Press Release | Berlin, 09/08/2016

Glamour, Stars and Entertainment at the ‘Bertelsmann Party 2016’

• ‘The new Bertelsmann’ presents itself in all its diversity at the Group’s premises in Berlin
• Live cooking, Sushi ice bar and a dance floor on what is possibly Berlin’s most beautiful rooftop terrace

The international media company Bertelsmann looks forward to welcoming more than 800 noted personages to the “Bertelsmann Party 2016” on Thursday evening in Berlin. Under the heading “The new Bertelsmann,” the Group will treat guests to an entertaining, creative presentation of its eight divisions on all floors of Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1, Berlin.

The party motto will be reflected in the program, decoration and food: Guests can enjoy sophisticated street food and burgers prepared live by barbecue expert Christoph Brand, known from the G+J food magazine “Beef.” In the conservatory, the Penguin Random House book publishing group will entice guests with beach chairs, gourmet ice cream and this summer's most popular reads. Berlin sushi chef Mr. Hai will present his most popular creations at an ice bar set into the silver-and-blue installations representing Arvato fashion e-commerce services. Screens with e-learning courses, along with smoothies and vitamin rich soups from oversized syringes playfully reference Bertelsmann Education Group’s medical training opportunities. Ornate paper landscapes and typefaces highlight the core competencies of Bertelsmann Printing Group and a textile installation in the stairwell presents the global shareholdings of Bertelsmann Investments. On a floor dedicated to BMG, cutouts of stars and spotlights provide a genuine stage feel. Finally, the building’s rooftop terrace with views over the historic center of Berlin is dedicated to RTL Group’s colorful variety of program brands and digital offerings; it will also feature a late-night dance floor.

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe said: “The ‘new Bertelsmann’ is innovative and creative. In recent years, many new businesses have emerged that clearly highlight Bertelsmann’s entrepreneurship. Today we have eight divisions that are internationally successful with their media, services and education offerings, especially in the digital world. We want show our guests this ‘new Bertelsmann’ at tonight’s party.”

Family spokeswoman Liz Mohn and Thomas Rabe will be welcoming numerous celebrities to the Bertelsmann Party 2016 on the red carpet this evening. Hollywood star Wesley Snipes has announced his attendance, along with actors Anna Thalbach, Erol Sander, Sophia Thomalla, Gesine Cukrowski, Jenny Elvers and Renan Demirkan. Familiar faces from popular TV shows like “Sing meinen Song” and “Let's Dance,” and the young actors from the Vox series “Club der Roten Bänder” will also be there. From the world of media, Thomas Gottschalk, the presenters Verona Pooth, Judith Rakers-Pfaff, Steffen Hallaschka, Jan Köppenand Nazan Eckes as well as Sabia Boulahrouz are coming. Musicians Andreas Bourani, Max Giesinger, Grace Capristo, the Puhdys and The BossHoss are also expected. The designers Jette Joop and Brian Rennie, the athletes Katharina Witt, Axel Schulz and Hans Sarpei, the travesty artist Olivia Jones, and the authors Thea Dorn, Charlotte Link Amos and Hatice Akyün have also confirmed their attendance.

From politics, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert, Berlin’s Mayor Michael Müller, and the federal ministers Sigmar Gabriel (Economic Affairs), Thomas de Maizière (Home Affairs), Wolfgang Schäuble (Finance), Manuela Schwesig (Family), Hermann Gröhe (Health) and Gerd Müller (Development) will be coming, as well as EU Digital Commissioner Günther Oettinger, Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister President Thorsten Albig, Green Party National Chairman Cem Özdemir. Green Party caucus leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt, her party colleagues Renate Künast and Claudia Roth, and FDP leader Christian Lindner will also be there, and the ambassadors of many countries, including Russia, France, Spain, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil and Israel will be attending as well.

Bertelsmann will once again be livestreaming impressions from the red carpet and the party. This time, five popular YouTube talents who are represented by the RTL Group subsidiary Divimove will be there to talk with celebrity guests and report from the party for their followers.

Social media: Bertelsmann is reporting live from the Bertelsmann Party 2016 under the hashtag #BParty16 
Facebook: @Bertelsmann  @BertelsmannErleben 
Instagram: bertelsmann_erleben 
Twitter: @bertelsmann_DE  @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 117,000 employees and generated revenues of €17.1 billion in the 2015 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.