Bauerfeind customer event in Milan
“The Olympics are part of our DNA”
Over 30 selected Bauerfeind business partners from nine countries met in Milan last week, where the Winter Olympics will open on February 6th. What unites these top customers is their passion for movement, performance, and the fascination of the Olympics. Just days before the start of the world's largest sporting event, the gathering, thanks to its distinguished guests, offered exclusive insights into the progress of preparations.
Host Rainer Berthan, CEO of Bauerfeind AG, said in his welcoming address: “The Olympic Games offer us the opportunity to collaborate with the best: the best doctors, the best athletes. We gain many new ideas and a great deal of inspiration for the next generation of products we are developing.” He expressed his “utmost respect” for the Milano/Cortina Organizing Committee (MICO), which was represented by several members at the conference, for this organizational masterpiece of hosting the Olympic Games at six locations. For Bauerfeind, this means there will be teams in Milan, Livigno, and Cortina d'Ampezzo , as well as in Antholz, Predazzo, and Bormio. More than 40 Bauerfeind employees will ensure the smooth setup and dismantling of the stations and the on-site orthotic and prosthetic service, which will operate in shifts. In total, more than 6,000 products were shipped from Zeulenroda to Italy for this purpose.
Professor Giuseppe Massazza is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the 2026 Winter Olympics. As CMO, he is responsible for the entire medical organization, which, due to the geographical spread (Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino-South Tyrol), must be coordinated across six Olympic Villages. The professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation provided insights into the decentralized infrastructure and the individual outpatient clinics. In addition to the high quality of care, the concept of "legacy" is particularly important to the CMO: This means that the Olympics create lasting, positive benefits for the people in the regions – specifically, the Italian healthcare system should be strengthened in the long term through investments in modern infrastructure and medical technology.
CMO Giuseppe Massazza presented a flag bearing the inscription of the 2026 Winter Olympics to our CEO, Rainer Berthan. He emphasized the high standards placed on the Olympic Games in general, and therefore also on the level of medical care. The CMO praised Bauerfeind, stating: "Bauerfeind is top-class, and therefore our collaboration is indispensable."
Rainer Berthan expressed his gratitude for this special gift, saying: “Our participation in these Winter Olympic Games is not only a great joy, but the Olympics are also part of our DNA and thus of our understanding of how we develop new ideas for the future and maintain our position as an innovation leader.”
A highlight of the conference was the interview with Valentina Marchei, a former Italian figure skater. Carlo Sabato, General Manager of Bauerfeind Italia, and Fiorella Buzzanca, Marketing Manager , spoke with the Milanese woman entertaining and enjoyable above Her remarkable sporting career: Valentina Marchei competed in the singles event at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and then in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in pairs skating with Ondřej Hotárek.
The 39-year-old spoke with great emotion about her Olympic experiences and vividly conveyed what it means for athletes to participate in the Games. "It's not just about medals, but about memories, about life in the village, about encounters you never forget." Valentina Marchei spoke candidly about the importance of trust in one's partner, coaches, doctors, and equipment. With her intense style and special anecdotes, she captivated the audience, and everyone in the room felt what it truly means to be part of the Olympic world.
Here, guests who have traveled from afar pose for a group photo with mascot Tina, as well as Rainer Berthan and Kristin John (Regional Director Western Europe & Americas ): These five customers had traveled from Iceland, Denmark, Canada, Great Britain, and Brazil. In total, more than 30 customers attended the event in Milan. They also came from Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Mongolia.
