn’t see is the scale of people, processes, and cultures that must operate as one system — with near-zero tolerance for failure.

The real complexity is people, not cables

To frame the scale, Baehler points to “industry numbers”: for a top-tier global sports event, you can have tens of thousands of people across workforce and volunteers, and only a fraction of that machine is dedicated to the network. The challenge isn’t “how much tech,” it’s how much coordination: “different partners, different processes, teams from different countries, different cultures.”

Time pressure amplifies everything. Organizers often rent stadiums and want to minimize the days of venue exclusivity, which means only a few days to deploy an end-to-end infrastructure, sometimes with teams that have never worked together before. And there’s one non-negotiable rule: you can’t ask to delay an opening ceremony because the network is late.

The nightmare isn’t “just internet”

Baehler’s clearest example is a connectivity breakdown that starts before the audience even reaches their seats, when tickets live on phones and entry depends on the network. If connectivity fails, access fails, flows collapse, logistics break. Chaos.

So what can you do? There’s no magic trick, there’s discipline: resilience + rehearsals. “Plan the worst for the best.”

Redundancy, rehearsals, and truly simple processes

Redundancy is foundational: multiple routes, backups, alternatives. But Baehler highlights an operational paradox: even with two routes, the failure mode can be human. Under pressure, a team may troubleshoot the wrong line — and bring down the one that was still working.

That’s why he insists on:

• Rehearsals for multiple scenarios before the event.

• Super-clear processes with minimal, actionable documentation.

• Unambiguous labeling (his example: use colors instead of names and acronyms that can be misread).

It sounds basic. In live operations, simplicity is safety.

With hundreds of thousands of people: what’s priority #1?

Asked whether coverage, latency, security, or resilience comes first, Baehler answers: it’s a balance. Major events don’t happen for the first time, there are historical stats, usage patterns, known behaviors. But stakeholders differ dramatically: audience, media, broadcasters, VIPs, operational teams… “around 20 categories,” each with its own network footprint. Understanding those behaviors is what makes planning realistic and cost-effective.

AI as a “buddy”: faster correlation, better prevention, never the boss

In Baehler’s view, AI is becoming present across the entire lifecycle:

• Planning: using historical data to estimate demand and find the “best fit” (avoiding expensive over-provisioning).

• Configuration: standardizing device setup, reducing errors, running consistency checks.

• Operations: correlating logs and metrics for anomaly detection and early warnings.

But he’s firm on one point: “AI will never run the show.” It helps, accelerates, suggests — it remains an operational companion, not the director.

Non-technical risks: supply chains can decide your fate

Baehler shares a 2021 experience: devices were ordered but didn’t arrive on time due to the Covid-era component shortage. The fix was a worldwide scramble to collect equipment and build a workable solution from a “melting pot” of thousands of devices.

The lesson is blunt: event tech depends on very physical realities — logistics, procurement, manufacturing timelines — and resilience must be built there too.

The next standard: simulation, digital-twin logic, and centralized operations

Looking ahead 2–3 years, Baehler points to a clear direction: simulate before you install. Model demand, flows, and deliveries; register devices in large databases; pre-configure at scale; then, once hardware is installed, “handshake” virtual configuration with physical devices. The goal: save time and reduce surprises, especially when venue access windows are short.

Another shift may be organizational: increasingly centralized Network Operation Centers, potentially running multiple events rather than a single dedicated command center per event. It’s a move from isolated operations to continuous, shared control.

A final question that applies beyond events

Baehler ends with a broader reflection on the fear of being replaced. His practical rule: always ask what your added value is and use AI “as a tool, not as a friend.” And, he adds, governance matters: technology moves fast, but trust requires clear rules and accountability.

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This interview was recorded in connection with “Beyond Human Limits: When Technology Meets the Future of Sport” (House of Switzerland Italia, Milan), presented by Swisscom Broadcast.