Press Release | Berlin, 09/12/2019

‘Bertelsmann Party 2019’: Creativity and Entrepreneurship Provide Framework for a Fabulous Party

• More than 600 renowned guests from media, politics, business, and society are expected at Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin
• Bertelsmann presents an entertaining and diverse showcase of what drives the company
• Livestream, elegant party atmosphere, and dance floor with spectacular views

When guests throng to Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin and flurries of flashbulbs go off inside, it’s ‘Party’ time again! More than 600 personalities from media, politics, business and society are expected for the Bertelsmann Party 2019 on Thursday evening, where this time, everything revolves around Creativity and Entrepreneurship: the company’s core values and driving forces. They will be showcased in an entertaining way, with an ambience that picks up on successful formats and creative people from the Bertelsmann world, a smorgasbord of extraordinary food creations, and a dance floor that offers a spectacular view of the historic center of Berlin.

Bertelsmann Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe said: “Nothing shapes our corporate culture more than our commitment to creativity and entrepreneurship. Creativity is the foundation of our success, and entrepreneurial freedom the prerequisite for realizing good ideas. Only when the two come together can innovative business models, formats, products, and services arise that inspire people worldwide. We would like to celebrate this diversity and share a lively, creative presentation of it with our guests tonight.”

For Bertelsmann as a media company, that includes turning the party into a real media event. As soon as the guests start arriving on the red carpet at around 7 p.m., Bertelsmann will kick off a one-and-a-half hour live broadcast on Facebook  and www.bertelsmann.de  , presented by actor and presenter Marc Dumitru (RTL, Super RTL) and all-round talent Toni Scheurlen (Super RTL). The two will not only provide commentary on what’s happening on the red carpet, where the Party’s hosts Liz Mohn and Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe will personally greet all the guests, but also interview lots of celebrities, and film themselves partying with the guests.

Inside Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1, a decor composed of letterings, collages, mobiles, and imagery that combines the latest content from the Group’s subsidiaries awaits the guests, along with an extravagant selection of culinary delights. Among them is “instagramable” coffee, which involves a barista using a special printer to print colorful, flavor-neutral portraits of guest on its milk foam within seconds. Other highlights include the creations of a Mexican street food designer, Japanese ice cream specialties, and a Buddha bowl buffet, where guests can put together their own creations from a wide variety of unusual dishes.

Liz Mohn and Thomas Rabe look forward to some fascinating party guests: Actors
Sophia Thomalla, Corinna Harfouch, Gerit Kling, Dennenesch Zoudé, Ursula Karven,
Hardy Krüger Jr., Thomas Heinze, Timur Bartels, Ivo Kortlang, and Leonard Lansink have confirmed their attendance. The authors Thea Dorn, Katja Eichinger, Olaf Ihlau, and Marc Elsberg are also expected. From the media world, Jorge González, Frauke Ludowig, Victoria Swarovski, Katja Burkard, Isabel Edvardsson, Nazan Eckes, Marietta Slomka, Jenke von Wilmsdorff, Sascha Lobo, Laura Wontorra, Vera Int-Veen, Wolfram Kons, and Nina Moghaddam will be there. YouTube stars Heiko and Roman Lochmann (“Die Lochis”) as well as the “Höhle der Löwen” (Shark Tank) investors Ralf Dümmel, Judith Williams, Frank Thelen, Georg Kofler, Carsten Maschmeyer, and Dagmar Wöhrl are also on the guest list, as are the models Franziska Knuppe and Sara Nuru, the designers Jette Joop and Brian Rennie, sports idols Regina Halmich, Alexander Leipold and Hans Sarpei, the musicians Heino, Klaus Meine (Scorpions), Dominique Baltas and Karsten Walter of Feuerherz, The BossHoss, as well as Tom Gaebel.

Politics are prominently represented: Federal Ministers Anja Karliczek (Education and Research), Julia Klöckner (Food and Agriculture), Hubertus Heil (Labour and Social Affairs), Gerd Müller (Economic Cooperation and Development), Andreas Scheuer (Transport and Digital Infrastructure),and Jens Spahn (Health) have confirmed their attendance, as has the Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller. Bundestag Vice-Presidents Claudia Roth (Bündnis 90/The Greens), Thomas Oppermann (SPD), and Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) are also expected, as well as parliamentary party leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU/CSU), the FDP Federal President and parliamentary party leader Christian Lindner, parliamentary party Dietmar Bartsch (Die Linke), and CDU Secretary General Paul Ziemiak. Among the most prominent business representatives on the Bertelsmann Party guest list are Hermann Bühlbecker, Florian Langenscheidt, Birgit Lübbe, and BDA boss Steffen Kampeter.

 The Bertelsmann Party is climate neutral. All unavoidable emissions will be offset by supporting ‘Gold Standard’ climate-protection projects.

Social Media: Bertelsmann will report live from the Bertelsmann Party 2019 under the hashtag #BertelsmannParty
Instagram: bertelsmann_erleben 
Facebook: Bertelsmann  und BertelsmannErleben 
Twitter: @bertelsmann_DE 

Bertelsmann will make royalty-free photos and footage available on its homepage during and after the party. The livestream of the party can also be found there and on the company's Facebook page, starting at around 7 p.m.

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 117,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.7 billion in the 2018 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.