… and, not only by Berlin standards, a smooth childbirth (considering the shape) after a model pregnancy: A time span of a mere 22 months separated groundbreaking from completion of the CityCube – the capital’s brand new trade fair and congress venue. Its organism was jogged to life upon its inauguration on May 5th, 2014, after the very last missing module had been implanted into the building’s core. The symbolic heart was solemnly inserted by Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Klaus Wowereit in concert with Messe Berlin’s CEO, Dr. Christian Göke. „A cube is born“, the motto chosen for the opening ceremony, could not have been more befitting. The stylish venue is laid out to host events for up to 11,000 participants.
Posts about Communication
TED Talk. Ze Frank: Are you human?
Just in case you are not sure to be a human being at all: Ze Frank helps you to find out. During his entertaining – and thought-provoking! – talk, a few simple questions thrown at the audience triggered the interaction sought by the speaker. Ze Frank (= Hosea Jan Frank) is an American online performance artist, web toy inventor, composer, humorist and public speaker. In 2001, he rose to fame when he created an online birthday invitation and forwarded it to seventeen of his closest friends. “How to dance properly” was disseminated vividly and the invitation generated millions of hits and over 100 gigabytes of daily traffic to Frank’s personal website. Ever since this video became viral, Ze Frank has made people giggle. And guffaw. And laugh out loud. Frank was born to German-American parents. Hence the „Ze“.
Westminster: Convened at Church lately?
To avoid confusion: the header image depicts the famed Houses of Parliament, per se the epitome of London for many, since long before its swingin’ times… next to perhaps Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, The London Eye, The Tower Bridge or the V&A museum. Just to name a few. And then there is Westminster Abbey, exclusive site of coronations since 1066, Lady Diana’s emotional funeral ceremony or glamorous royal weddings (like Queen Elizabeth’s with Prince Philip or William’s with Kate), all broadcast world-wide to a community held in the lasting grip of a magic royal spell. So, the premises ought to be familiar.
Right next door, the Church House Conference Centre may have witnessed events different from those mentioned before – but its own history lacks nothing in drama.
Ken Segall: Insanely Simple
What I Learned About Great Meetings from Steve Jobs
A guest post by Ken Segall
The principle of keeping meetings small and made up of smart people is deeply woven into the religion of electronics behemoth Apple and is key to any organization that wants to nurture quality thinking. The idea is pretty basic: Everyone in the room should be there for a reason. There’s no such thing as a mercy invitation. Either you’re critical to the meeting or you’re not. It’s nothing personal, just business. Apple co-founder, the late Steve Jobs, actively resisted any behavior he believed representative of the way big companies think – even though Apple had been a big company for many years. When he called a meeting or reported to a meeting, his expectation was that everyone in the room would be an essential participant. Spectators were not welcome.
Iceland: An adventurous Sheep Gathering Experience
Iceland horses are cute to look at and known as most pacific creatures. They also feature a kinetic characteristic unique to them: Their ability to shift into an auxiliary gait called „toelta“ offers a heart-warming sight and ideally transmits a pleasant feeling throughout every rider’s body. Due to Iceland’s isolated location, the genetic foundations of these pretty horses have not been shaken; their sturdy physique and adorable mentality remained unaltered ever since slender viking ships brought them ashore more than eleven hundred years ago. Why not exchange four wheels spun by noisy mechanical horse powers against four legs and a few happy neighs at the speed of one single leisurely HP lollop style? To explore the country by pollution-free means and to watch the fluffy blond manes flying from a horseback perspective, is a challenge rewarding like no other.