Over the past two days, Mercedes-Benz has been holding what they’re calling a brand workshop in Stuttgart, Germany. We were invited to the event, and to be honest, we had absolutely no idea what to expect. A brand workshop? We’ve heard of self-help workshops; we’ve heard of relationship workshops; but as for what brand workshops involves, nope, not a clue. It turns out, a brand workshop is a way for a bunch of writers to get together, get a private tour of the Mercedes-Benz Museum, visit the company’s design center, be treated to some fantastic food, and yes, drive a varied assortment of Mercedes’ on the company’s test track. In other words, if Mercedes invites you to one of their brand workshops, just say yes.
Before you get too jealous, I have to tell you I’m writing this from a second person point of view. Due to scheduling conflicts our writers weren’t able to attend, so we had an associate fill in for us that relayed to us his exploits. In other words, I’m in the same boat as you: pissed I wasn’t there. Just kidding. Sort of.
Anyways, back to the story. So if you want to know what’s it’s like at a company sponsored event, I’m going to give you a completely descriptive rundown – not quite as good as being there, but the next best thing.
First, they fly you (in this case first-class) to Stutgart, Germany, where a large, jovial man with a Mercedes-Benz sign awaits your arrival. You’re then taken via Mercedes-Benz shuttle to your hotel (in this case, the Le Meridien), before being treated to dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, Le Cassoulet.
The next day, after an early breakfast, free time to meander the streets of historic Stuttgart. At 4 PM, it’s time to get to work. A shuttle arrives, summoning you to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. 4:30 PM – work begins. And by work I mean mingling commences in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. There were a variety of blog writers in attendance, virtually none of whom our associate had heard of. One guy, a 31 year-old from Baltimore, has nearly waste-length black hair. He says he hasn’t had a haircut in 15 years and he doesn’t own a car. Our associate believes him. He goes on to say he sometimes plays in a slow metal band and instead of singing he screams. Our associate again believes him. His website is www.lostateminor.com.
At 5 PM, everyone is officially welcomed to the event, followed by a a talk on “European Luxury” by Alexander Mankowsky, futurologist at Daimler AG. Next an exclusive tour of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is given, where every vehicle is available for a test drive. It was like being invited to Willy Wonka’s factory, where you go into that huge room with the chocolate river and giant candy mushrooms, and you can eat everything you see. Just kidding, the last two sentences were purely fictional. But the guests were given a private tour of the facility, which is still pretty fantastic unto itself. At 8:15 PM, dinner kicked off at the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s Casino restaurant, followed by a nightcap at the hotel. My associate emailed me at 2:00 AM, so I’m guessing the party extended well into the next morning.
The second day, another breakfast at the hotel, followed by shuttle transfer to the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Sindelfingen. There was a talk on “Paradigm shift – sustainable mobility” by Alexander Mankowsky as well as a Mercedes-Benz design demonstration. But the real highlight was the presence of the Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style Research Vehicle and various other concepts, up close and touchable. After spending some time admiring cars typically cordoned off by ropes and armed guard, another shuttle – this time to the Mercedes testing ground in Malmsheim. A quick lunch, and testing of a variety of Mercedes models commenced. Vehicles on hand included the SL, GLK, M-Class, S-Class, and a numerous other models. Our associate’s favorite part? Not driving, but rather being chauffeured in the roughly $500,000 Maybach Zeppelin on the Autobahn at 155 mph. Thinking about it, you really can’t get much better than that.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and the Mercedes-Benz Brand Workshop was no exception. After a final group dinner, the Mercedes Brand Workshop drew to a close. And now, as I write this, my associate is in mid-air, returning home, more familiar with the brand and likely still reminiscing about how good the scent emanating from the Zeppelin’s perfume atomizer smelled at 155.
