The day dawned to an early breakfast, which left the team fully ready to coordinate the day, as the 100 entrepreneurs attending the retreat suddenly in a way became our responsibility. A morning with the EOY Alumni Board session gave the finalists an insight into the world of the EOY Alumni. Following on from this there was a definite buzz about the group as we travelled in style around the corner to Dublin Airport. Paddywagon tours led by Cathal O’Connell ensured the group arrived in plenty of time to the Ryanair check in desk. While I have been that girl dumping things out of her bag at the Ryanair check in desk before as it exceeded the 15kg weight restriction, the entire group managed to pass through without any hiccups on this occasion.
On arriving at the hotel I realised this would be an experience like no other. The five-star Adlon Hotel is situated in the very heart of Berlin and lies right next to the famous Brandenburg Gate. Needless to say the place is steeped in history. It’s not every day you can say you stayed in the same hotel as the Queen of England – and Arnold Schwarzenegger. While still wandering around in amazement at this beautiful hotel it was time for dinner. Tonight’s guest speaker launched the Berlin leg of the trip in style. Florian Langenscheidt, a renowned entrepreneur who shared his story with the group and gave an insight into German life, relaying Nike’s famous quote “just do it” which he used to support his view of entrepreneurship.
Late nights and early mornings seemed to be the recurring theme of the trip, but I must say I was impressed at how this didn’t faze anyone as the day’s agenda spoke for itself – no one wanted to miss out. From Caoimhe Keogan of Soundcloud to our very own Connor Murphy, who chaired a panel of Berlin start-ups, the morning was full of in interesting content.
It was then runners and EY Helly Hansen jackets on, ready for the walking tours to commence. The jackets, custom made for the group, certainly added to the growing sense of comradery amongst the attendees. The walking tour provided the perfect backdrop for the entrepreneurs to network while soaking up the culture and history of one of Europe’s most vibrant and bustling cities. It was truly inspiring. As if that wasn’t enough, we were treated to dinner on a boat tour of the River Spree, and the weather did not disappoint! We were accompanied by the German EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014, Jan Beckers, Founder and CEO of HitFox group.
The next day I was launched back into a world I am all too familiar with – ESMT, the European School of Management and Technology. The day’s line up catapulted me back into the education system and I made sure I fully took advantage of this opportunity. I almost ran out of paper from the notes I was taking. Prof Joe Peppard opened with his views on digital disruption, “it’s not about selling technology, it’s about selling outcomes.”
The group settled back after a beautiful buffet lunch to the trendy Marc Lamik, head of Tech Expansion at Zalando, a company many were perhaps not too familiar with before the talk, as it is an e-commerce retail business in Berlin and does not yet sell to Ireland. The company was founded back in 2007 and since then has experienced hyper growth at a rate of 25% per annum. Lamik captured the attention of his audience, highlighting how they achieve success and their future plans, “Today, we are an online fashion store; our motto is raising the bar and then surpassing it.”
Our final night in Berlin was marked with a visit from the Irish Ambassador, Michael Collins. As people began to unwind for the night the second leg of the trip came to a close, a few last minute selfies in front of the Brandenburg Gate was last on the team’s to do list. Keep watch here to see how the rest of the Retreat unfolded.
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