Traveled the world and further specialized

Philipp Goschau is familiar with events from the ground up. As a trained chef and hotel specialist, he traveled the seas of this world on cruise ships and then worked in the USA as an F&B management trainee. For those who don't know the abbreviation, it stands for Food and Beverage, the largest sector in the hotel and restaurant industry. What followed was distance learning to become a hotel business administrator and finally event management at the Colosseum in Essen and the Metronom Theater in Oberhausen.

Back to the roots in Essen-Stoppenberg

He has now been contributing his experience to the Grand Hall's operations for two years - the decisive step forward for him. "Planning is everything," he says, "that works particularly well here." On the one hand, the Grand Hall's customer base consistently includes large companies and corporations, and on the other, "we have fixed catering and technical partners on whom we can rely 100% at all times." This is of elementary importance for the event manager, because he is also responsible for the complete and meticulously timed processes. And this applies to the set-up and dismantling as well as to the event itself.

The father of two sons does not want to conceal another significant personal advantage of his work at Zollverein: He lives with his family where he also grew up and always returned from his travels: In Essen-Stoppenberg, just a stone's throw away from the World Heritage Site, the Grand Hall and "his soccer field".

"No," she says, amused. "I couldn't do that either." She's never had much to do with LEGO building sets as the mother of a grown daughter. Her job lies with other things, especially as, like now at the LEGO event, innovative experiential areas are in focus, from interactive LED flooring to trampolining to dance choreography.

Material quantities

For an event on 4,000 square meters to be so playful, the preparation must be right down to the last detail. The schedule plays an important role here. "We have some logistical challenges here," explains Kerstin Vollmert. Assisting service providers have to be coordinated among themselves and an interim storage facility has to be made available for the quantities of material. The stage builders are also particularly in demand. Because children in particular are supposed to have fun on the event days, accompanying adults take their seats on a grandstand specially installed in the Grand Hall. From there, parents & co. can't join in the fun, but they can join in the excitement.

Unusual workplace is inspiration

"We make sure that everything in the hall is just as the customer wants it," says the Witten native, who headed the events department at the Colosseum in Essen for many years before moving to the Grand Hall. What she particularly likes about her workplace at Zollverein is that she is once again dealing with a magnificent industrial backdrop. And can turn really big wheels in the form of complex orders. Companies and corporations bring very different demands. "The goal is for our customers to walk out of here happy and say: this is exactly how we imagined it."

When the LEGO show starts on 07.10.23 in the Grand Hall, Kerstin Vollmert won't have much time to try her hand at the famous bricks herself. As a direct contact person for all questions that arise around the event, she always has to be ready. She creates free space for herself outside the hot phases. Then she sometimes goes to the movies. With her daughter, for example, who also works in the event industry while studying to be a teacher. The last movie they saw was, how could it be otherwise, "Barbie.

The native of Paderborn, for friends and colleagues simply "Kölle", comes to over 30 years of professional experience in the event industry. Among other things, as a stage builder, stage manager, fire protection officer and safety expert.

Working on the weekend? Perfectly fine.

He feels at home in the Grand Hall because here he can demonstrate all his skills in one place. This starts with initial discussions with corporate customers when it comes to space planning and extends to the implementation of sustainability measures. He is often on duty at weekends as well. Perfectly okay for the 57-year-old. "That way I also have time off during the week," says the father of three, who in his private life makes music with his band Pottgod (recently named "the best band in the West" by WDR2) or works in the allotment garden. "An office job, Monday to Friday, Nine to Five, no, that wouldn't be for me." Sitting at a desk for long periods of time is not something you'll find him doing anyway.

Successful search

If you want to talk to him, it's best to look first in the hall, on the grounds or in the adjacent switch house - where he is monitoring preparations for the next event or even the modernization work that is currently underway. Which brings us back to the light bulb. Of course, the all-rounder has found the right LEDs - at a company in Rhineland-Palatinate. The light sources fit in wonderfully - and also save 75% energy.