In 80 Tagen um die WeltThe German Chamber of Commerce in North China hosted the 15th German Ball at the Kempinski Hotel Beijing on November 14th, 2015. This year around 750 guests were treated to an amazing surprise-filled evening as they traveled around the world. The theme, “In 80 Tagen um die Welt” carried itself through the décor, performances, and live music.

The Ball was once again held in the ballroom, where this year the new setup was very well received by guests. During the reception a Henna tattoo artist and “street digital illustrator” livened up the experience for several guests. After enjoying welcome drinks and canapés in the foyer, guest were led into the ballroom by the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra. The evening commenced with an Egyptian dance performance, followed by welcome speeches from Ms. Alexandra Voss, Executive Director of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, North China and Delegate & Chief Repre-sentative of the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce Beijing, and Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, North China and CEO & President of Siemens Ltd. China.

The Orchestra enchanted guests with their wonderful repertoire of both traditional and classical inspired music. Egyptian performances, Bollywood dancers, and a Liza Minelli impersonator performing “New York, New York” entertained guests throughout the night. Later in the evening, the dance floor was packed, as guests danced the night away to live performances by the German band ‘Ten Ahead’, and the well-known local band ‘Solid Gold’.

Guests enjoyed a selection of open bars while mingling in the foyer, while Kempinski’s grand dessert buffet was a highlight for every sweet tooth, and the midnight buffet was much appreciated by all night owls. As the evening progressed the Coffee Bar became the foyer’s star attraction where guests were able to recharge.

As in previous years, RMB 50,000 of the proceeds from the German Ball is donated to the Amity Foundation and their pursuit to aid orphans living in remote areas.

We thank all our guests who made the event so special, and look forward to welcoming everyone again in 2016!

„Es war ein berührender Moment, als 750 festlich gekleidete Ballgästeder Opfer der schrecklichen Pariser Anschläge gedachten. Der Ball war geprägt durch eine sehr festliche Atmosphäre, die durch eine ausge-sprochen schöne Dekoration des Ballsaals, als auch durch eine ausge-zeichnete Vorstellung des Orchesters unterstützt wurde.“

Lothar Herrmann | Chairman of the Board of Directors, German Chamber ofCommerce - North China and CEO & President, Siemens Ltd. China

Ball Facts

Number of men wearing a top hat 5

Time when the first guest arrived 5:20 pm

Time when the last guest left 7:00 am

Number of wine bottles emptied 820

Minutes waltzed 45

Number of artists/performers at the Ball 54

Number of official photos taken about 3650

Number of people on the dance floor (12 pm) 330

Hours spent organizing the event countless

People appreciating the coffee bar in later hours almost everyone

Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors, German Chamber of Commerce - North China and Ms. Alexandra Voss, Executive Director of the German Chamber of Commerce – North China

Ten Ahead

Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra

Special Act - Bollywood Performance

„Der Deutsche Ball 2015 war ein Volltreffer! Vielen Dank an das Team der Kammer und des Kempinski. Die Stimmung war phänomenal, Motto, Ausstat-tung, Musik und Essen vom Feinsten. Besonders schön fanden wir die neue Tischan-ordnung, die nur Vorteile hat: Man kann sich besser unterhal-ten und es spart Platz, so dass alle gemeinsam im Hauptsaal feiern können. Wir freuen uns schon auf das nächste Jahr!“

Dr. Falk Lichtenstein | Counsel, CMS, ChinaJing Lichtenstein | Deutsche Schule

„Eine tolle Reise, zwar nur bis Beijing, aber dafür umso ausgelassener! Ein tolles Mot-to, ein gelungenes, neues Konzept fuer die Dekoration und den Ballsaal sowie ein varian-tenreiches Abendmenü, Gäste und Musik mit-reissend und den Abend geniessend. Die Reise geht weiter...bis zum nächsten Ball in Beijing.“

Stephan Luerssen | Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, German Chamber of Commerce – North China and Managing Director, Bitzer Refrigeration Technology (China) Co., Ltd

„Der Deutsche Ball 2015 war klasse! Grosses Lob an das German Chamber Team und das Kempinski Hotel!! Es hat Spaß gemacht, an einem Abend um die Welt zu reisen, mit dem Heiß-luftballon über Indien und England hinwegzufliegen, im Hintergrund das Pfeifen der Dampflok. Das Thema war mit vielen witzigen Ideen super um-gesetzt. Die großen Leinwände an den Seiten haben für alle das Mitverfol-gen der unterschiedlichen Einlagen ermöglicht. Im Vergleich zum Vorjahr waren auch die höheren Tribünen an den Seiten eine Verbesserung. Es war ein gelungener Abend mit gutem Essen und vielen netten Leuten. Ich freue mich schon auf das nächste Jahr!“

Gundula Strittmatter | Client Liaison Executive, International SOS

Special Act - Egyptian Dancers

Special Act - Nancy J. Brown

Presenter Esther Haubensack

Tavey Lean and the Solid Gold Dream Machine

The German Ball in Beijing

The German Ball in Beijing required months of careful planning. The German Chamber team put their heart into organizing this memorable evening.

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who made the German Ball 2015 possible: our loyal and generous sponsors, the dedicated German Ball committee, the dutiful team at Kempinski, the fantastic artists and entertainers, all our suppliers and service providers, the German Chamber and of course all our members and wonderful guests. Because of you, the German Ball 2015 was a great success. Thank you all for making this night an unforgettable one.