KICK-OFF #DCHH16
Embracing Change
After five years on the ISM campus in HafenCity, this year’s DestinationCamp moved just under a kilometer toward the Binnenalster. In addition to the change of venue, there were a number of other changes, which were explained to the participants in an entertaining way at the start of the event—most notably, the climate- and water-neutral organization of the event.
As is the case every year, the keynote address once again drew a lot of attention. Management consultant Florian Gold shared his ideas on the factors that drive success in modern business leadership. The most important ones: focus, agility, and speed. In times of rapid digital transformation, we should prioritize speed over perfection. Organizations that want to survive must adapt quickly:
"You can restructure your organization in just a few seconds by turning your organizational chart upside down."
A key factor for success here is a motivated, valued employee who serves as the most important link to the market. After all:
"You don't have to be perfect—it's enough to figure out what the customer perceives as added value and then implement it in a focused and agile way."
CHANGE ALWAYS STARTS WITH A QUESTION — THE PANEL DISCUSSION TAKES A STAND
Following the keynote address, a panel discussion , industry representatives from various parts of the value chain were once again interviewed on the main topic. This time, the participants included:
- Kathrin Dürr (Alpsee-Grünten Tourismus GmbH)
- Michael Buller (Association for Internet Travel Distribution, e.V.)
- Achim Schloemer (Cologne-Düsseldorf German Rhine Shipping Co., Ltd.)
- Olaf Stehr (1st German Potato Hotel Lüneburger Heide GmbH)
- Martin Spantig (BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH)
- Thorsten Teschner (Hamburg Tourism GmbH)
The topic of change was examined here from various perspectives. Among others , Martin Spantig of
offered an interesting hypothesis :
"There's actually a beautiful German word for the concept of 'change' or 'transformation': Leben. I get the impression that we sometimes make too much of this topic. We have to implement change every day and carry out our leadership responsibilities."
However, everyone agreed that, given the ever-accelerating pace of change, there is a need for action. Market-oriented communication and innovative strength are two key success factors here. Today’s communication options are extremely diverse and complex—yet, unfortunately, innovation all too often comes not from within one’s own industry, but from outside it. However, impactful communication and groundbreaking innovation are both meaningless without a truly great product—that was the general consensus among the panelists.
We will now be exploring this and other aspects of the topic of change over the next two days, and we look forward to seeing some interesting results.
The 2016 video documentary will be presented at the kickoff event by the Wilken Corporate Group & HRS Destination Solutions.