Activating global networks, shaping the future of energy
Our challenge
For the fourth time, the innogy Innovation Hub arranged an annual ‘Unconference’, inviting a large range of participants to this year’s event, at which the company’s large global community would gather in the heart of Berlin. For this year’s event, innogy asked us to conceive and implement an unprecedented extravaganza, bringing together no less than 400 leading investors and founders, as well as key decision-makers from major industrial firms in innogy’s global client network. On the agenda: thinking long and hard about future possibilities and solutions for the energy industry.
Our solution
The Café Moskau, with its complex architecture and airy interior spaces, proved an ideal location. High ceilings and large windows suffused the working spaces with daylight. Thematically inspired brand design at the location created an easy, open atmosphere, perfect for disruptive, creative thinking about the future of the energy business.
An interactive daily schedule allowed everyone to set their own agenda – the scheduling solutions were as varied as the participants themselves. In terms of content, there was something for everyone. Parallel lectures were held on satellite stages, which participants could follow with a flick of a switch on their headsets. There were a wide variety of pitches from international startups, plenty of networking opportunities with established energy and industrial firms, up-and-coming digital energy companies, and numerous potential investors.
The many ancillary events were carefully integrated into the main programme. Along with his robots, Moritz Geist of ‘sonicrobots’ provided driving techno beats, while Christoph Sollich – aka the ‘Pitch Doctor’ – gave a demonstration of world-class pitching. Where necessary, the many quiet corners in the location allowed for highly confidential negotiations.
In the Café’s outdoor courtyard, this year’s participants came together for a final collective activity, the barbecue! As the Berlin sky darkened and night fell, energetic conversations ran late into the evening.
Our success
More than 400 participants from cutting-edge energy technology sectors, as well as national and industry representatives, came together for a day chock full of inspiration and communication. What was stake was nothing less than the shape of our future energy system. Participants took full advantage of the wide range of networking possibilities both during and after the event. For many, the Unconference was an unparalleled opportunity to make contact with other founders, investors, and executives. The event brought particular success to four up-and-coming startups: within weeks, they had been brought into the innogy Innovation Hub portfolio. Supported by a partner of that size, they seem set to make a dynamic contribution to shaping future energy systems, living up to the event’s tagline: ‘Converge. Inspire. Disrupt.’