MICE am Main

The industry podcast for Frankfurt (German only)

Large-scale & Sports Events

An interview with Onur Hakgüder, Event Planner at the Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board

Frankfurt is not only the ideal location for holding congresses and conferences, it also offers visitors a comprehensive range of cultural and recreational activities. These include, amongst many others, fun fairs such as the “Wäldchestag” forest festival, the Museum Embankment Festival and the Frankfurt Christmas Market, all of which take place in Frankfurt every year. In speaking with Onur Hakgüder, special events planner at the Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board, we learn about the challenges faced when planning such large-scale events, the importance of hygiene, safety and security at special events, and – last but not least – the many highlights awaiting visitors of the UEFA EURO 2024 football tournament in Frankfurt this summer.

Logistics and Mobility

An interview with Prof. Dr. Petra Schäfer, Professor of Traffic Management at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and Executive Director of the ReLUT Research Lab for Urban Transport

Logistics and mobility rank highly amongst Frankfurt’s key industries, with numerous companies and research institutes of this business sector having settled in the metropolis on the River Main over the years. Speaking to Prof. Dr. Petra Schäfer, Professor of Traffic Management at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and Executive Director of the ReLUT Research Lab for Urban Transport, we learn about the effects of people’s changing environmental awareness and other influences on mobility by way of special, customised events dealing with these subjects. We also find out in which direction urban destinations must develop in order to meet these new demands.

Fintech and Innovation

An interview with Dr. Sebastian Schaefer, Managing Director and Co-Founder of TechQuartier

It is well known both nationally and internationally that Frankfurt and the field of finance form an inseparable entity. In speaking to Dr. Sebastian Schaefer, Managing Director and Co-Founder of TechQuartier, we are informed on the trends currently affecting the financial sector, what kind of support business founders and young entrepreneurs of this industry may expect from TechQuartier, what particularities need to be considered in organising events, and how these specifics are best realised at TechQuartier.

Sustainability for Trade Shows & Events

An interview with Nalan Emre, Founder & Managing Director of Natural Angle Sustainable Living

When is a special event deemed sustainable and which aspects may actually be planned sustainably? Nalan Emre provides us with answers to these and other questions in the eighth episode of “MICE am Main”. Ms Emre worked for the IMEX Group for many years and is now an independent consultant for the special events industry. Here, she tells us which challenges we encounter in planning sustainable trade shows and events, and what remains to be learned from the IMEX Group.

Mental Health

An interview with Michael Biwer, Vice President of Guest Events at Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH

What is mental health and why is it so important? These and other questions are answered during our chat with Michael Biwer, Vice President Guest Events at Messe Frankfurt Venue GmbH. From him, we find out how mental health and resilience are understood, how he deals with these subjects at Messe Frankfurt, and how significant mental health is for the future of the event industry.

Gender Equality

An interview with Kerstin Wünsch, Editor-in-Chief of the trade magazine, “tw tagungswirtschaft”

In the last episode of 2021, we speak to Kerstin Wünsch, Editor-in Chief of “tw tagungswirtschaft”, about gender equality and why this subject is so important even for our industry, which is dominated by female professionals. She tells us the reasons behind her taking on this topic, and why it is important that men involve themselves with the subject matter as well. Moreover, she also introduces a number of networks and initiatives dealing with the themes of diversity and gender equality within our industry.

Hygiene and Safety at Special Events

An interview with Prof. Dr. med Klaus-Peter Hunfeld, Director of the Central Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene at Krankenhaus Nordwest.

In the fifth episode of “MICE am Main” Prof. Dr. med Klaus-Peter Hunfeld provides us with insights into his work as the director of the Central Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene at Krankenhaus Nordwest in Frankfurt, while also sharing helpful hints on the topics of hygiene and safety at special events. What’s more, he also tells us of his work as a Frankfurt Congress Ambassador and how he envisages the future of large-scale medical congresses.

Future Meeting Space

An interview with Katharina Dienes, Researcher at the Frauenhofer Institute of Work Management and Organisation

In the fourth episode of “MICE am Main”, we speak to Katharina Dienes of the Fraunhofer Institute of Work Management and Organisation about the “Future Meeting Space” innovation network and the future of the special events industry as a whole. During our chat, she tells us which influencing factors will bring change to the ecosystem of events in the future, and when we may expect the results of the current research phase.

Frankfurt Fashion Week

An interview with Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt

In the third episode of “MICE am Main”, Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, offers insights into the Frankfurt Fashion Week, which takes place from in early July 2021 for the very first time. We speak to him about how well Frankfurt and fashion fit together, which challenges had to be overcome in the planning of the event, and how one might envisage an entirely digital Fashion Week in the future.

New Work

An interview with Kersten A. Riechers, Founder of quäntchen+glück, and Dr. Dirk Reiner, Founder and CEO of memox

In the second episode of “MICE am Main”, we welcome Kersten A. Riechers of quäntchen+glück and Dirk Reiner of memox. During our chat, we speak in detail about “new work” and the buzzword’s hidden meanings, discuss innovative event formats, look at the development of partnerships in the previous year, and also dare a glance into the crystal ball.

Barrier-Free Events

An interview with Kerstin Hoffmann-Wagner, Inclusion and Sustainability Expert for trade shows and events

In the first episode of “MICE am Main”, we speak to the event consultant and author, Kerstin Hoffmann-Wagner, about barrier-free events. We jointly discuss the best ways of approaching the subject and which preconditions a destination should have in place in order to guarantee successful implementation of barrier-free measures.

Your contact for questions, ideas and enquiries

Katharina Path, Frankfurt Convention Bureau, Tel: +49 (0) 69/24 74 55 - 501

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