How can I inspire new intercultural impulses in trade fair management employees with highly international skills? How can I support decision-makers in compact workshops to develop common levels of understanding in international customer orientation?
These and other questions were posed at the start of our new project with Messe Berlin. Our cooperation partner YellowPark provided valuable support in implementing training concepts developed by intercultures.
The First Step: „Intercultural Competence“
In a first step, approximately 100 employees successfully completed a basic model on “intercultural competence” by the summer of 2009. The training did not only involve direct contact with trade fair visitors but also included international management and project control issues relating to the topic.
Messe Berlin expects to strengthen its competitive position by promoting a higher sensitivity towards international customer needs and through an improved ability to communicate with partners worldwide.
Further Steps
Further modules are being planned – some with a culture-specific focus and others to follow-up and reflect on practical progress.
For instance, in October 2009 qualified psychologist Ferah Aksoy-Burkert will offer a module focusing on Turkish customers and stakeholders that will offer possibilities for optimising processes for project managers of Messe Berlin.
