SAP : and Life Ball Fight Against HIV and AIDS

On June 8, SAP took its commitment to make the world run better and improve people's lives to the Life Ball.

Known as Europe's biggest HIV/AIDS charity event, the Life Ball is committed to global education, information, social and health policy development, acceptance and openness in the field of HIV/AIDS, and resources to support people with AIDS and HIV. SAP's renewed commitment in the event's final year is in line with the company's long legacy of contributing to causes around HIV and AIDS worldwide.

The energy and uniqueness of the Life Ball motivated SAP to continue its commitment and to celebrate the community of supporters who work tirelessly to help save lives and fight against HIV and AIDS and the stigma around the illness alongside customers, such as Deutsche Telekom, MAC Cosmetics, Red Bull, and Swarovski.

One of the beneficiaries of the event is the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP), founded by Charlize Theron, Academy Award-winning actress and UN Messenger of Peace. With the vision of creating a future where all youth are empowered to live healthy lives, the organization helps teenagers between ten and twenty years old expand their education and awareness of HIV/AIDS. SAP used the Life Ball to salute Theron, her team, and their local program partners on their incredible work, presenting a dedicated donation of 50,000 Euros to the Life Ball to support CTAOP in continuing to make a difference.

SAP contributed three exclusive items to the live auction of the LIFE+ Solidarity Gala, the premier VIP event of the Life Ball weekend. With the help of celebrities, such as Pierre Sarkozy and world-renown auctioneer, Simon de Pury, the auction alone raised 280,000 Euros.

Among the highlights of the event were the guests' flamboyant costumes. Each year, the celebrity Life Ball jury is responsible for selecting the most impressive costumes of the night. SAP once again featured the popular Life Ball Style Contest Voting, powered by SAP Experience Management, which enabled thousands of fans to vote for their favorite costumes in real time.

Guests on site and viewers at home were able to admire and share their feelings about the elaborate outfits of the arriving ball guests. The aggregated audience votes counted as much as the vote of a member of the jury. This way, the evaluation of the best costumes became an exciting experience.

Last year, SAP contributed its technology expertise to help educate youth on sexual and reproductive health. Together with Youth Against AIDS, SAP developed an online education course to deepen the understanding of youth peer educators on HIV prevention techniques and smart decision-making in early adulthood. The online course is available to existing peer educators on openSAP.

With the world rapidly changing, new flexible learning methods are required to deliver knowledge and information faster, and openSAP has successfully helped to enable people to upskill from anywhere in the world, at a time that suits their schedule. The online course is being presented in a booth in front of Vienna's city hall.

Daniel Beringer is senior director and head of Innovation and Technology - Americas for SAP Global Sponsorships and eXperienceSAP.