The Zug artificial ice rink gets away with a «black eye»

The 2020/2021 season ended in January 2021. Elsewhere too, the Zug artificial ice rink lost its revenue. The city of Zug but also the EVZ helped so that the balance sheet of the Kunsteisbahn AG did not have to be deposited. The EVZ also always paid on time.

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In its annual report for the 2020/21 season, Kunsteisbahn Zug AG (KEB) reports 74 operating days for the outdoor facility. In the previous year (2019/2020) there were 163 of them. The important additional sources of income are also needed. Fun matches only took place until September 2020. The various general assemblies (Zuger Kantonalbank, WWZ) also fell through due to cantonal and federal guidelines in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. It is astonishing that the ice rink only posted a loss of 13 in the past year of operation’700 francs must be shown. The shareholders found out about this on Saturday at the General Assembly in the Legends Club in the Bossard Arena.

As always, the chairman of the artificial ice rink board of directors, Hans-Rudolf Wild, did not mince words in his report to the general assembly. The 2020/21 financial year, which is now being debated, “began with a certain degree of confidence”, but “it was over quickly”. In autumn 2020 there were three EVZ games with spectators. From then on, the EVZ audience could only enjoy the extraordinarily successful season with the second championship title from afar.

Given the aforementioned restrictions, it is not surprising that the KEB had to ask the city of Zug for a loan of CHF 200,000. The city of Zug is known to be the largest shareholder in Kunsteisbahn AG. André Wicki, who is the head of the finance department as city councilor, is a representative of the city executive on the KEB administrative board. In addition to this loan, there was another coronavirus loan that the ice rink had already taken out in the previous year. The two grants amounted to 420,000 francs. Without this financial support, the KEB would have had to go to the bankruptcy judge. In addition, the management introduced short-time work.

The EVZ always met its rental obligations in full

The chairman of the KEB board of directors, Hans-Rudolf Wild, also mentioned in his annual report that both EVZ AG and EVZ Gastro AG of the reigning Swiss champion always paid their rents on time and without any deductions. Wild said: “The EVZ has thus made a significant contribution to ensuring that the liquidity of Kunsteisbahn Zug AG remains secure.” The cooperation with the two EVZ companies had been very positive and extremely pleasant in the past few years, despite the difficult situation. Meanwhile, members of the large municipal council have had different experiences: In a debate held by the large municipal council of the city of Zug on August 31, 2021, the issue was a municipal contribution of CHF 250,000 for the Winter Universiade. This event is part of the ice hockey tournament in the Bossard Arena.

A big discussion then broke out in the municipal council, which was less about the grant and more about EV Zug. Local councilor Martin Iten (Alternative-Die Grünen) stated that this grant of 250,000 francs would do something good, “but in reality, a big ‘Batzeli’ is being pushed back to the EVZ”. Other municipal councils also took part in the said debate on the big “blow to the EVZ”. The glp parliamentarian Stefan W. Huber also worked hard at the end of August. He scourged the high ice rent for the Winter Universiade. This would be more than five times higher than that of the EVZ. Because the EVZ can rent the ice cream cheaper, the Kunsteisbahn AG has of course no interest in “dispute only one franc of the state-subsidized profit” from the EVZ. City councilor André Wicki, who is also on the EVZ board of directors, then tried to make it clear: “The KEB is set up for operation and maintenance, but not to market the Bossard arena. Marketing is therefore carried out by EVZ-Gastro AG. “

Such emotionally charged discussions may soon be a thing of the past. In his report to the General Assembly, Hans-Rudolf Wild writes: “As the reports of the city council could see, consideration is being given to transferring not only the facilities, but also the operation of these facilities to the EVZ group as a whole.” This in the course of the idea of ​​increasing the capacity of the Bossard Arena.

The natural dividend is suspended until further notice

Although Kunsteisbahn Zug AG only posted a loss of 13,700 francs for the 2020/21 operating year, the admission tickets issued as dividends in kind will no longer be in favor of the shareholders this year. As Wild notes, the payment of the natural dividend is “no longer possible for the time being”. Wild justified this measure by saying that “the outlook for the coming months is still uncertain.”