back

Meeting Place Berlin - media coverage CIM 09/2005

25.08.2005

Fullspeed for Berlin

"Berlins Image is much too serious, but Berlin is the hottest city in Europe, "enthuses Geneva-based planner Jeanne Catala. And she spoke for many of the 208 planners from 15 countries who attended the first Meeting Place Berlin from 29 June to 2 July 2005. "Berlin presented it-self as Berlin, "concluded Bernward Geier of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements. "Everything was organised professionally and with lots of charm."
At the opening of Berlin´s Olympic Stadium guests´ hearts were thumping when they felt the driving beat of the Beat´n Blow BrassBand booming through the amazing Stadium. Lord Mayor Klaus Wowereit got them in the mood for the coming three days: "The city is marked by an atmosphere of change. We want you to see the city from its best side!" In 2004 Berlin attracted 6.2 million attendees to 80,000 events. The Meet Professionals Day took place in Berlins Congress Centre, 15 dates lasting 15 minutes each had been arranged beforehand, five were assigned. "The day was very intense and constructive," said a content Annemarie Ringelmann of the Association of German Engineers. "Even if the concept was quite unusual." "Here you have buyers sitting in booths, while suppliers run from date to date" explains Heike Mahmoud, head of meetings, congresses and incentives with the host, Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH (BTM). The Meet Facilities Day featured meeting centres and hotels: The International Congress Centre Berlin (ICC), axica Congress and Meeting Centre at the Brandenburg Gate, Estrel Hotel & Convention Centre, InterContinental and the Maritim Hotel, opened in August and still a building site in July.
Meet Berlin Day had some surprises up its sleeve. After boarding a comfortable coach for a tour of the city, bewildered guests were then bundled off intoTrabis which they had to drive themselves on aTrabi Safari. "That´s really funny," Fred Diniz, Vice President Meetings and Special Events of Active International New York, repeated several times while the convoy rode through Berlin. After that the journey continued by boat on the river Spree.
And attendees got an impression of the culture offerings of "Fat B" as Berlin is lovingly called - in the social programme: clubbing, classic open air, top cuisine, and the Blue Man Group, giving its only show outside the USA in Berlin and effectively seeing off visitors with a final drum roll until the next Meeting Place Berlin. BTM director Peter Nerger is convinced: "Berlin has won new friends, who will take their impressions of the city with them and return with their customers."

released in CIM (Conference & Incentive Management) No. 09/2005

back