The event format 12min.me celebrates its second anniversary on Thursday. Reason enough to talk about it with Hannah Klose, who directs the event series in Munich.
Hannah, 12min.me is celebrating its 2nd birthday, congratulations! For anyone who isn't familiar with the format yet, please give us a brief introduction.
12min.me is a unique format, combining substance with a great fun factor, offering a relevant and attractive networking platform for anyone with an open mind. Nowhere else can you get input and inspiration plus networking of this quality.
Once a month, experts and young professionals deliver presentations on a specific topic of their choice in consultation with the 12min.me team. Each speaker faces a challenge: They must address their topic precisely, because: He has EXACTLY 12 minutes and the clock is merciless!
In German or English, it doesn't matter. Just keep it compact, concise, and to the point. Afterwards, the audience will also have a maximum of 12 minutes to ask questions.
12min.me has become a force that moves and captivates more and more people, bringing together the new and old economy. No other format has spread as quickly and successfully in Germany and Europe.
How did you get involved and how did the event help you personally?
My roots lie in the event and conference world; I enjoy traveling to events and have been organizing and planning them for years. I love connecting people; I enjoy networking. In October 2014, we at mantro considered using the space for events. The open kitchen with its ample space offers an ideal location for evening events. The suggestion to bring the 12min.me series from Hamburg to Munich immediately came up.
12min.me was launched in Hamburg by Oliver Rößling and Gregor Hoppe in the fall of 2013. Former partners and project managers, mantro GmbH, formed a connection with Absolute GmbH, the location sponsor of 12min.me in Hamburg. Since both locations already knew each other well from their close collaboration, there was a significant vote of confidence and direct support for the launch of the 12min.me Munich series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nxln-RXYhw
12min.me has had a huge impact on me personally and helped me progress over the past two years. I jumped in at the deep end and from day one simply said, "Yeah, sure, we'll do it!" I wasn't aware of or fully aware of what I was in for. A regular monthly event series is something completely different than a one-off event – for which you might have months of time to prepare, organize, and plan. 12min.me has greatly broadened my "event horizons." My expectations of evening events have risen enormously! They have to be entertaining, interesting, and humorous, as well as respectful and with a fair amount of added value. This also requires a strong network.
Everyone can benefit
For whom is 12min.me an absolute must and who can benefit from it?
This event is an absolute must for anyone who wants to explore Munich's ecosystem and is curious about new people, great encounters, interesting, entertaining presentations, and highly exciting contacts. Everyone can benefit from it! Really! From CEOs of major players to founders and creatives, we are open to all industries and personalities and offer space for diversity. It's not just our startups, who get 144 seconds to pitch, who can benefit. Our guests have the chance to personally address both speakers and other guests during the direct networking event following the presentations and pitches and to openly exchange ideas. A first You can also find an insight into our talks on YouTube.
How has the event changed in the last two years?
The core has essentially remained the same, and the clock is still ticking. We've definitely changed in terms of professionalism. Our presentations are recorded and uploaded to YouTube. All of our technology is state-of-the-art. Our network has grown enormously, to over 2,000 people in the Meetup community, to be precise. We've also secured a permanent spot in Munich's event calendar. Many of our (regular) visitors return regularly to be inspired and exchange ideas.
Goosebump moments at 12min.me
Do you remember any special highlights in these two years of 12min.me?
An absolute highlight to this day is a very special moment: When Kimo (Note d. Editor: Co-Founder LK Networks) changed his talk title, and thus his topic, two seconds before his presentation. With the changed title, he decided to speak about a topic that is particularly close to his heart. And thus moved us to tears, a truly goosebump-inducing moment. A talk that I will remember for a long time and that demonstrated true greatness and a great deal of courage on our stage. Simply fantastic!
What did you come up with for the big birthday party?
On Thursday evening, we've not only invited top-notch speakers, but also planned a few surprises. For everyone who has spoken with us over the past two years, there will also be an exclusive speaker dinner the evening before. It's a wonderful opportunity to see everyone again and say THANK YOU.
Your own conference as a dream
Where does 12min.me want to go? What are your visions for the future of the event?
We want to launch several verticals in Munich next year. Our model is clearly what Hamburg and Berlin, for example, are already doing. 12min.med – Life Science, CodeRouge, 12min.law – InFlagranti, Startup Slam, 12min.move – Mobility & Infrastructure, 12min.edu (Education) 12min.lead – leading from any chair… the city’s ecosystem is gradually being very well represented by 12min.me and fabulous synergies are emerging.
A 12min.me conference of our own would of course be a dream – but that’s a long way off!
Anything else you want to get off your chest?
A huge, massive THANK YOU to everyone who has made 12min.me Munich what it is today. THANK YOU also to all our supporters and our awesome—no, Slackbot would say SUPER AWESOME—12min.me organizing team across Germany.
Thank you very much and continued success, Hannah!
Here you can still register last minute for the party on Thursday.
