Meet & Match Brings Campus and Career Together

The career and job fair Meet & Match 2026 – powered by SPAR once again transformed the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol into a central meeting place for students, high school students, and companies.

From the moment you stepped onto the exhibition floor, one thing was clear: personal interaction was at the heart of the event. The booths were buzzing with activity, and in many places, in-depth conversations unfolded about entry opportunities, career paths, and specific job openings. The event was supported by strong partners such as SPAR, Sparkasse Kufstein, BORA, and the brand Hausverstand.

INSIGHTS, ORIENTATION, AND INITIAL CONTACTS

For many visitors, Meet & Match is an important step in their career planning. “I really love how many different companies are represented and how broad the subject areas are,” says Jasmin Graf, a student of business psychology. She finds the open discussions particularly valuable: they allow students to get an early sense of which jobs and industries might be a good fit for their degree program.

Pupils also took the opportunity to get an overview. Charlotta Noack from BG/BRG Kufstein notes: “It’s exciting to see what opportunities are out there—it really helps to get a first impression.” She therefore highly recommends the fair to anyone thinking about their future career.

NEW PERSPECTIVES BEYOND THE HORIZON

The experiences of Grete Gessler and Julia Tecklenburg, students in the Sports, Culture & Event Management degree program, demonstrate that Meet & Match also opens up new perspectives. In addition to traditional industries, unexpected options also came into focus. “We realized that interesting opportunities can arise even at companies outside our core field,” said Gessler. She added that the combination of marketing, organization, and practical application in particular opens up a wide range of career paths.

This broad access is also appreciated by companies. Alexander Friedrich, who is responsible for recruiting and employer branding at BORA, offers a positive assessment: The conversations are consistently high-quality, and interest is strong. He notes that the initiative shown by many students is particularly striking: “You can tell that they are actively reaching out to companies and want to get involved.”

The practical training offered at Kufstein University of Applied Sciences in Tyrol is also highlighted—a factor that makes the transition into professional life easier and enables dialogue on equal terms. Nikolaj Hofmaier, who is responsible for human resources development and training at SPAR, also emphasizes this point: He describes the practical experience that students bring to the table as “particularly valuable.” And he explains: “This makes the discussions interesting for us and shows that students can benefit directly from their experiences.”

NETWORKING WITH LONG-TERM IMPACT

For many companies, the focus is not on immediately filling open positions, but on building lasting connections. Hannes Widmann, Head of People & Culture at Sparkasse Kufstein, explains: “Our goal is to build relationships early on—concrete job opportunities often arise from these connections only a year or two later.” This long-term perspective makes Meet & Match an important platform for both sides.

The group of companies led by Mag. Kofler Vermögenstreuhand, which participated under the Hausverstand brand, also made extensive use of the fair. CEO Daniel Kühne emphasizes that internships, in particular, are in high demand. Thanks to the wide range of companies within the group, students can explore different fields and gain valuable insights.

In addition to traditional career counseling sessions, the fair also stood out for its diverse supporting program. At the professional headshot photo shoot hosted by Fotoschmiede Tirol, attendees had the opportunity to have professional portraits taken. Furthermore, the organizing team—supported by students from the Kufstein University of Applied Sciences—provided snacks and beverages to ensure that the discussions took place in a pleasant atmosphere.

PRE-OPENING IN PREPARATION FOR CAREER DAY

Even before the fair began, students and alumni were able to prepare specifically for the event: The pre-opening program featured online presentations on key career topics. Among other things, Florian Märzendorfer (FiP.S Founder & CEO) demonstrated how to make a strong impression in job interviews and how to approach salary negotiations with confidence.

Katja Andoura of Transped Europe GmbH shared insights on how to handle high-pressure situations and provided strategies for making clear decisions, maintaining emotional stability, and communicating with confidence—skills / competencies that are essential both in degree programs and in professional life.

OVERALL POSITIVE RESULTS

Meet & Match 2026 thus successfully builds on the success of previous years and reaffirms its status as a career springboard. Jennifer Könneker, BA, Alumni & Corporate Relations Expert at Kufstein University of Applied Sciences in Tyrol and organizer of the fair, sums up the event with satisfaction: “Meet & Match was once again very well received this year. Particularly encouraging is the high quality of the discussions—both students and companies are using the platform very effectively to network and develop concrete career opportunities.”

Links:

• Meet & Match | Event series