In his welcome address at the start of the busy programme for the day, Bern's Canton Councillor Andreas Rickenbacher put forward the following ideas: "Quality is a precious asset that must be nurtured: it takes time, peace and quiet, thought, experience, technical expertise and a passionate commitment to whatever is being produced. Quality includes overarching values like reliability, environmental awareness, social responsibility, stability, precision and a willingness to innovate." These are also the guiding principles by which the Apostroph Group conducts its day-to-day business. That is why it was a Gold Sponsor for the event and had its own stand at the venue.