Press Release | Berlin, 09/06/2018

Bertelsmann Party 2018 Provides Insights Into Company's Global Reach And Creativity

• Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin becomes top party location for more than 800 renowned guests from media, politics, business, and society
• International ambience and food concept, dancefloor on the rooftop terrace

Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1, Berlin will once again be transformed into a prime party venue this evening, when more than 800 personages from media, politics, business, and society once again accept Liz Mohn and Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe's invitation to celebrate and network at Berlin's finest address, Unter den Linden 1. The international media, services, and education company is taking this year's Bertelsmann Party as an opportunity to tell its international success story: characterized by entrepreneurial spirit and creativity, it features business ideas and creative formats that inspire people worldwide. Their stories are told in an entertaining way and with elaborate decor; even the extravagant food creations match the party theme.

Bertelsmann Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe said: “Tonight, we will use examples from all the divisions to show our guests how we use entrepreneurial thinking and creativity to develop offerings that win over customers worldwide: fascinating TV formats, books, magazines and music for which we attract a global audience; services for ‘hidden champions’ of industry as well as for large tech corporations; and, not least, online education that opens up opportunities for people around the globe. This diversity requires bold investments in artists, talented employees, and high-quality content. Bertelsmann spends more than five billion euros a year on creative content alone, and the trend is upward.”

The party theme is reflected in the décor and food: On the ground floor, Bertelsmann's service businesses present their global reach and corresponding “global food.” A “time-lapse buffet” showcases the fact that Bertelsmann provides services around the world 24/7: breakfast delights from Europe, typical Indian lunch food, and dinner dishes from Japan and China will all be offered simultaneously.

The first floor is all about education, and investments in promising business ideas. It shows the increasing spread of e-learning offers, and the start-ups and more established trendsetters that Bertelsmann is invested in. The food served here is also international, with fusion cooking from the Israeli-Palestinian restaurant Kanaan and a trendy “Buddha Bowl Bar.”

The second floor and rooftop terrace of Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1, Berlin are dominated by the group’s media businesses: A three-dimensional installation shows a world map of book, magazine, and album covers, TV brands, set stills, and other successful formats from the Group. On the roof, the guests are greeted by oversized portraits of RTL television stars, famous Penguin Random House authors, the namesakes of Gruner + Jahr's new personality magazines, and successful BMG artists. Berlin DJ Eric Know will be laying down tracks on the dance floor until late.

Culinary delights on these floors include extraordinary creations from the Palace Hotel Berlin, and delicate and refined barbeque specialties from the first BEEF! restaurant in Frankfurt, as well as a wide variety of snacks served on trays by roving service staff.

Liz Mohn and Thomas Rabe are expecting a remarkable assortment of prominent guests this evening: the musicians Peter Maffay, Adel Tawil, Culcha Candela, Kim Gloss, Leslie Clio, and Heino; the actors Hardy Krüger Jr., Jimi Blue Ochsenknecht, Rufus Beck, Sophia Thomalla, and Mariella Ahrens; as well as many well-known faces from successful TV formats including Judith Williams, Dagmar Wöhrl, Frank Thelen, Timur Bartels, Tim Oliver Schultz, Ivo Kortlang, Isabel Edvardsson, and Hans Sarpei.

Verona Pooth, Katja Burkard, Jennifer Knäble, Nina Moghaddam, Laura Wontorra, Victoria Swarovski, and Wolfram Kons from the media world have also confirmed their attendance, as have Goetz Elbertzhagen, Sascha Lobo, entertainer Thomas Hermanns, and the travesty artist Olivia Jones. Also expected are the models Franziska Knuppe and Vanessa Fuchs, photographer Jim Rakete, designer Jette Joop, sports idols Regina Halmich and Axel Schulz; and the authors Katja Eichinger, Dietrich Grönemeyer, and Harald Martenstein. Confirmed guests from the political sphere include EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Vice President of the Bundestag Thomas Oppermann, Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer, and Head of the Chancellor's Office Helge Braun, as well as SPD Secretary-General Lars Klingbeil, Green politician Cem Özdemir and Dietmar Bartsch, Chairman of the Left Party in the Bundestag. The most prominent representatives from the business world at this year’s Bertelsmann Party are Mathias Döpfner, Stefan von Holtzbrinck, Regine and Erich Sixt, Rolf Buch, Hermann Bühlbecker, Florian Langenscheidt, Georg Kofler, and BDA chairman Steffen Kampeter.

Bertelsmann will once again be live-streaming impressions from the red carpet and party on the internet.

Photos and footage from the Bertelsmann Party 2018 will be made available for download and free use on Bertelsmann's homepage during the evening and the night. The live stream from the party can also be viewed here from around 7:00 p.m. on, as well as on Bertelsmann's Facebook page.
https://www.bertelsmann.de/news-und-media/specials/bertelsmann-party-2018/index-2.jsp 

Social media: Bertelsmann is reporting live from the Bertelsmann Party 2018 under the hashtags #BertelsmannParty and #BertelsmannParty18
Facebook: Bertelsmann  and BertelsmannErleben 
Instagram: bertelsmann_erleben 
Twitter: @bertelsmann_com 

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 119,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.2 billion in the 2017 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for entrepreneurship and creativity. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.