One big Christmas Family
“Lights On is the most beautiful moment of the year for me. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces and hoping it will last for the next few weeks, is something very special.” When Sven Haimhof talks about Christmas markets, his eyes sparkle like Christmas ornaments. So it is no coincidence that “Mr Christmas” in the CP team is responsible for the Christmas markets in and around the URW shopping centres.
“Last Christmas” in summer
With no less than five large markets – in Bochum’s Westfield Ruhr Park, Recklinghausen’s Palais Vest, Leipzig’s Paunsdorf Center, Munich’s Pasing Arcaden and the Westfield Centro Oberhausen – as well as the small but fine market in the Riem Arcaden, it’s not an easy job: “For me, after the Christmas market is before the Christmas market: when the last truck rolls out of the yard in January, the planning for the coming year already begins,” he says. So for him it’s Christmas all year round and this has consequences: “I already listen to Christmas carols in July. And in fact, the Christmas tree at home was already up at the beginning of November this year”. We, the CP team, are well used to it: Sven’s playlist is legendary and it brings results:
Since 2012, Sven Haimhof has been in charge of the URW Christmas markets, which enchant countless visitors with their festive atmosphere every year. One in particular has grown close to his heart: “Westfield Centro hosts our largest and therefore most elaborate market. Most of the exhibitors have been coming for many years so that a real Christmas market family has been established there.”
