Metro Wholesale & Food Specialist : Exhibition "METRO unboxed" kicks off in Düsseldorf

Construction of the 'METRO unboxed' exhibition of discovery officially kicked off on 21st August at Dreieck Reuterkaserne in Düsseldorf's Old Town. Mayor Thomas Geisel, directors of the düsseldorf festival! Christiane Oxenfort and Andreas Dahmen, METRO Chief Human Resources Officer Heiko Hutmacher and Johannes Milla, general contractor from Milla & Partner, presented the concept for the exhibition to journalists and residents as part of a dialogue event.

The temporary, two-storey 'METRO unboxed' pavilion will provide visitors with a wide range of insights into the world of the wholesale and food specialist. The dialogue event this morning marked the beginning of the approximately three-week construction phase at Reuterkaserne where 38 exhibition stations over some 2,000 square metres are going up. 'Düsseldorf is our home base,' Management Board member Heiko Hutmacher said. 'After splitting up our company in July, we felt it was important to make the new METRO something that everyone can experience, from the people in the region to our customers, our partners and our employees. This exhibition is for all of them. The exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to experience the world of modern trade − from international specialities and sustainable logistics solutions to digital trends of the future − with all of their senses.'

The 'METRO unboxed' exhibition of discovery will take place at the same time as the düsseldorf festival!. Mayor Thomas Geisel expressed his delight at this: 'Here is a company with a long tradition now presenting itself in a new light. The campaign is supporting the festival, ensuring it for the next few years. I can imagine that the tent on Burgplatz and METRO unboxed complement each other very well.'

Christiane Oxenfort and Andreas Dahmen, directors of the düsseldorf festival!, are very happy about this year's premium partnership with METRO: 'METRO has been supporting us since 2005, so we know each other very well. This familiarity has been key to working together to get such a big project like METRO unboxed off the ground in collaboration with the city of Düsseldorf. With its exhibition, METRO is adding another dimension to this year's festival. In terms of the programme, we have free rein to choose the artists, who will ideally perform in front of the pavilion if the weather is nice. Programme details will be announced soon, but we can say this much already: it will focus on acts from street theatre and contemporary circus. Our work is simply more fun when you have a partner like METRO.'

Johannes Milla, general contractor from Milla & Partner, explained the key elements that will make the pavilion a highlight of the düsseldorf festival!. 'When coming up with the design for the pavilion, we placed special emphasis on interactive features and sites for learning in order to surprise visitors, inspire them and capture their imaginations through the latest forms of technology,' he said. 'The clear focus is on crafting a sensory experience of discovery. Visitors will interact and engage in dialogue with the METRO experts.' Highlights include what are known as SeedBoards, which use completely new technologies. At the same time, they are easy to operate, like a book. As a result, visitors will be able to discover the modern world of trade in a way they have never experienced before.

Dialogue with residents

To go along with construction, METRO set up a dedicated hotline [phone]) back in early August to field questions from residents. In addition, regularly occurring info hours for updates on the project's progress have been held on site every Tuesday from 6−7 pm since mid-August. 'The dialogue is very important to everyone involved in the project,' Johannes Milla said at today's event. 'We understand that protecting the trees is a top priority for residents, which is why we have taken all of the necessary steps to preserve them. Despite these efforts, it was not possible to transplant four trees as planned. In coordination with the city's parks agency, we have removed the trees without their roots.' METRO will replace them by planting seven similar trees after the exhibition.

About METRO unboxed

METRO unboxed is an exhibition that gives visitors the opportunity to experience the world of modern trade − from international specialities and sustainable logistics solutions to digital trends of the future − with all of their senses. As part of the exhibition, international METRO experts will engage in dialogue with guests about the many different aspects of innovative trade solutions that aid entrepreneurs and consumers from around the world every day, that enrich life in our cities and that facilitate answers to societal challenges. For more information about METRO unboxed, visit: www.metro-unboxed.de