R.I.F.E.L. appoints new advisory board: Top-class industry expertise bolsters research into the events sector

Broad industry representation on the new advisory board

The advisory board comprises representatives from renowned companies and institutions: Ben Cudok (Rent Group), Colja Dams (VOK DAMS), Christoph Franke (Schwarz Digits), Siegbert Hieber (meplan), Michael Hosang (Studieninstitut für Kommunikation), Kerstin Keller (AllianzGI), Kerstin Meisner-Schaul (GoFor!Artists, Magazin showcases), Michael Mueller (Samsung), Florian Nürnberger (Neumann & Müller), Dirk Reimann (Swiss Life), David Ruetz (Messe Berlin), Prof. Dr Olga Spomer (TH Mittelhessen), Stephanie Forstner (lemonpie EVENTCATERING), Markus Walke (DSV Holding Germany GmbH) and Steffen Straub (Deutsche Bahn).

The Executive Board of R.I.F.E.L. e. V. comprises Hannes Schwarm (Chair), Prof. Dr Cornelia Zanger (Deputy Chair), Alexander Ostermaier (Treasurer) and Martina Ernsting-Elsner (Administration).

Mission: Bridging the gap between academia and practice

Founded in 2017, the institute sees itself as an interface between academia and the events industry. The aim is to use well-founded data and studies to create transparency for an industry which, according to R.I.F.E.L. surveys, generates a turnover of 81 billion euros and employs 1.13 million people – making it one of Germany’s six largest economic sectors.

Established R.I.F.E.L. formats include the ‘Map of the Events Industry’, the salary survey on roles and remuneration, and the monthly capacity utilisation index, which reflects the business expectations of various sectors.

Role of the Advisory Board

In future, the new Advisory Board will contribute to identifying topics, prioritising research projects and communicating their findings. Members are appointed for three years; the Advisory Board meets twice a year, in April and October.

“With hard facts and figures, we are ensuring that an industry generating 81 billion euros in turnover can finally no longer be overlooked,” sums up R.I.F.E.L. Chairman Hannes Schwarm.

About R.I.F.E.L.

The Research Institute for Exhibition and Live Communication (R.I.F.E.L.) e. V. is an independent research institute founded in 2017 that produces practice-oriented, scientifically sound studies for the events industry – in collaboration with academic partners such as Chemnitz University of Technology .www.rifel-institut.de