“Moinsen” to all the readers and colleagues out there.
My name is Agnes Dallmer-Zerbe. I am twenty-two years of age, half Polish, born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. After a two-year apprenticeship in a hotel in the east of Germany I decided to focus my studies on international management at the University of Stralsund, which is in the Baltic Sea region of Germany. Since the beginning of February 2022 I can proudly call myself the newest addition to the Congrex Team. To be more precise, I started a six-month internship in the Account Management department and if you think I’m going to go easy on Congrex in this article so I don’t jeopardize any chance of future employment, I can assure you that this report will be my honest first impressions of Congrex, the work atmosphere and my understanding of their company mission. I’m pretty sure that after reading this you will understand why I say I’m proud to be a member of the team.
I’m pretty sure that after reading this you will understand why I say I’m proud to be a member of the team.
I didn’t know what to expect on my first day. However, all my concerns and anxieties vanished after a quick introductory meeting with the other newbies. There was a lot to remember from that first encounter, but there were two things which the instructor particularly stressed. Firstly, we call everyone by their first name, including managers, and secondly the ‘Zero Email Policy’. At first this sounded ridiculous – I figured working in the congress business would mean a lot of emails… I think you know what I’m talking about. But at Congrex, if there is something that needs to be communicated between colleagues and it can be done directly, just by speaking to each other, then that’s the way we do it.
Another thing which caught my attention was the system of ‘flexible workspaces’. Next to two very comfortable meeting rooms furnished with swinging sofa chairs, employees can change their workspace every day, with the goal of bringing people together. You might recognize this slogan as part of our official published purpose.
During my first week I expected the typical tasks which define being an intern. Making coffee, photocopying, buying gifts for the boss’s family because they don’t have time…..I’m joking, but you know how the to-do list for an intern can be. Surprisingly I got every type of task except the ones I had expected. From day one I was treated like a typical employee, taking part in the daily huddles, organizing meetings, and being assigned to do things for which I would have full responsibility and could offer my own ideas or initiative.
I would have full responsibility and could offer my own ideas or initiative.
Now, let me tell you about the highlight of my time so far. It was special to me, not only because it was my first face-to-face encounter with a client, but moreover it happened only in the second week of my internship. I got the chance to be part of a two-day live recording event at a professional TV studio with a client. The ‘Show’ was dedicated to the clients’ employees, patients and partners. It was a ‘Kick-Off Event’ to start another working year and a recap of previous achievements. Before the show could take place my colleagues, the client and studio employees had to get all kinds of things prepared. I was warned that dealing with some tasks would not always be easy, but to be honest after seeing the finished result for myself, you would never think that it was difficult for anyone. I was even more impressed after hearing that this type of production was being done for the first time by nearly everyone involved! I would never have thought that something like this could be so interesting and challenging – I got to work with musicians who have played with some of the biggest acts around the world. Moreover, in this production we were able to combine a business message with the psychology of creating memories – how awesome!
What will always stay in my mind is the direct feedback we got from the client. Their evaluation was incredibly positive and the appreciation we received in face-to-face feedback was overwhelming. Thanks to the amazing work of the production team, the creative meeting design and collaboration with the client, we were able to create a connection between people, not just in person, but virtually as well – in total more than four-hundred and fifty people were brought together.
[The client’s] evaluation was incredibly positive and the appreciation we received in face-to-face feedback was overwhelming.
In my previous work experience I would never have put the words ‘job’ and ‘fun’ together. But I guess there’s some truth to the saying: ‘If work is not fun, you’re not playing for the right team.’ To give an idea of the excitement from that two-day production there is a short video with some impressions attached to this article.
My first two weeks as an intern at Congrex have been simply amazing. From my experience my colleagues demonstrated the company’s purpose and made it easy for me to understand teamwork and the value we bring to our clients.
I’m going to finish this article by saying a big Thank You to my colleagues and to Congrex for giving me the chance to prove myself and for the experiences I’ve already had which I will remember for a long time. I can only hope that I have a long and productive future with the company.
Author: Agnes Dallmer-Zerbe, Intern Account Management
