From One Brilliant Mind to Another

v.l.n.r. Patrick Zubac, Wolfgang Kreile, Sebastian Ömer, Gerhard Maier

12 July 2013
The event series "Stuttgarter Köpfe" recently celebrated its tenth anniversary – and the anniversary was certainly celebrated in style!

Since the end of 2008 leading figures from Stuttgart have been meeting at the “Stuttgarter Köpfe” event series on a shared intellectual journey that has always been characterised by new and interesting encounters and stimulating discussions. In the wonderful setting of the 4-star Superior Hotel ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart, leading figures from the worlds of business, politics, culture, society and sports have picked up new ideas and impulses for their companies and benefited from the spirit of enterprise in Stuttgart. They all take inspiration from the stimulating presentations, use the innovative information they obtain, engage in discussion and make new contacts.

The inspiration for the ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart was provided by the legendary Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago), which for over a thousand years has been a symbol for encounters with others and introspection. In the same way, the ARCOTEL Camino provides a place where people, not just from all over the world, but also from Stuttgart and the surrounding area, can come together and meet. The “Stuttgarter Köpfe” are leading personalities from the worlds of sports, business, politics and society. They are the people who make Stuttgart what it is: an unusual city that attracts attention with exciting opportunities and unique features, a high quality of life and a wide range of cultural activities; a city, which despite its size, has in many areas been able to retain the laidback lifestyle of a much smaller town.

The ARCOTEL Camino recreates the world of the Camino de Santiago – a rediscovery of one’s own path in life and a dialogue with oneself and others. Thus it is no surprise that the idea for the "Stuttgarter Köpfe" was born at the ARCOTEL Camino and that the entire team has been wholehearted, not to say passionate, about implementing the concept.

This year’s talks featured Susanne Eisenmann (Councillor for Education, Culture and Sports of the City of Stuttgart) and Ulrike Groos (Director of the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart) who discussed "Culture in Stuttgart”. They were followed by Bernd Merkle (Swabian dialect author) who gave a dialect reading. The event closed with a talk by Ulrich Kienzle (journalist and publicist) and Rezzo Schlauch (politician and lawyer). The evening was moderated by Gerhard Maier (a leading human resources strategy consultant and managing director at Nagel.Maier.Partner).

"No pleasure is transient, for the mark it leaves is lasting."
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
In keeping with this motto, the Restaurant WEISSENHOF at the ARCOTEL Camino ensured that the social programme was equally enjoyable. Guests were spoiled with exquisite culinary pleasures such as chilled melon soup with grilled prawns, Norwegian salmon and vanilla panna cotta. Musical enjoyment was also guaranteed as throughout the evening "Lounge Experience" – a group of well-known professional musicians, who regularly take to the stage with popular jazz and pop musicians – presented an extensive repertoire of jazz, soul and pop songs in a new guise.

ARCOTEL Camino’s invitation to its guests can best be expressed as "Go Your Own Way – Bon Camino".