Making tomorrow visible today: The sky lights up over Upper Franconia

We love challenges: So what do we say to the proposal to plan and organise a major event for media representatives from all over Germany in a transformer station with no infrastructure for events? Absolutely!

And so we helped organise the TenneT Grid Summit 2024 at the Würgau substation, one of the most modern substations in Europe. Business journalists from the leading media as well as representatives from the specialised press and regional media were invited to the two-day event. On the first day, they were welcomed by Tim Meyerjürgens, CEO of TenneT Germany, who gave them a personal tour of the substation. During the subsequent dinner with keynote speeches by the dena Managing Director Corinna Enders, among others, the substation was lit up in all its colours – which was clearly visible in the neighbouring villages and even attracted some local residents.

On the second day, TenneT experts provided information on important future topics such as security of supply and the possibilities of using digitalisation and AI. Numerous high-ranking speakers took part in the subsequent panel discussion, including Minister of State Dr Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, Uniper CEO Michael Lewis, Managing Director of BDEW Kerstin Andreae and CTO of Hitachi Energy Gerhard Salge. All TenneT employees had the opportunity to follow the panel discussion online via a live broadcast. They experienced an exciting exchange about the challenges posed by the shortage of skilled labour, the question of resilient supply chains for grid expansion and the affordability of the energy transition. During the speed dating session, the journalists each had eight minutes to ask the panellists more in-depth questions.

For an event of this size to run smoothly, careful preparation and real teamwork are essential. Everything has to come together at exactly the right time, from the tent builder to the catering and shuttle service to the make-up for the panel discussion. The participants also need to be prepared in terms of content. Engel & Zimmermann worked closely with the TenneT communications team and other partners for months to achieve this goal.

The enormous media response to the Grid Summit confirms that such efforts are worthwhile. All the important core messages were reflected in the reporting, and demands on politicians and society were recognised. Intensive dialogue shows that: With good arguments and well-founded insights, greater acceptance and understanding of the energy transition can be achieved.