Ramy James Salameh visits the German capital and reports on how BESTIVAL 2025 is continuing to redefine Berlin’s events future
As part of my post-BESTIVAL tour, a visit to the Humboldt Forum’s ‘Berlin Global’ exhibition offered a fitting close to an experience that had already showcased Berlin’s remarkable blend of history, innovation, and creativity. Set inside the newly reconstructed Berlin Palace, the exhibition explored the city’s global connections through themes like revolution, free space, boundaries, entertainment, and fashion, some of which fed into the core pillars that BESTIVAL prides itself on.
This year’s edition of BESTIVAL, Berlin’s international business festival, once again blurred the lines between work, culture and lifestyle. Held at Alte-Münze, a former ‘mint’ reborn as a vibrant event space on the Spree, the festival welcomed 500 meeting planners to a programme driven by Innovation, Sustainability and Community. From panel talks to immersive experiences, the event flowed energetically through the repurposed courtyards of Alte-Münze. But the currency being traded wasn’t monetary, it was knowledge, inspiration and networking.
Keynotes from thought leaders like Dr Prateep Beed (neuro360) celebrated Berlin as a hub for disruptive thinking, while Franciska Lienert of VisitBerlin highlighted the city’s aim for climate neutrality by 2045, supported by its new Sustainable Berlin certificate and the Berlin Welcome Card, supplied to attendees as their sustainable passport to local transport and attractions. Emiko Gejic of the Club Commission added another layer, underlining the city’s vibrant cultural landscape. Berlin, home to over 700 venues and recognised by UNESCO for its club culture, is a true mosaic of identities and creativity and, as of last year, included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Relics of Berlin’s past alongside its modern culture
Alte-Münze’s courtyard buzzed with Berlin flair, with graffiti demos from UrbanArtists.de, food trucks, and live music all setting the scene and backdrop for building business connections. Indoors, exhibitors brought the city’s story to life, from the forward-thinking EUREF Campus to the legendary Hansa Studios, where David Bowie recorded Heroes.
One highlight was ‘Hotel Berlin, Berlin’, a design-led property known for its ‘Meet the Neighbours’ concept, where guests discover Berlin through letters, which have been translated onto maps, from locals on each of its 701-bedroom walls. Its cycling-focused ‘Bed & Bike’ initiative and on-site skate ramp, located within one of 48 event spaces, added to the sense of urban cool and sustainable thinking.
The main evening event led delegates to Holzmarkt, a sustainable community-driven quarter in Friedrichshain, built by locals after resisting commercial development. With event spaces, studios, street food, and a riverside atmosphere, it encapsulated the spirit of Berlin – grassroots, bold, and inclusive.
The following morning’s ‘Kiez Tours’ took attendees deep into the city’s neighbourhoods. From the historic former motor-racing AVUS Tribüne Granstand-turned-event space to the monumental Olympic Stadium, each site told a story of transformation. Teufelsberg, a Cold War-era listening post atop a hill of WWII rubble, now serves as a striking arts and culture venue. And the tour closed with royal flair at Charlottenburg Palace’s Orangery, where historical elegance has regularly become a film set or gala dinner venue.
BESTIVAL 2025 didn’t just host a business festival, it embodied Berlin’s identity. Unexpected yet intentional, historical yet forward-looking, this is a city that continues to redefine how we experience events. Or as Sabine Wendt, managing director of VisitBerlin, put it: “Our city is both a stage and a laboratory.”
