Every fifth event in Berlin is organised by an association, and modern conference and congress formats are becoming increasingly popular. The new Berlin Convention Office service page will, in future, support associations with online training, tips and creative ideas.
Names like ADAC, DFB and DRK will be well known to many in Germany – and the list of German associations is very long indeed: According to the German Association Forum, there are currently around 15,000 associations in Germany, of which 1,500 are based in Berlin – and the number is rising. Gritt Kalkutschke-Herzberg, Senior Marketing Manager at visitBerlin’s Berlin Convention Office, knows that the capital is popular with associations. The reason: “Associations want to be where policies are made and where many members are based,” says the expert for association congresses. And so it is not surprising that associations, with a share of 22 percent, are the absolute frontrunners in the Berlin MICE market. The fact that more and more modern and innovative conference formats are replacing tried and tested event procedures has now led to a new online service page for associations being set up.
With the launch of the new service page, the Berlin Convention Office supports target group-specific associations in successful and innovative event planning. Tips for new formats such as Fuckup Nights, Mobile Reporting and Graphic Recording are also included and reflect exactly the breath of fresh air that associations currently want, according to a survey. “In addition to classic formats such as trade fairs, congresses and conferences, new event formats are becoming increasingly popular,” says Kalkutschke-Herzberg. From online invitations and digital participant management to communications and social media presence, associations more often than ever want to move away from frontal formats and, instead, use the latest event technology to attract new members and better integrate existing ones. “Today, an association congress having a modern focus is the be-all and end-all for a well networked event,” explains the contact person for associations at the Berlin Convention Office, who is also very enthusiastic about the new trends and tools. But what is a Fuckup Night exactly?
Fuckup Nights are about association members reporting on their defeats and flops in order to share negative experiences and to learn from failure – according to the saying that a problem shared is a problem halved. And once the night is over, associations can start afresh the next day with a Wake Up Performance – with live performances or games providing new energy. But that’s not all – the new association service page also contains numerous more event trends for associations and organisers. And Gritt Kalkutschke-Herzberg promises: “There will always be further new information on the site”.
In addition to tips and trends on event planning in Berlin, the new online platform also offers a wealth of valuable information on data protection, software systems and member registration programs. In the future, there will even be target group-specific webinars and online training courses for associations. “Our new platform for associations is not static – it will always grow with new input, training courses and helpful forms and checklists for organising association events,” Kalkutschke-Herzberg explains.
Will the new conference formats be well received? The expert is certain of it: “Associations in Germany and Berlin must stay on the ball in order to keep their members and attract new ones”. All the same, a good 5,600 new associations have emerged in the last 30 years, some with more than 20 million members and association congresses with up to 50,000 participants. In short: We are looking forward to the next events in Berlin – our team will be happy to assist you with planning and implementation!
Take advantage of our team’s know-how and contacts for your next association congress in the capital. From looking for the right hotel and choosing the perfect location to arranging service partners – we’ll help you with the planning and implementation and put you in touch with our city’s event experts. Whether conferences, congresses, Fuckup Nights or Wake Up Performances, please write to us: convention@visitBerlin.de or you can browse through our association online page which is online already.
11.9 million people and around 143,390 events in Berlin.
22 percent of these events were organised by associations.
In the International Congress and Convention Association’s (ICCA) current statistics, the German capital ranks 5th, placing Berlin “successfully among the top 5 at association congresses worldwide for more than ten years”.
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