\n English Department <\/a><\/p>\nMarcel Hunziker, 44, was not raised with an entrepreneurial spirit. Growing up, his father often tempered his ambitions about what life might hold.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father had the mindset that our family just \u2018does not do\u2019 certain things. Things like going to university or starting a business were things my father thought we couldn\u2019t, or shouldn\u2019t, do,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
As a shy child, he often felt limited. When imagining his future, Hunziker remembers often thinking to himself, \u201cOh, how can I possibly do something like that?\u201d<\/p>\n
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As a shy child, Marcel Hunziker often doubted what was possible for him. He would later become the first in his family to attend university. <\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Marcel Hunziker <\/p>\n
He grew up in the countryside between Bern and Olten, the son of a Swiss father and an Italian mother, who worked hard to integrate into Swiss society at a time when being foreign was often seen as something to be ashamed of. He did not grow up speaking Italian, his mother\u2019s native language, because she believed integrating into Swiss-German culture was deeply important.<\/p>\n
Hunziker was the first person in his family to attend university: he studied history, English literature and linguistics in Bern. \u201cEducation changed everything for me,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
It was through his friendships at secondary school and university that he encountered people with perspectives very different from those he had grown up with. And these connections helped him realise how much was possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was during this time that I thought, \u2018I can actually do the things I have dreamed of\u2019. Because of this, I know how education can really empower people,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Classroom to concert halls\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was his sister, Claudia, who sparked his passion for music and inspired him to start a career in the music business. In the early 2010s, she was a huge fan of the Belgian singer-songwriter Milow. <\/p>\n
Marcel, who at the time was working as a secondary school teacher, saw an opportunity to bring smaller artists to Bern. By providing relatively unknown musicians a place to stay and paying for some of their meals, he was able to organise intimate live performances in the city and help these artists reach new audiences abroad.<\/p>\n
In 2013, what began as a small passion project grew into PlayLIVE#Bern. With na\u00efve optimism and persistence, Hunziker organised a concert for Belgian singer Jan Kerckhofs at the small tapas bar Volver, without knowing whether anyone would even show up. Later that year, he organised a performance by Tom Vanstiphout, the guitarist for Milow at the Kleine Schanze park.<\/p>\n
But he soon realised that if he wanted to build a name for himself, he would have to leave Bern. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to talk to middlemen. I wanted to go directly to the source and work with artists and their managers globally,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
Taking risks<\/p>\n
It was not Hunziker\u2019s original plan to move to London permanently. But after six weeks, he knew he would stay. \u201cI realised I had become unhappy in Switzerland. I had been teaching for over a decade and I no longer saw the long-term perspective it could give me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
As he began to establish himself and his business, he quickly realised that being Swiss was not necessarily an asset. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything, people see you as privileged, and that is not the way to connect with everyday people. It became an insecurity of mine to be perceived as privileged when I am not,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The entrepreneur tried to distance himself from his nationality and its associated stereotypes. Slow, safe and secure \u2013 the safety net of having a Swiss passport \u2013 are traits that Hunziker says hinder an individual\u2019s potential. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe typical Swiss person would say to me, \u2018It\u2019s so cool that you are taking such a risk, but in the worst-case scenario you can always return to Switzerland if it doesn\u2019t work out.\u2019 I think taking a risk with a safety net isn\u2019t really taking a risk,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Swiss values, global success<\/p>\n
Before leaving for London, Hunziker felt frustrated with Switzerland\u2019s lack of entrepreneurial spirit and what he saw as its slow-moving, risk-averse mentality.<\/p>\n
But distance from Switzerland has also changed his views on his own identity. There are some Swiss characteristics he says he is proud to embody: \u201cMy work ethic, precision and extreme obsession with quality are very Swiss traits that have brought me very far. I think these values resonate with people globally \u2013 especially with the best of the best in the UK music industry. These are unifying traits among people who do great business. In this sense, being Swiss is a superpower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those qualities also helped shape the reputation of Playliveartist. Five years after registering his company in London, Hunziker experienced a \u201cfull-circle moment\u201d \u2013 many of the people he connected with, both successfully and unsuccessfully, as a na\u00efve concert organiser in Bern are now his clients. \u201cI want people to say, \u2018It was a great experience working with them. And they were kind and empathetic, too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
About Playliveartist <\/p>\n
Playliveartist is a London-based company specialising in direct-to-fan digital advertising in the music industry. The company works with artists, venues, promoters and management agencies across markets including the UK, Ireland, United States, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy.<\/p>\n
Playliveartist focuses on highly specialised digital campaigns tailored to different music markets and audiences. The company employs digital specialists and consultants who understand the culture and behaviour of music fans across a variety of international regions.<\/p>\n
The business of human connection<\/p>\n
Despite AI transforming key parts of the music industry, Hunziker believes audiences are increasingly seeking more authentic, human experiences in response to digital saturation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen something is done online with ease, it becomes less interesting,\u201d Hunziker says. \u201cPeople want to see artists with exceptional raw talent \u2013 artists who can really sing and perform live.\u201d<\/p>\n
He believes this reflects a wider shift in the music industry and that audiences are slowly becoming disenchanted with digital-only moments and increasingly want more personal, authentic experiences with artists and music.<\/p>\n
![\"Playliveartist](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Playlivehouse.png\")
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Playliveartist House, a creative space designed to bring artists and audiences together. <\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Marcel Hunziker <\/p>\n
That belief is also reflected in the newly launched \u201cPlayliveartist House\u201d, located in London Fields in the east of the capital. Hunziker describes it as a \u201cblank canvas\u201d creative space, a fan and music hub designed to bring artists closer to their audiences. At its heart is a piano that features prominently in social media videos, where performers play as fans gather around and sing along. The Playliveartist House hosts album launches, fan meet-ups, workshops and listening sessions, bringing artists and fans together in an intimate setting. Hunziker hints that several secret gigs are planned for later this year.<\/p>\n
One recent \u201cactivation\u201d, as Hunziker calls it, was held for British indie-pop artist Nieve Ella, whose image was painted in a large mural across the shutters of the building. On a recent video post on Nieve Ella\u2019s Instagram page, one user wrote, \u201cI need to experience this live\u201d, an indication that the desire for live events is strong, even for smaller artists.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Playlivehouse2.png.jpg\")
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A mural of British indie-pop artist Nieve Ella adorns the shutters of Playliveartist House during one of the venue\u2019s events. <\/p>\n
Photo courtesy of Marcel Hunziker <\/p>\n
In many ways, the Playliveartist House is a return to the intimate small-venue culture Hunziker first tried to build years ago in Bern.<\/p>\n
Maintaining connection \u2013 from a distance<\/p>\n
The entrepreneur remains connected to Switzerland via the many friendships he has built throughout his life, as well as through the venues he once worked with. What is his favourite venue in his home canton? \u201cBierh\u00fcbeli \u2013 I feel deeply connected to the venue and the organisers. I try to visit them every time I return home,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
After nearly a decade in London, listening to the HeuteMorgen programme on Swiss public radio SRF and the BBC\u2019s Global News Podcast has become part of his morning routine, connecting him to Switzerland while grounding him in his new home. <\/p>\n
For now, he has no plans to return to Switzerland: \u201cMy biggest achievement is my own independence and the independence of my company. I am proud of myself. I know what I would be missing out on if I were still in Switzerland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edited by Samuel Jaberg\/sb<\/p>\n
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