Work Culture Festival 2026: Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World, Photo: © Leading Minds

Oct 29 15:00 Hall 6, Board Stage Connected Cultures

Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World

Dr Caroline von Kretschmann uses the example of the Europäischer Hof Heidelberg to demonstrate how hospitality can be lived as a mindset and become the foundation of a sustainable corporate and leadership culture.

In this moderated conversation, she explores why authentic relationships, lived values, and a culture of mindfulness are key drivers of success and long-term resilience—not only in the hospitality industry but across all sectors. The conversation will be moderated by Gesine Braun, Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Business manager.

Photo: © Leading Minds

Presentation language: German

Participants

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Four days. Lots of highlights. And that’s just the start.

The programme is constantly expanding with new talks, panel discussions, workshops and interactive spaces.

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Hall 6

Board Stage

Zoomer Meets Boomer: Leadership That Connects

Director Strategy Agentic AI at Plan.Net Agentic AI

Senior Vice President at EGYM Wellpass

Entrepreneur, Consultant, Trainer & Coach

Fairness and Team Spirit: Values in Elite Sports and the Workplace

Former Tennis World No. 1 & Three-Time Grand Slam Champion

Founder & Publisher of STRIVE Magazine

Designed to Feel: Neurodiversity, Sensory Experience and the New Workplace

Director at Universal Design Studio

"Cooking Is Like Music": What Businesses Can Learn from Fine Dining

Chef & Entrepreneur

What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare? (live podcast)

Physician and Entrepreneur

Futurist for Culture and Innovation

UNSUCK HR: How to Transform HR from a Cost Center into a Profit Center

Founder & Publisher of STRIVE Magazine

Pilot & Founder of WeOne

Chief People Officer at HRS Group

Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World

Managing Director at Europäischer Hof Heidelberg

Editor-in-Chief at Harvard Business manager

“Cover Women” – Gesine Braun and Laura Kienbaum Talk About the World of Work Behind the Cover Stories

Founder of loop_creating places

Editor-in-Chief at Harvard Business manager

Next Stage

Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue

Architect & Co-Founder of EMBT Architect

Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work

Manager at Drees & Sommer

Managing Director of macom and Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

Social Thinking About Space: From Office to Connection

Engaged Scholar at the Future of Work Lab at the University of Konstanz

Researcher at Dresden University of Technology

RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture

Partner at Alpha IC GmbH

Partner at Alpha IC GmbH

Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres

Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

Architect and Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

Head of Department Workplace Transformation at Munich Re

Senior Team Lead at European Central Bank

The Office as a Playful Arena: What Spaces, Realities, and Shared Experiences Do We Need to Improve Together with AI?

Trend expert and futurologist

Head of last by schachermayer

Beyond Green Buildings: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI

Global Design Strategy Lead at JLL

Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices

Global Design Strategy Lead at JLL

Co-Founder & Principal of Studio O+A

Global Head of Workplace at Siemens Healthineers

Academy

Health Management in Practice (Workshop)

Senior Sales Manager Corporate Health at EGYM Wellpass

Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop)

Manager at Drees & Sommer

Managing Director of macom and Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport

Sustainability Expert & Head of European Level

Environmental Law Specialist

Product Technical Director at Grupo Forma 5

Managing Director of Integrated Worlds GmbH and Initiator of the Furniture-X Initiative

From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop)

Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

Architect and Associate Partner at Drees & Sommer

Unlocking More Value from Existing Assets: How Digital Transparency and Reuse Are Transforming the Office Industry

Co-Founder of newen - powered by IBA

CEO of seventhings

Specials

Book Signing with Michael Trautmann & Oskar Trautmann

Director Strategy Agentic AI at Plan.Net Agentic AI

Entrepreneur, Consultant, Trainer & Coach

Book Signing with Angelique Kerber

Former Tennis World No. 1 & Three-Time Grand Slam Champion

Book Signing with Cornelia Poletto

Chef & Entrepreneur

Book Signing with Dr. Laura Kienbaum

Founder of loop_creating places

Zoomer Meets Boomer: Leadership That Connects

Michael Trautmann, Oskar Trautmann & Johannes Füß

Work Culture Festival 2026: Title, Photo: © Johannes Füß, Oskar Trautmann, Michael Trautmann

Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue

Benedetta Tagliabue

Work Culture Festival 2026: Architonic Design Minds at Work: Benedetta Tagliabue, Foto: © Sergi Alcazar BNhigh

Fairness and Team Spirit: Values in Elite Sports and the Workplace

Angelique Kerber

Health Management in Practice (Workshop)

Rebecca Schnelle

Work Culture Festival 2026: Health Management in Practice, Foto: © Rebecca Schnelle

Book Signing with Michael Trautmann & Oskar Trautmann

Michael Trautmann & Oskar Trautmann

Work Culture Festival 2026: Book Signing with Michael Trautmann & Oskar Trautmann, Photo: © Michael Trautmann & Oskar Trautmann

Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Work Culture Festival 2026: Physical AI: The Impact of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence on the Future of Work, Photo: © Drees & Sommer

Book Signing with Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber

Work Culture Festival 2026: Book Signing with Angelique Kerber, Photo: © Leading Minds

Designed to Feel: Neurodiversity, Sensory Experience and the New Workplace

Carly Sweeney

Work Culture Festival 2026: Designed to Feel: Neurodiversity, Sensory Experience and the New Workplace, Foto: © Carly Sweeney

Social Thinking About Space: From Office to Connection

Amelie Marie Fischer & Dr Ann-Sophie Lauterbach

Work Culture Festival 2026: Soziales Raumdenken: Vom Büro zur Begegnung, Photo: © Amelie Marie Fischer & Dr Ann-Sophie Lauterbach

Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop)

Jörn Lehmann & Oliver Mack

Work Culture Festival 2026: Beyond ChatGPT: When AI Becomes Physical (Workshop), Photo: © Drees & Sommer

"Cooking Is Like Music": What Businesses Can Learn from Fine Dining

Cornelia Poletto

Work Culture Festival 2026: Cooking is like music, Photo: © Melanie Dreysse

RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture

Andrea Schmidt & Daniela Merkenich

Work Culture Festival 2026: RESI Rocks: Sustainable Architecture Meets a New Work Culture, Photo: © Karolina Parot

What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare? (live podcast)

Toan Nguyen & Dr Anne Latz

Work Culture Festival 2026: What Happens When a Doctor and an Entrepreneur Come Together to Rethink the Future of Healthcare?, Photo: © Leading Minds

Book Signing with Cornelia Poletto

Cornelia Poletto

Work Culture Festival 2026: Book Signing with Cornelia Poletto, Photo: © Melanie Dreysse

R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport

Dr Martin Führ, Klaus Bröhl, Álvaro López Arroyo, Volker Weßels (Moderator)

Work Culture Festival 2026: R-evolve Update: The Digital Product Passport, Foto: © iStock, ismagilov

Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres

Bernd Fisel, Andreas Stieglbauer, Maximilian Schumacher & Alice Wildhack

Work Culture Festival 2026: Less Space, More Value: Why the Future of the Office Isn’t Decided by Square Metres, Photo: © Drees & Sommer, Maximilian Schumacher, Alice Wildhack, Drees & Sommer

UNSUCK HR: How to Transform HR from a Cost Center into a Profit Center

Katharina Wolff, Alexandra Barth, Dr Tanja Becker and Alissa Stein (Moderation)

Work Culture Festival 2026: UNSUCK HR: Wie man HR vom Cost zum Profit Center entwickelt, Fotos: © Katharina Wolff, Dominik Pfau, Dr. Tanja Becker, Alexandra Barth

The Office as a Playful Arena: What Spaces, Realities, and Shared Experiences Do We Need to Improve Together with AI?

Birgit Gebhardt & Winni Ransmayr

Work Culture Festival 2026: SIMULATE – The Office as a Playful Arena, Photo: © Birgit Gebhardt

Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World

Dr Caroline von Kretschmann

Work Culture Festival 2026: Why the Human Element Makes the Difference in a Digital World, Photo: © Leading Minds

From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop)

Bernd Fisel & Andreas Stieglbauer

Work Culture Festival 2026: From Square Metres to Added Value: Identifying, Evaluating and Implementing Efficiency Levers for Office Space (Workshop), Photo: © Drees & Sommer

Beyond Green Buildings: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Work Culture Festival 2026: Redefining Workplace Sustainability in the Age of the AI, Photo: © Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache

“Cover Women” – Gesine Braun and Laura Kienbaum Talk About the World of Work Behind the Cover Stories

Dr. Laura Kienbaum & Gesine Braun

Work Culture Festival 2026: „Coverwomen

Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices

Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache, Primo Orpilla, Alina Rehorst

Work Culture Festival 2026: Workplace as Strategy: Designing Organisations, Not Just Offices, Photo: © Dr Guzmán de Yarza Blache

Unlocking More Value from Existing Assets: How Digital Transparency and Reuse Are Transforming the Office Industry

Philipp Dicke & Michael Lehnert

Work Culture Festival 2026: Unlocking More Value from Existing Assets: How Digital Transparency and Reuse Are Transforming the Office Industry, Foto: © Philipp Dicke / Michael Lehnert

Book Signing with Dr. Laura Kienbaum

Dr. Laura Kienbaum

Work Culture Festival 2026: Book Signing with Dr. Laura Kienbaum, Photo: © Dr. Laura Kienbaum

Get your ticket here ORGATEC / WW-Festival 2026