The German capital’s cool, quirky character extends to its event spaces, finds Rose Dykins.
It seems bold for a mayor to label his city “poor but sexy”, but Klaus Wowereit’s choice of words sums up Berlin’s spirit rather brilliantly. The destruction the city witnessed in the 20th century cannot be ignored, but this has resulted in a tangible sense of history and intrigue, a reputation for cutting-edge design, and a forward-looking attitude that attracts curious, creative minds.
The city’s allure as a meetings destination is also well founded. In May 2012, the International Congress and Convention Association ranked Berlin the fourth-most popular location for meetings, ahead of London. The German capital’s overall meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector is also enjoying healthy growth – it accounted for 3.1 million room nights in the first six months of 2012, a 3 per cent increase on the same period in 2011. During this time, 57,800 events took place (an 8 per cent increase), catering for 4.6 million guests (up 7 per cent).
The delayed opening of Brandenburg airport is now set for October 2013. Not only will it serve as a new hub for the city, but surrounding hotels will add to Berlin’s meetings offering – the 322-room Steigenberger, located directly in front of the new terminal, will launch when the airport opens for business, offering 1,500 sqm of meeting space. Downtown, a 232-room Waldorf Astoria with a 330 sqm ballroom was set to have its soft opening in December, with the official launch in February 2013.
Perhaps the most significant MICE development for the city is Citycube Berlin, which is on track to open in 2014. It will be situated a short walk from the city’s ICC – one of the largest congress centres in Europe – on the expansive grounds of Messe Berlin. The ICC will close for renovation at the end of 2013, and Citycube will become its substitute for large-scale conferences. “Because it’s a new venue, it will be very flexible, with more than 70 breakout rooms,” says Heike Mahmoud, director of conventions at the Berlin Convention Office. “After the renovation of ICC Berlin at the end of 2017-18, Berlin will have doubled its conference capacity.”
Away from the big spaces, the capital is brimming with unusual event facilities and incentive activities that reflect its quirky character. “Clients want venues that bring the atmosphere of Berlin to their conference,” Mahmoud says.
Visit visitberlin.de
Venues
Tempelhof airport
Once described as “the mother of all airports” by Lord Foster, Berlin’s former city-centre hub – a 15-minute drive from Alexanderplatz – is perfect for large-scale events. The sprawling concrete 1930s structure has about 9,000 rooms totalling 300,000 sqm of space, plus the 300-hectare airfield, which is now a public park. There are seven 16-metre-tall aircraft hangars (the largest holds up to 3,800 visitors) with steel scaffold ceilings. These can be combined into a single 39,000 sqm space, which works well for exhibitions. The former terminal area of the Main Hall can accommodate 900 people for a banquet. Other spaces include the former airport canteens, the endless transit corridors and the control tower, which offers panoramic views.
- Columbiadamm 10; tempelhoferfreiheit.de
Currywurst Museum
A warm atmosphere resonates in this fun, bright museum, in which the history of Berlin’s well-loved dish is presented in imaginative ways. At the centre of the red and yellow-themed museum is a seating area shaped like a blob of sauce (with a drop shape dangling from the ceiling), a sausage sofa, and a replica of a currywurst van, which can be used as a platform for giving speeches. The interactive exhibitions encourage socialising – the spice chamber has several “sniffing stations” where visitors try to guess which spice is which – and there’s a small screening area. The museum can be hired exclusively for champagne receptions with currywurst canapés for 150 people. Guided tours can be arranged.
- Schutzenstrasse 70; currywurstmuseum.de/en
Fernsehturm
A 40-second elevator ride takes you to the observation area of the 368-metre-tall TV Tower, where it’s possible to hire the whole floor and its bar for 120 people – or a section of it for about 60 people – for networking among the clouds. A further 21 steps up take you to the recently refurbished rotating restaurant, which can be used exclusively in the low season (November to March) for 200 guests. The indigo ceiling glitters with tiny spotlights, and the central stationary core that the tables and chairs slowly revolve around is a shimmering blue, gold and green piece of DDR artwork entitled Milky Way. The fixed tables can be combined into arrangements of six or eight, and groups can enjoy international gourmet cuisine as a buffet dinner or set menu.
- Panoramastrasse 1A, Alexanderplatz; tv-turm.de
Axica
The monolithic sandstone exterior of the Axica bank at Brandenburg Gate is rather nondescript, which makes what’s inside all the more surprising. The Frank Gehry-designed atrium is instilled with expressionist energy, and flooded with natural light. The giant Plenum “walk-in sculpture” looks like an oyster shell with its silvery steel exterior – inside, there’s not a straight line in sight, and the biomorphic shapes of the pine ceiling and seating are said to be conducive to creative thinking. The space can hold 90 people for a meeting and is equipped with video-conferencing technology and 108-inch flatscreen TVs. The rest of Axica’s meeting and event spaces is on the floor below the Plenum – the glass ceilinged, red-carpeted Forum is the largest, and can accommodate 500 delegates theatre-style or 350 for a banquet.
- Pariser Platz 3; axica.de
Artrium/British Embassy
Around the corner from Axica, the unexpectedly modern event space of the British Embassy can be hired when it’s not being used – several external events take place here each month. Once through security, the reception is dominated by a grey staircase, which is surrounded by a hand-painted piece of wall art by British artist David Tremlett with a citrus colour palette. Up the stairs is the Wintergarden conservatory, where you’ll find more abstract art, including a sculpture by Anish Kapoor – the light-filled area with bold bursts of red and royal blue can hold 400 guests for a reception or 220 for dinner. The purple Conference Drum is a cylindrical wooden structure that can open on to the Wintergarden, or remain closed as a self-contained area that works well for press conferences for 165 people. Internet is not available.
- Wilhelmstrasse 70; artrium-berlin.de
Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz
Situated right in the city centre, this innovative hotel is powered entirely by renewable energy from Norwegian hydroelectric power stations. The eco-friendly ethos also runs throughout the property’s meeting spaces – from the motion sensor lights to the prohibition of plastic water bottles. The contemporary décor is centred around the four seasons, while the thoughtfully designed conference lobby, which holds 180 people, transmits daylight to the other meeting rooms via translucent walls adorned with leaf patterns. The largest space is the green-carpeted Aurora Borealis, which can host 600 people theatre-style, is divisible by three, and has an outdoor terrace running along one side. The other 16 rooms hold 15-100 people theatre-style in each. All are wifi equipped. The 563 guestrooms are homely yet striking in design. Visit businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested for a review.
- Gabriele-Tergit Promenade 19; scandichotels.com
Babelsberg Filmpark
Berlin’s answer to Universal Studios is a 40-minute drive from the centre. It is the site where some of Germany’s most iconic films were created, including Metropolis, The Pianist and, most recently, Cloud Atlas. Props and backdrops from movies are on display throughout, and on-site professionals can lead group workshops (for up to 30 people) in stucco painting, stunts, pyrotechnics and costume design. Delegates can write, act in, and shoot their own film, and meetings and events can take place in spaces such as the 3,000 sqm Metropolis Hall, which can hold 3,500 people for a reception, and the rustic Prince Valiant restaurant, which can host 300 guests for a banquet and features props from the 1997 film.
- Grossbeerenstrasse; filmpark-babelsberg.de
DDR Museum
This bustling museum on the bank of the river Spree, opposite Berlin Cathedral, provides a snapshot of life in the days of the German Democratic Republic. More than 164,000 artefacts are presented in a way that allows you to interact – such as the replica of a typical East German living room that you walk into, or the cupboard full of clothing that you’re free to try on. The museum can be hired exclusively after 8pm on weekdays (10pm Saturdays) for drinks receptions of up to 150 people, while guided tours for up to 20 people can be arranged during opening hours. The 100-seat restaurant, with a colourful DDR mural, serves authentic recipes and cocktails from the era – it can also be hired for groups.
- Karl Liebknecht-Strasse 1; ddr-museum.de
Berliner Unterwelten
For another insight into the Cold War era, delegates can descend to the city’s “underworld” of concrete bunkers for this two-hour tour arranged by Berliner Unterwelten. As you explore, you get a sense of the precarious state of the world during the period. The bunker walls display propaganda from the time – such as a government poster advising citizens to put a briefcase over their head to shield themselves from nuclear radiation – while the in-depth knowledge of the charismatic guides brings the tour to life. Up to 30 people can join a tour (three show-rounds can take place at 30-minute intervals).
- Brunnenstrasse; berliner-unterwelten.de
