“Welcome, Mr. President!” Barack Obama opens the founders’ conference Bits & Pretzels at Messe München

September 29, 2019 | Munich is the focal point of the international start-up scene for the next three days. In the Internationales Congress Center (ICM) of Messe München, today saw the start of the founders’ conference Bits & Pretzels. To begin with, visitors experienced a highlight in the history of the conference: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former US President Barack Obama spoke in his keynote address about the subject of leadership. Messe München is the venue of Bits & Pretzels for the third time already and has held a ten-percent share in this world-leading founders’ conference since last year.

“To play a substantial role in realizing this unique event with top-class speakers like Barack Obama makes us very proud. The keynote by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former US President was a unique experience for Messe München. As shareholder of Bits & Pretzels, we are especially pleased with this success and we thus reinforce our claim as a global networking platform”, says a delighted Klaus Dittrich, Chairman & CEO of Messe München.

Bits & Pretzels’ organizers Andy Bruckschlögl, Bernd Storm van’s Gravesande and Felix Haas are glad about the support from Messe München. “Today’s opening of Bits & Pretzels shows how important it is to press ahead with your own vision together with a strong partner like Messe München. We believe that entrepreneurship is the best lever to exert a positive influence on society and change the world for the better. This year’s motto ‘Impact’ should emphasize that. Founders of European start-ups have the chance to be successful and make a positive contribution at the same time.”

From September 29 to October 1, more than 5,000 visitors will be following lectures, workshops and panel discussions and will exchange views on the subjects of entrepreneurship and founding a business. On seven stages altogether, more than 100 speakers from all over the world will present innovations and start-up ideas and give tips about what prospective founders should look out for. A further networking event with a great tradition is the visit to the Oktoberfest together on October 1, when participants have the chance of a personal exchange of views with one of more than 150 experts.

This year for the first time, Messe München presents the contest ‘Pitch the Show’. Here, founders can introduce themselves in a Messe München video box and explain in a short statement how start-ups can make use of trade shows to succeed in business. The contest is part of a special program at Messe München to support start-ups. All along, Messe München has promoted these through various concepts. The partnership with Bits & Pretzels underlines this commitment and enhances the status of Munich as hub of the international start-up scene.