Berlin's Awakening Beauties

Episode 1, Season 2, Berlin’s Awakening Beauties!!   Once again, an exclusive interview with Ivor Cummins, @fatemperor and a left field take on the Corona pandemic, and an look at the Science, Data and Statistics we are seeing today.   Stick around listeners and hear:   The lockdowns and their cost benefit    What traffic lights today mean!!   How more testing might automatically include more false positives   The Tiger Horn fable and we ask the question “Who is still blowing the horn today?”   But equally important   What simple environmental systems and interventions can we implement to reduce our risks of infections.   And finally we look at the white elephant in the room, type 2 diabetes, and how we can strengthen our immune system massively through a real food diet and our good friend vitamin D!!!   Links:   Ivor Cummins @fatemperor (youtube & twitter)   The Great Barrington Declaration: https://gbdeclaration.org   Mark Felstead Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-charles-felstead-3303b9a/   Disclaimer:  This interview was recorded in mid-October and some of the figures mentioned have changed.  Unfortunately there was a slight delay in editing and releasing, my apologies.   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

BSB-S1-011   Episode 11 Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties: Kieran Dennis   Kieran Dennis – Once a legend of Berlin’s Event Scene upped anchor and moved back to London where he now works as a DMC for Incentives and Cruise Ships – a business that has been literally stranded over the last few months!     Value Bombs:   Hear about:   How the cruise ship business has been left high and dry since COVID   And how it has been for the most part unfairly demonized by the COVID hungry press pack at the beginning of the Pandemic.     How the UK / London lockdown has compared to that of Berlin    How the meek may possibly still inherit the earth! Not quite, but has the pandemic acted as a catalyst for many to re-assess their true personalities and after the rough and tumble of the events world finding solace in being introvert after all!?   So we wrap up this current series before taking a short summer break by talking today with Kieran Dennis, one of Berlin’s legends of the event scene and long time colleague / sparring partner of mine.  Some 8 years ago he up-stumps and returned to London, where he worked as MD for the London operation of a large global DMC company before setting up on his own running a very successful business working with groups on cruises – a business that has literally been left stranded on the barren beaches of COVID.   We talk about the finger pointing that an over eager media pointed at them in the early phases of the pandemic and the bashing his business has taken.   But then we move on to a more philosophical discussion about the importance of being extrovert (or not) in this sometimes very gung ho and dynamic industry that is often overrun with alpha males ( and females) and how the pandemic has maybe redressed the balance somewhat.  And of course we cannot help but  languish in the rich pool of reminiscence about the good times in Berlin!!   Enjoy         Links:   Kieran Dennis   www.comms-destinations.co.uk   linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-dennis   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company - is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 10: MR Congress Mareen Rühmkorf / PanUp Marieke and Jan!!   “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Albert Einstein   Value Bombs:   Hear about:   How one of the leading Berlin DMC’s is coping with the current situation   How clients are slowly but surely moving towards online and hybrid events   How it looks like the French might be amongst the first to show some mettle!!   How now is the time not TO WAIT but TO CREATE!   How Mareen and her team have innovated to create their own sustainable Festival – PanUp   How they have embraced innovation and are looking to tap into new sources of revenue (digital and eCommerce) whilst furthering the cause of sustainable living!   Finally find out what a “Blue Strip” is and how it might help to save the world!!     Today we are talking to Mareen Rühmkorf, and Mareike and Jan from MR Congress and PanUp. Mareen is the founder of MR Congress and is part of the Berlin “Institution” when it comes to organizing events in this city and beyond.  How has she been finding the last months? What signs are there in the market that things are slowly coming back to life? Listen to who is slowly showing confidence to start international planning events (spoiler – even this year!!)   Then we talk to some younger members of her team about how they have grasped the mettle and created their own event – a sustainability festival called PanUp.  It was originally planned for Oct 2020 but has wisely been postponed til April ’21 – but rather than sit back and wait the team have been very innovative and creative in forming now various ideas leading to new revenue streams and awareness building exercises…. Including some great summer cocktail ideas using only the best organice ingredients!! Thought that might get your attention!   Listen to their concept and take maybe a little inspiration from their initiative. And finally find out what a “blue strip” is and how this small contribution might go towards saving the World!!!   So Cheers to PanUp!!   Links:   MR Congress: https://mr-congress.com   PanUp : https://panup.de   PanUp shopify: shop-panup.myshopify.com   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company - is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com  

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 9: Sabine Reise – AllSeated   Value Bombs:   Hear about:   How to simply upgrade your floor plans / event plans to make them  COVID 19 relevant with social distancing .   How to host or join virtual site inspections and walk arounds complete with 360° and 3D images.   The value of taking a complete break from your job and re-setting yourself with heightened awareness and focus!!   How some 1600 year old Buddhist business principles may be as relevant as ever today!!   How we are digitally bringing (or dragging) the events industry into the 21st century post COVID and the positives it may have brought with it!!   Today we are talking to Sabine Reise, Managing Director of All Seated Germany – a digital company dedicated to supporting suppliers and buyers alike by being able to bring them together digitally and interactively on a virtual, cloud based platform to sell or plan better their events.   Sabine is a woman with substantial drive and focus and, after quitting from her Event Sales  Job and spending time in Nepal re-assessing her life and focus, returned to form her own company, EasyRaum, as a tool to help show digitally the layout and seating configurations of hotel meeting rooms and venues for planner.  The software tool helped both the venues sell their space and the event planners better visualize how the spaces would look for their events.   She led this company for 6 years before joining forces with the USA / Israel company Allseated to, well pretty much carry on doing the same thing!!!   She is driven by a goal and a vision to bring the events industry right up to date by providing intuitive and interactive platforms for event planners and venues to optimally plan the spaces being used.  The requirements are pretty straightforward for new venues or hotels to join and it currently has one large benefit –  Using their algorithms you can very simply and quickly update your current capacities and floorplans to be COVID ready factoring in Social Distancing!   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com  

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties. Episode 8: Philip Ibrahim, The Student Hotel   Value Bombs:   Hear about:   How it really is today in the Berlin’s hotel scene – warts and all!   What ideas innovative hotel managers are having to raise some revenue but above all the spirits of their staff!   The heart rendering story of some lifelong hoteliers who have had to close their properties   The challenges of trying to keep your furloughed staff motivated    How students are literally saving the day for this hotel!!   We are talking today to Philip Ibrahim, one of the legends of the Berlin hotel scene and how he is managing to keep his (and his staffs) head above water in The Student Hotel… his new baby.     It all looked so promising when we last spoke in January… he had recently taken over the role of Hotel Director in a new and dynamic hotel and was part of a fas- growing innovative chain of hotels….   But that was in January….   Now, and over the last months he has been reduced to a managing a cost cutting exercise and keeping his furloughed staff motivated… which if anyone can then it is Philip!   He shares with us some of his heart rendering stories of life long hotelier colleagues as they have been forced to close their properties as well as some of the more, shall we say, innovative ideas he has tried to introduce to bring a bit of life back into his very young hotel!!   Berlin is in limp home modus right now, but it is surviving and looking forward to better times and Philip is an inspiration when it comes to positive thinking.   https://www.thestudenthotel.com/berlin-mitte/ Philip Ibrahim   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Episode 7 Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties. Comedian Tammy Ingram   Value Bombs: And all said and done we both agree that, especially right now, laughter is the best medicine!!   Hear about:   How to command an audience without dying on stage!   How to realize that failure is a MUST if you want know what really works!   What can we learn from comedy’s true great, Robin Williams and Whoopee Golderg?   How important it is to tell your story and show your weaknesses to win an audience over!   How empowering standing up in front of an audience can be!   And Finally   Despite it being a case of British meets American humour … in Berlin, in these COVID times we both agree on one thing – Laughter is the best medicine!   Today we are talking to Tammy Ingram, the mother of English comedy in Berlin!!  Tammy has learnt her craft from personal experience working with the greats such as Robin Williams and Whoopee Goldberg before coming to Berlin 20 years ago to do what she most loves doing – making people laugh!  She formed the English Comedy Club in Berlin, home to stand-up comedy and alternative cabaret and has grown to love it here.  We take a look at the city today from a different perspective, as Germany’s capital of alternative and cabaret comedy, warts and all.   Tammy also gives advice on how to get “presence”on stage and how to win over audiences from her experience as a professional standup comedian.  Tammy talks about the importance of failure if you want to truly learn what works (there is no greater baptism of fire than telling jokes to a critical audience) and how empowering standing on stage can be.     Tammy is also a great source of information when it comes to Berlin’s not-so-well-known venues and she can be hired as a compare or presenter for your events in the city – and her skills at impromptu voice over must also be mentioned!!   And all said and done we both agree that, especially right now, laughter is the best medicine!!   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Tammy Ingram https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Tamara%20Ingram   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Episode 6 Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties   K.I.T. Group's View of Moving Forward in Berlin's Event Industry Value Bombs:   Hear about:   The Covid situation from K.I.T. Group’s (a leading PCO) point of view   The issues associations have on finding dates in the next years trying to  re-book cancelled congresses due to the colliding of dates   The knock-on effects into 2024 of cancelling conferences and how the different destinations globally have a different approach!   How COVID has shown the proof of concept re: home working and virtual team building skills for K.I.T. Group   The current sit rep for Berlin, Germany and beyond for hotels and venues from the perspective of one of Europe’s leading hotel bookers (more than 150,000 room nights a year!!)   The complexities of event law, contracting and insurance when looking into the future so as to avoid some of the issues from a possible second wave of COVID    The differences between a PCO and a DMC!!   Today it is my great pleasure to talk to Merryn Scholz, Managing Director of K.I.T. Group, one of Europe’s, if not the world’s largest PCO’s (Professional Congress Organizer) about her views on the current situation and how it affects large association and medical congresses. She and her team have been extremely busy the last months trying to renegotiate with hotels and congress centres around the globe and we are given a little behind the scenes insight into how challenging this has been.  When dealing with this very unique situation, the sharing of best practice and knowledge amongst the global PCO community has been vital and has definitely influenced the contracting of, and negotiations with, venues and destinations for years to come.   We also learn how K.I.T. (once a fairly conservative company in reference to home office!) is today reaping the rewards of having introduced a more flexible working arrangement for its staff of over 120 located around the globe (K.I.T. had the foresight over a year ago to equip their employees with the necessary hardware and software) .   Finally of course, we raise the question of the future facing larger events, hybrid and physical and whether big public events (K.I.T. Group were the organizers of the famous and glorious fan mile in Berlin for the World Cup 2006 (held in and won by Germany!!)) such as the Fan Mile will make a return as well as the chances of this year’s cancelled European Cup making it into 2021!   Enjoy!!     Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu    Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties. Episode 5 Marco Oelschlegel, Head of the Berlin Convention Office   Value Bombs:   Hear about:   The situation report on what events are allowed to be held in Berlin currently    How the next phases of the loosening up of the restrictions will look for hosting events.   What the situation is with the city’s hotels…   The increased use of home office, zoom et al and what we have learned from the CORONA crisis – although nothing will replace Face to Face!   And the news we have all been waiting for … what is the prognosis on the opening of Berlin’s NEW city airport!!   Today we are talking again to Marco Oelschlegel , Berlin’s recently appointed Head of the Berlin Convention Office, as he gives us a rundown of the current situation in the city for both tourists ( oh how we miss them!!) and of course for hosting events here.  Marco explains the phasing in of the loosening of the restrictions, as the Senate has now realized how important the event and tourism industry are to the city’s economy.  We also talk about the prognosis for air travel back to the city as well as how the long awaited, planned opening of the city’s NEW airport BER is going.   We also talk about the live and hybrid events that are taking place as of ths week  and despite the rise in the use of Zoom et al, nothing can replace face to face!!  Something that is very close to both our hearts!!   Longer version   So today I am joined by the recently promoted Head of Berlin Convention Office, Marco Oelschlegel to catch up after a seven week lock down of where Berlin is right now in terms of welcoming back tourists, international and domestic, and when can we start to host events again in this lovely city.  One thing is sure… we are really missing you guys as the city is really quiet without you and there is a whole industry of people waiting for the visitors to come back, whether to enjoy the city for relaxation or for business.   We look specifically at what is currently allowed and the moving forward the time plan from the city’s government to allow events of different sizes to take place as well as what the Messe Berlin is doing and the question that is on everyone’s lips…. When might we expect Berlin’s NEW airport BER to open!! To be fair Marco has something of a Baptism of Fire behind him as no sooner was he settling into his new position as head of the Convention Bureau than Corona happened! So what how has he coped too and what has he and the Visti Berlin team been doing over the last months… Marco reveals all!   Links:   Marco Oelschlegel https://convention.visitberlin.de/ueber-uns   Mark Felstead www.mcf-consulting.eu   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 4   Value Bombs:   Sustainable Events / Team Building   XXL Insect Hotel   Upcycling Art   Contribute to your local environment!   Protect the Bees as Albert Einstein once said “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live”   Show notes / short description   Sustainable Events!!   We talk again to Patrick Havenstein from Teamgeist about a very creative and sustainable Team Building Event – The Insect Hotel!! As Einstein once famoulsy quoted, “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live”. So Patrick introduces the XXL Insect Hotel project to help us be creative and do something positive for the environment… But that is not all!! In the second part of the talk he talks about “Sustainable Art” and how to sculpture to create “Upcycling Art!”, a project which not only has 0 material waste but can also lead to awards and charity donations!   Show Notes / Longer   Sustainable Event Ideas for Team Building!  Here we talk again to Patrick Havenstein from Teamgeist about two of their events that are not only completely sustainable but help create a team spirit (the WE Feeling) and contribute positively to the environment!! The first is as XXL Insect Hotel.  It was none other than Einstein who said, ““If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live” and Patrick will talk about how to create a home for those bees as part of your company’s Team Building Project.    In the second half we then talk about a project with minus zero waste!  Upcycling Art  - the use of discarded old work clothes and chicken mess to create sculptures and works of art…These can also be used to give awards or even to help make donations for charity.  Great ideas in a time where everyone is rediscovering a passion for analogue creation!!   Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 4   Links:   Patrick Havenstein, Teamgeist: https://www.teamgeist.com   Mark Felstead, MCF Consulting https://www.mcf-consulting.eu   AXICA Event Centre https://www.axica.de/home.html   Mash Media Group https://www.mashmedia.net   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com and www.podcastsyndicator.com

Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 3   Intro notes / short description   BAMM! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Ivor Cummins – Leading Bio Chemical Engineer and World Respected Thought leader on Covid19 and author of “Eat Rich Live Long”   For everyone, but especially those over 40, THIS IS ESSENTIAL LISTENING!   I am talking to Ivor Cummins, leading Bio Chemical Engineer and World Respected thought leader on Covid19 - the science and the DATA.   In the course of our talk he reveals to me “The most powerful thing you can do (right now) to reduce your chances of a severe Corona Virus outcome or even death!!” - and believe me listeners, it’s a lot simpler than you think.   We also talk about Insulin Resistance and the best way to reduce the risk of getting type 2 Diabetes and its many associated illnesses including arteriosclerosis and CVD (Cardio Vascular Disease) in the future – although many of us probably already are Type 2 Diabetes – we just don’t know it yet!!   Hear about how I found Ivor, what I have learnt from his book “Eat Rich Live Long”, my emotional journey of the last 18 months and how I could have possibly avoided it! (I have survived 2 terrible “Widow Maker” heart attacks).   You will hear things I so wish I had known 20 years ago, and things that could literally SAVE LIVES!   And keep listening to the end as Ivor will tell you how to get one of his “MUST SEE” films for FREE!           Berlin’s Sleeping Beauties Episode 3   Interview With Ivor Cummins   BAMM! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Ivor Cummins – Leading Bio Chemical Engineer and World Respected Thought leader on Covid19 and author of “Eat Rich Live Long”   For everyone, but especially those over 40, THIS IS ESSENTIAL LISTENING     This time around BSB has taken a bit of a look outside of the Berlin Events scene to talk to one of my absolute heroes in the health world, Ivor Cummins, leading Bio Chemical Engineer and author.   As well as his current work on Covid19 (where his network includes hundreds of the World’s leading epidemiologists and virologists) he also has done extensive research on arteriosclerosis and insulin resistance which is a subject literally very close to my heart!   He has so generously taken time out from talking to Nobel Prize Winners and Stanford University Professors to discuss some of his findings regarding Covid 19 and Type 2 Diabetes with you and me listeners … and it makes for fascinating listening!!!   In the course of our talk he reveals to me, “The most powerful thing you can do (right now) to reduce your chances of a severe Corona Virus outcome or even death!!” - and believe me listeners, it’s a lot simpler than you think.   We also talk about Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance and how to avoid it now and in the future.  Probably many of you with healthy lifestyles and diets don’t think this should be a worry… Like me in fact. But two Widow Maker Heart Attacks later and I really wonder how I managed to damage my pipes so badly when I thought I was doing everything right!!   Listen to Ivor provide some of the answers to my questions and tell me things I so wish I had known 20 years ago!!       You will hear things I so wish I had known 20 years ago, and things that could literally SAVE LIVES!     Finally, please stay to the end as Ivor tells you how to download one of his “Must See” films for FREE!        Links:   Ivor Cummins, https://thefatemperor.com   Eat Rich Live Long, Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/s?k=eat+rich+live+long&hvadid=79989569898371&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvqmt=p&tag=hyddemsn-21&ref=pd_sl_9j52nrsach_p   The Widow Maker Movie: http://widowmakerthemovie.com   Extra Time Movie : https://www.extratimemovie.com   The Irish Heart Disease Awareness: https://www.extratimemovie.com   Subscribe   Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   A Podcast Company -  is the leading podcast production company for brands, organizations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right equipment, training, and guidance to ensure you sound amazing. - https://www.apodcastcompany.com/sales-page32057188 and www.podcastsyndicator.com