CCB Magazine

Katrin Dröse and Jürgen Schepers: "We just have to remember to keep going"

Photo: © IHK Berlin

There are 79 IHKs in Germany, and an IHK traditionally represents companies and tradespeople in a region. But what does the IHK do for the creative industries in Berlin? We talked to Katrin Dröse, IHK industry manager, and Jürgen Schepers, key account manager, about this.

Interview Jens Thomas  

CCB Magazine:Hello Katrin and Jürgen, you are a sector manager and key account manager for the creative industries at the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Please introduce yourselves briefly: What do you do, what is your background?

Katrin:Hello, I'm Katrin and for the past three years I've been the contact person for Berlin's creatives as their industry manager. Before that I worked in the field of film with a focus on film production and film funding. My focus at the IHK is on companies that have had little contact with the IHK Berlin. Here I look in personal conversations where exactly I can pick them up and support them with the offers of the IHK Berlin. Whether I give them impulses for their business management or tips for subsidies and the area of sustainability - or how to build a network.

Jürgen:I have been with the IHK for over twelve years, previously working as a trainee/editor at a daily newspaper and then 13 years in PR & Marketing in the creative industries for film, TV, clubs, music and entertainment publishers. I am a key account manager at the IHK, responsible for companies, associations, institutions and networks from the creative industries. I also work with politicians and administrators to represent the interests of creative people. To do this, I try to support them from a macroeconomic perspective, to network with each other and to position their suggestions, but also their problems, with politicians and administrators. To do this, I am on the road a lot.

We establish networks, we offer information and cooperation events, in addition to product presentations, political statements or we develop new formats such as recently our IHK pop-up office, a kind of mobile field office

Jürgen Schepers (top, photo © yoonaverse) and Katrin Dröse (bottom, photo © IHK Berlin) in action
 

CCB Magazine:Can you describe your daily routine? What does the work of a sector manager or a key account manager for the creative industries at the IHK Berlin look like?

Katrin:All in all, we have many discussions with very different actors - because we have over 320,000 member companies, many of which have had little or no contact with us. We want to change that. Our Chamber thrives on the commitment and close exchange with its members. To this end, we organise company visits, networking, information or cooperation events, product presentations, political statements or we develop new formats such as our recent IHK pop-up office, a kind of mobile field office. Of course, we are also the contact for our honorary office, i.e. the entrepreneurs who are actively involved, such as in the expert committees and the plenary assembly.

CCB Magazine:An IHK is quite classically the professional representation of companies and tradespeople in a region, whereby you automatically become a member if you are liable for trade tax. There are currently around 79 IHKs in Germany. What exactly does an IHK do for the creative industries?

Jürgen: First of all, a chamber of commerce and industry always represents the interests of the entire economy in the chamber district vis-à-vis politicians and is a contact and service provider for members of all sectors, unlike a sector association, for example. And very importantly, our commitment to a sector does not depend on the amount of membership fees or the size of the company. To answer your question: We create networks, we support training companies or, in practical terms, we issue so-called carnets for film shoots abroad, so that, for example, no import duty is charged for longer productions abroad.

CCB Magazine:And what do the offers for the creative industries look like in concrete terms?

Katrin:We bundle all the topics and bring them together for the companies: Digitalisation, new legal forms, sustainability. In addition, we offer services - free of charge for all members - such as legal advice, workshops and training. For example, we recently had a Business Ladies Lunch to strengthen the visibility of women in the industry. Or we offer training on sustainability topics such as plastic-free production. Above all, we want to address all sectors so that synergies arise. To achieve this, we network them with each other, for example with our Berlin Creative Tech Summit, which will take place for the first time in November together with Berlin Partner and visitBerlin, but also across sectors, such as with our sector dialogues, where the digital economy recently exchanged ideas with the construction and real estate sectors.

CCB Magazine:Besides the pervasiveness of AI, sustainability is currently the dominant topic. How are the fields of activity and requirements of the CCI changing in the course of technological and sustainable change?

Katrin:Like the entire economy, we must also adapt internally to the new circumstances and challenges. To this end, we adapt our offers accordingly. Let's take the topics of sustainability or the shortage of skilled workers as an example. We have definitely expanded our offers in recent years because we see that our members have an increasing need. That is why the close exchange with our member companies is so important. Expectations of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce are also changing in practical terms, with the keyword being digitalisation. For example, we were the first chamber in Germany to have a Chief Digital Officer who pushed the digitalisation of our offers and services. The pandemic was of course a massive intensifier for this.

CCB Magazine:Speaking of pandemic: The total turnover of the culture and creative industries has fallen to EUR 160.4 billion in 2020, almost nine percent less than in 2019. The performing arts (-81 percent) have been hit the hardest, followed by the music industry (-44 percent), film industry (-41 percent) and the art market (-39 percent). Will the sectors recover? What concepts are needed?

Jürgen:These are precisely the sub-sectors whose revenues are largely generated from public events and which are now slowly working towards a pre-Corona situation. It remains to be seen how their situation, and of course that of the other sub-sectors, will develop. The Corona aid as well as the programmes "Neustart Wirtschaft" and "Perspektive Kultur" as start-up aid were an important support. We believe that we are on the right track here.

CCB Magazine:You have already mentioned the shortage of skilled workers. How can creative industries benefit from this?

Katrin:The creative industries do not profit from it, they are affected by it themselves - and that is a novelty with the consequence that the "war of talents" has not only arrived in the creative industries, but is taking place in full measure. There will be no profiteers, rather it is important that the " us " is in the focus.

CCB Magazine:This " us " is currently also changing the understanding of the economy: post-growth instead of growth, reduction instead of overproduction. How will this development change the creative industries in the medium to long term?

Jürgen:It is not so much the understanding of the economy that is changing. Of course we need a flourishing economy. No growth does not mean more climate protection, probably even the opposite. However, there is widespread agreement that all efforts must be made to produce and operate in a resource-conserving and, in the best case, climate-neutral manner. This, in turn, has a massive impact on all sectors and also on the creative industries, where many companies are already setting an example, for example with sustainable festivals or film productions. The next question that arises for the creative industries is whether the effects of the growing use of AI will possibly change the industry even more than the issue of climate change.

Corporate responsibility always means social responsibility. Both are rooted in the DNA of the cultural and creative industries

CCB Magazine:Finally, please take a look at the future for us: What contribution can creative companies make to a sustainable, digital but also inclusive society?

Jürgen:Entrepreneurial responsibility always means social responsibility, and these two qualities are rooted in the DNA of the cultural and creative industries in Berlin. Just think of the discourses at the "re:publica", the sustainable fashion fair "beyond berlin", formats like "Future of Festivals" or the "yoonaverse", which combines sustainability and digital, as well as the "People & Culture Festival", where the topic of inclusion is taken into account. I would also like to add the Berlin-based Action Network for Sustainability in Culture and Media, which offers further training for transformation managers throughout Germany, or the film industry, which has introduced the "green consultant" on set. I'm sure I've forgotten a few. Sometimes they are still small plants, sometimes already established players, but it clearly shows that we have moved from the subjunctive to the present. We just have to remember to keep going.

Category: Specials