On passion, trust, and the special feeling of Ascona
Frank Kirschke is an entrepreneur and has been playing polo since 2015. In conversation, he shares how the sport caught him «completely unprepared and then forever», why polo creates networks that no conference room can replace, and why the Polo Club Ascona is not an advertising space for him, but a community.
Some passions you don't choose—they find you. For Frank Kirschke, it was polo. What began as curiosity turned into a connection that shapes him personally and professionally today. We spoke with him about attitude, networks, and the special feeling of Ascona.
What connects him to Ascona
«Polo caught me the way very few things in life do—completely unprepared and then forever. I came as a curious spectator, and at some point I was in the saddle myself. What keeps me is not just the sport. It is this interplay of discipline, connection with nature, and a community that lives by its values—rather than just talking about them. In business, I appreciate that people come together here who don't need to explain quality. You simply understand it.»
Polo as a network—what no conference room can achieve
«Polo achieves something that no conference room in the world can: genuine relaxation with genuine attention. After a match, you stand at the edge of the field, the wind comes from Lake Maggiore, and suddenly you are talking to someone about an idea that becomes a project three months later. That sounds like coincidence – but it isn't. It's the right people in the right place.»
Visibility with emotional quality
«Visibility is one thing. But what really counts is the emotional quality of that visibility. When my name or my brand appears in the context of Ascona, it is within a framework that stands for style, reliability, and passion. That is not an advertising space – that is a statement. And customers who understand that are precisely the ones I want to work with in the long term.»
Precision, trust, team spirit, and passion
“Absolutely – and polo has shown me how inseparable these four are. In the saddle, you immediately notice if one is missing. You can have the fastest horse and still lose if the trust in the animal is missing. It's the same in business. I work with people, in a team. And I think you can feel that.”
Which people he reaches through the club
“People who do not make decisions based on high-gloss brochures, but rather on the basis of encounters, impressions, and passion. Entrepreneurs, creators, people with genuine taste. This is not a question of money – it is a question of attitude. And precisely this attitude can be found in Ascona again.”
What makes the Polo Club Ascona special
“Ascona itself is already a statement. The location, the light, the lake – that's no coincidence. And the club knows how to use this setting without overloading it. There's no artificiality here. What I experience is real team spirit, real sport, real people. That's rarer than you might think.”
His advice to future partners
“Do it – but do it out of conviction, not out of calculation. Those who come to take will take little. Those who come to be part of something will get back more than they expected. The Polo Club Ascona is not an advertising medium. It is a community. And those who have felt that once will come back.”
A concluding thought
“When I think of the Polo Club Ascona? Home game on foreign soil. Every time I arrive there, it feels like arriving – in the best sense. That is rare. That is Ascona.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Frank Kirschke?
Frank Kirschke is an entrepreneur and has been an active polo player since 2015. He has many personal and business connections to the Polo Club Ascona.
What role does polo play for business networks?
For Frank Kirschke, polo creates something that no conference room can offer: real relaxation with genuine attention. Encounters and ideas emerge at the edge of the field, which later turn into projects.
Why is visibility in Ascona particularly important to him?
Because it has an emotional quality. When his brand appears in the context of Ascona, it stands within a framework of style, reliability, and passion—for him, not an advertising space, but a statement.
What makes the Polo Club Ascona special to him?
The location itself with its setting, light, and lake, which the club utilizes without overwhelming it. Add to that genuine team spirit, real sport, and authentic people, without artificiality.
What does he advise companies that want to become partners?
To do it out of conviction, not out of calculation. Those who only want to take will take little with them; those who want to become part of the community will get back more than they expected.