Shhh! Top Secret! On our BCO tour from Gendarmenmarkt to Potsdamer Platz, we've climbed roofs, met 007, and entered the fourth dimension, all just to prove that there are no limits to where meetings and conventions might be held in Berlin.
An extraordinary event begins with an extraordinary location. To this end, our BCO team regularly searches for clues across Berlin’s many districts to identify (new) spaces in rear courtyards, former industrial sites, and other places steeped in history that are perfect for conferences, conventions, and other events. This time, we stayed in the historic Mitte district around Gendarmenmarkt and Potsdamer Platz and made some discoveries.
Our discovery tour has a seemingly inconspicuous start on Gendarmenmarkt in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, just across from the Konzerthaus. This listed building, erected in 1903 for the Prussian export bank, happens to house the 290 m² Leibniz Hall. Designed to impress, this historic banking hall holds up to 280 guests features stone pillars, decorative tile work, and outstanding views of the Gendarmenmarkt. Glass partitions allow for flexible arrangements of the light-flooded room and connections to other conference spaces in the building. Riding the continuously running, open paternoster lift to the Einstein Hall was another experience no longer commonly available. Einstein Hall is covered entirely in wood panelling and will definitely impress the 130 guests it can accommodate. And there is no let-up in the enthusiasm as we finally make our way to the conservatory and rooftop terrace with panoramic views over the city centre.
Another impressive location on Gendarmenmarkt is this restaurant which has featured on the US series "Homeland" and has been booked time and again by filmmakers and photographers. It's no wonder: the modern Karlsson Penthouse stands six storeys above the Brasserie am Gendarmenmarkt, as an exclusive event location with great views of the city centre for up to 350 guests. With the light wood accents and clear lines of its Scandinavian-inspired design, it is the modern counterpart to the brasserie on the ground floor where the elegant Art Deco furnishings take guests straight away to the Paris of the 1920s. In addition to the building's picturesque courtyard, bar, and bistro, event organisers can also book a separate salon for up to 70 guests. Tip: It is also possible to book this venue together with the neighbouring Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. The two buildings are connected.
Our tour once again takes to historic premises: Deutsche Telekom's main office in the capital, located in the former Imperial Telegraph Office where the first telephone conversation in Germany was held on 26 May 1877. Some 140 years later, the atrium offers the perfect space for up to 750 guests to attend events, conferences, and conventions. Of course, everyone has their own phone in their pockets now. But Germany's largest, 360° full HD screen is only available here. It offers organisers completely new options for 21st century communication. In addition, the meeting rooms can be illuminated and staged to reflect corporate colours with just the touch of a button: a multimedia event location that takes us through the history of communication to the age of modern conventions.
In the middle of Friedrichstraße, the doors open for us to an event space with Russian roots. In the Russian House of Science and Culture, a state institution of the Russian Federation, we enter a world that has been introducing the culture and language of Russia to its visitors for 33 years. In four exhibition rooms with up to 280 m², a cinema and concert hall for around 500 visitors, and several small conference rooms, event planners can give their event a distinct cultural touch here. The size of the building itself is impressive: covering 29,000 m² over seven floors, the Russian House is hidden unexpectedly between high-end boutiques and haute couture in Berlin's Mitte district. Tip: the Russian House is currently drawing in fans with pelmeni, borscht, and blini served in its small canteen and its 2018 World Cup Fan Centre.
For all organisers with a secret mission, we have a very special tip: located directly on Potsdamer Platz, Germany's only museum devoted to espionage offers an insight into the methods used by agents and intelligence services over the centuries. But it's not just tourists who can come here to learn how to decode messages or cross a field of laser beams. The James Bond Corner welcomes organisers for exclusive events with up to 200 guests. Smaller meetings and incentive events are also possible in the Hacker Lounge, on the laser course, or meeting rooms for up to 100 guests. (Guaranteed not to be bugged!) A guided tour through the exhibition rooms is obligatory for events at the museum. Tip: invite your guests to a meeting in the Global Operations Room. That's sure to sound really important!
Then take a look at our Meeting Guide Berlin. Whether it's an incentive, conference or corporate event - we'll be happy to help you plan it! Simply write to us at: convention@visitBerlin.de. We will be happy to assist you with the organization at any time!
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