Q1: A few days ago, Cankarjev dom hosted the gala award ceremony of the media house Delo for its Personality of the Year. What was your role, and how did you produce the event? What was the key challenge you faced?
Delo’s Personality of the Year is an event we have been creating hand in hand with the team at Delo for several years. My task was to curate a programme presenting the nominees and creating a meaningful accompanying programme in the form of musical performances, keynote speeches and the announcement of the Personality of the Year. Alongside the content, we needed to prepare and execute the scenography, i.e. the technical side, which includes scenery and visuals, preparing all the technical equipment that such an event requires and setting the stage within the Grand Reception Hall, which proved quite a challenge. There are distinct characteristics of each space and hall, which we must consider when designing the scenography and preparing the content to ensure a symbiosis between the space, stage, and audience. Such challenges delight me as an architect, as they always carry creative potential. After all preparations beforehand, we needed to connect the technical side with the content at pre-event rehearsals before we could execute the event flawlessly.
Q2: With seven stages and cutting-edge technical equipment, Cankarjev dom offers a plethora of options for any event type – from government ceremonies, concerts, and musical plays to congresses. As an event producer and scenographer, which halls have you had the privilege to host an event at? Which is your favourite and why?
In my three-decade-long career, I have hosted events in all the venue’s halls and on several occasions. Each has its personality and versatility, catering to specific events or art performances. My favourite has to be Gallus Hall, the pinnacle of Slovenia’s offering, thanks to its size and supreme technical equipment. Without it, stage art in Slovenia would be deprived of the touch of magic that can be created only on the stage of Gallus Hall. After all these years, the hall is still the best technically-equipped hall in Slovenia with its stunning organ.
Q3: Cankarjev dom is hailed as a prestigious venue for distinguished Slovenian corporations that commemorate anniversaries, host end-of-year parties or stage award ceremonies here. What are the venue’s most noticeable advantages for event organisers?
The advantages undoubtedly include various capacities offered within the venue, supported by cutting-edge technical equipment and tech support. The venue’s team runs like a well-oiled machine, and thanks to their experience with a plethora of events, their help is invaluable to event organisers. In addition, the venue’s accessibility is essential for the technical team, performers and, of course, visitors. The existing infrastructure is undoubtedly an advantage for all event organisers.

Q4: What type of events should include a set producer and scriptwriter, and why?
Any event that is too demanding for the client in terms of organisation and any event the client aspires to organise professionally. Events are quintessential communicational tools, but they require know-how in preparation, choosing the location, technical competencies, a tonne of creativity and mastery of the execution itself. That reminds me of a rhetorical question: should you hire an architect for every new building? What we have as professionals is invaluable know-how gained through extensive studying, analysing, experiencing and learning from mistakes.
Q5: Your list of past references does not include only plays or events that you organised for clients but also your own projects. What is your source of inspiration when producing your plays and shows? Do you have any new projects in the making?
I am inspired by everything that surrounds me, that I am a part of, and which has a reciprocal effect on me. One of my guiding principles is that I never stop asking myself about matters that will never give us a simple answer. I am currently fully occupied with creating events. Through the years, I have nurtured excellent relationships with many clients with whom I regularly cooperate and write success stories. Otherwise, my next project is already in the works. It will be realised when the right moment comes.

Q6: At every event or show, visitors come with certain expectations. You likely begin planning an event with the idea of exceeding their expectations, touching their minds with the content and keeping them pondering about the event for days to come. How do you achieve that, and what are the fundamental principles you build on?
You must get to know and understand the client and the target audience. This all-important dialogue helps establish an understanding of the interlocutor, allowing us to set the guidelines and meet expectations. Then, the creative work starts, which I approach the same way as my theatre work. Often, I must convince a client into something different than what they have in mind, which I can only do with excellent argumentation. Still, it gets easier with years when one has gained greater trust from clients based on past references. When I plan an event, I never consider exceeding any expectations or making an event that will be discussed later. My focus is on the event only. A satisfied client and audience reflect a job well done and serve as the best possible reference. The foundation and peculiarity of my work is that I am a one-man band. For most events, I ensure both the content and programme as well as the scenography, technicalities and financial framework. I first envisage every event, show or celebration in my mind. I foresee every change in my mind before entering a hall or setting foot on the stage. For me, this is of utmost importance due to the time constraints of most events where you enter a space in the morning, and it has to be ready by the evening.

Q7: We constantly discuss sustainability and reducing our negative impact on the environment and society. What is the case with events? Do you use eco-friendly materials, scenography or costumes?
Indeed, as much as possible. We still rely on materials available on the market. When organising events, we can thus only respond to what the market supplies. Notwithstanding, the awareness about sustainability is incredibly high in accompanying activities such as hosting guests or catering.
Q8: Which event you worked on in 2024 made a lasting impression on you and made you particularly proud?
In 2024, we hosted several events that left pleasant memories, mostly because of the splendid partnerships I had with clients, where we established trust. This mutual trust enabled us to execute the event as I envisaged it and provided a unique experience for the client and the audience. I would certainly highlight the resounding event BTC 70 Years, a special event – a theatre play – for Telekom Slovenija and a concert for Triglav Insurance. Another soul-soothing event was the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the National and University Library.
Q9: Can you share three things you should never forget when planning an event?
Only three? Unfortunately, event planning is not that simple😊. But, I can highlight the following: be aware of your competencies and limitations, ask what you do not know and find the best possible coworkers. You can learn a hundred things from them that you need to know to master event organising.
Learn more about Matej Filipčič’s works here.