‘me Convention’ side events at the Festhalle: 24 International ‘Startup Cities’ and ‘Robert Johnson’ at the Festhalle

Alongside the comprehensive agenda on the stages and in workshops, the me Convention will offer attractive side events in the Festhalle space from 15 to 17 September 2017. On Friday and Saturday, 24 'Startup Cities' in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East will explain which attractive benefits they afford for entrepreneurs to start successful into their new business. Saturday evening will feature the techno club Robert Johnson and its renowned 'Robert Johnson Theory' format with Prof Heiner Blum, producer Stephan Plank, artist Holger Wüst, and the DJs Ata Macias and Roman Flügel at the Festhalle.

Startup Cities line-up

Which cities across the globe offer especially attractive conditions for start-ups? Where will entrepreneurs find the perfect foundation for their business models? This is the question that the Startup Cities programme explores at the Maker's Spot at the Festhalle on Friday and Saturday. Twenty-four cities - in as many countries - that lead the way in start-ups will each have 10 minutes to present their strengths: business environment, their specific industry focuses, funding opportunities and partnerships with local industries or universities.

The idea behind the event is for once to spotlight the role of the right location as a key to success, rather than letting successful start-up companies speak for themselves. All cities - from Tokyo and Jakarta to Ghent and Espoo - will send a representative who will present the specific political, economic, business, and social climates of their cities. The representative will follow up with answers to all questions from the audience. The Startup Cities program will be presented by Sam Michaels, founder and CEO of Chinwag. For times and participating cities, see the me Convention schedule.

Start-ups which are interested in the Startup Cities Program and the me Convention in general have the opportunity to apply for free tickets by presenting their own business. Who has convincing arguments on three questions about the company background and the importance of own products and services for the future can secure oneself two tickets. Applications can be submitted on me-convention.com.

Robert Johnson at the Festhalle

The famous Robert Johnson techno club of DJ Ata Macias in Offenbach will come to the Festhalle on Saturday night. The event will be an exclusive edition of the Robert Johnson Theory format which welcomes celebrity experts such as sound specialists, musicians, authors and DJs to drop in and exchange views, before the evening ramps up to a club night.

Theory co-founder Prof Heiner Blum from HfG Offenbach and Stephan Plank, who filmed the life of his father Conny Plank, will gather at the me Convention. 'Conny Plank - The Potential of Noise' tells the story of the legendary music producer, whose studio in Wolperath near Cologne birthed albums from Kraftwerk, Eurythmics, Brian Eno, Devo, and Ultravox. The talk after the screening covers both the film and the evolution of electronic music in Germany.

The artist Holger Wüst will then project a performance video custom-created for the event onto an amazing LED wall in the Festhalle before DJ Roman Flügel kicks off the night's party.

About South by Southwest

SXSW is dedicated to the mission of helping creative people to make their goals a reality. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is known for its conferences and festivals, which focus on the convergence of the interactive technology, film, and music industries. SXSW shows that the most surprising things happen whenever different issues and people come together.

About the me Convention

The me Convention offers an open and inspiring platform for creative people from various industries. It focuses clearly on dialogue, interaction, interconnectivity, and entertainment. The me Convention content will cover key topics on how the future can be shaped. Together with SXSW, Mercedes-Benz has identified five relevant subject areas based on its CASE (connected, autonomous, shared & service, electric drive) strategy for the future: New Creation, New Urbanism, New Leadership, New Realities und New Velocity. The convention's motto is #createthenew.

For more information about the schedule of the me Convention, events and speakers, visit http://www.me-convention.com/.

To purchase tickets to the me Convention, visit https://me-convention.sxsw.com/products.

If you are interested in getting media credentials, please sign up by completing the accreditation form on the 'Media' page at www.me-convention.com/press. There you can also download press releases and images.

Contact the me Convention: press@me-convention.com