Reading time: 4 minutes
Hamburg Climate Week is the largest environmental communication event in Europe. This event is coordinated, among others, from the German Ocean Foundation which used LineUpr for the first time in 2018 as an event app. Of course, that makes us incredibly proud.
In this interview, Katrin Meyer from the German Ocean Foundation tells us more about the Climate Week, how she specifically used the LineUpr app and what big charity events should consider. Have fun while reading. ?
LineUpr: Hello Katrin. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the German Ocean Foundation.
Katrin: The German Ocean Foundation is a charitable organization that promotes dialogue between business, science, society, and politics through an intense and constructive dialogue. Our goal is to strengthen the ocean consciousness in Germany. As head of office I am responsible for various things, from classic office work to the organization and implementation of exciting projects.
LineUpr: On behalf of the German Ocean Foundation, you also organize the Hamburg Climate Week. Can you tell us something more about this event? What content do you offer the participants?
Katrin: The foundation participates in and co-ordinates the Hamburg Climate Week as the largest environmental communication event in Europe with over 200 activities related to climate change and sustainability. In particular, it is about the joint implementation of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, which have been globally valid since 2016.
LineUpr: Who is the typical target group of the Hamburg Climate Week and how do you reach them? What channels and tools do you use for marketing and presentation?
Katrin: The Climate Week’s target group is very diverse and ranges from young people to retirees. That is why it is incredibly difficult with the targeted approach. The Climate Week has educational activities, organizes lectures, cultural events and also a theme day where sustainable products and ideas can be experienced. So it’s a big mishmash of different activities for very different target groups.
LineUpr: Do you also use printed products for marketing the event or distributing information locally? If so, which and why?
Katrin: In the context of the Climate Week, we are using fewer and fewer printed products (posters, flyers, classic PR work) and are increasingly trying to offer our information digitally. This is not easy with the target group because, for example, there are still people who do not use a smartphone or a computer but are still very interested in the climate week. Basically, we want to reach everyone but the goal in the future will definitely be digital.
Basically, we want to reach everyone but the goal in the future will definitely be digital.
LineUpr: You have used LineUpr for the first time. How did you learn about LineUpr and what was the decisive argument for you to use an event app?
Katrin: We’ve done a lot of research and sifted through many companies that deal with websites and apps. We came across LineUpr through a recommendation. We were delighted with the possibilities. The decisive argument was the quick implementation and easy handling – and with it the clarity of the individual activities including the search functions.
LineUpr: Have you already used event apps? If so, what are your experiences? If not, what has been against the use of an event app?
Katrin: So far we have not used an app because in the context of volunteering we ultimately lack the money and staff to do it.
LineUpr: How did you use our app before, during and after the Climate Week?
Katrin: We used the app one month before the start of the event and informed participants about the app in every mail. Also on the posters, flyers and digital screens, we pointed out the appropriate link.
LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?
Katrin: The visitors reacted to the app in very different ways. Many were excited about the local search feature, the offline feature and the ability to build their own program. This was mirrored back to us several times. A person in the subway just spoke to us about how great he found the app. But overall, we didn’t manage this year to encourage enough people to use the app actively. The use of an app for such free event weeks, which take place between work and leisure in different locations throughout the city, seems in our view, not yet familiar in the market. At festivals and conferences, of course, an event app is popular – perhaps because people here pay money for their tickets.
We are very satisfied with the app. The tool has done more than promised because the use was also fun.
LineUpr: Is there a unique story about the Climate Week that you would like to share with us?
Katrin: Climate Week is unique in Europe and a social initiative in response to not responding to the urgent implementation of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. For example, solar energy is currently the cheapest form of energy and German politicians are still allowing companies to relocate pipelines to Germany to transport fossil fuels from crisis regions to our country instead of consistently implementing the politically desired energy transition. The Climate Week wants to set an example with many and above all highly qualified participants in and with society.
LineUpr: Which top three tips would you like to give other organizers when using LineUpr?
Katrin: We are very satisfied with the app. The tool has done more than promised because the use was also fun. My tips: 1. Organizers must include the app in advance in their communication, of course accordingly intense, that’s a crucial factor. 2. Use the copy function for entries! 3. The simple customization of the logos and title images and the comfortable insertion of texts from our website via copy and paste have made work a lot easier.
LineUpr: Thank you Katrin for the great interview. With the German Ocean Foundation and the Hamburg Climate Week, you are pursuing such an important goal. Thanks to people like you, this has meanwhile also reached the core of society and the discussion is finally on the move. But as you say, there is still a lot of potentials up there. More information about the Climate Week is available on their homepage or on their profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
We are very happy that we are allowed to support you a bit on this crucial task. ?
