Advertisement.
When you walk through the countless halls of the IFA fair for consumer electronics at Messe Berlin your senses will quickly be on overdrive: Each brand is out-doing the next with their elaborate set-ups and technical innovations that try to catch your attention. But the moment you step into the hall 21a – the one of Telekom – the world becomes Magenta and you are suddenly on a playground where it’s all about fun. This year’s presentation is trying a new format: A festival that brings all generations together.
Antje Hundhausen, head of Brand Experience Telekom, took the time to show a couple of colleagues and me around the hall and explain the new concept to us: “We want to offer experiences that you can’t have at every other corner. We want to create moments that build natural connections to the people.” The #DABEI Festival indeed offers a seemingly endless array of playful activities that enable people to connect through the various technologies and services the brand offers. On our tour, we got to try out augmented reality filters and games, stunning VR experiences, DIY work stations, workshops, even a real-life roller skate rink. And we were lucky to catch the live recording of the Telekom Electronic Beats podcast with famous German actor and DJ Lars Eidinger who talked about his recent DJ gig at the iconic Neukölln techno club Griesmühle.
The centerpiece of the festival is the big stage in the middle of the hall. Here visitors can enjoy a diverse program with talks, live podcast recordings, live performances, and DJ sets during the entire run of the IFA fair. Program highlights of the coming days include a live recording session of the new Hautnah #Dabei Podcast of Telekom with the boys of the iconic German hip-hop band Die Fantastiaschen 4 who celebrate their 30th anniversary, a classical concert by the Bonner Beethoven Orchestra, as well live performances by Alli Neumann, Mogli and Amilli.
The festival is not the only element of their plan to connect with audiences – in fact, Telekom plans to host many other events in their shops all over Germany, integrating the local scenes of each city, and expanding on the idea of letting people participate rather than just visiting. In a time where services and products are becoming more and more interchangeable, it really is the best thing you can do as a brand to still be able to stand out.
If you are curious now about this vibrant festival you should head over to IFA at Messe Berlin that is still going on until next week Wednesday (September 11, 2019) and participate in all the fun. Head over to the #Dabei Festival website to see the details of the program. Enjoy!
