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CeBIT Australia: Official Blog|Vice President meets Hugo @CeBIT Episode
This morning my first task was to interview Mr. Jörg Shomburg, Senior Vice President of Deutsche Messe AG (Hannover Fairs). Obviously I’m comfortable with the entire mediacast process but I must admit that on this occasion I felt a tinge of nerves and anxiety. As my host led me to the VIP Lounge upstairs (with notebook under one arm) I found myself envisaging the possible scenarios that might occur. Perhaps Mr. Shomburg was tired of interviews; perhaps he was unapproachable or worse still, intimidating. What I found as I stepped around the office partition was a scenario I hadn’t quite predicted.As an interviewer I follow a very simple set of guidelines, i.e. “rapport, Rapport, RAPPORT!” With Mr. Shomburg however these guidelines were rather futile; it seems that Jörg’s whit and charm left me with very little to do but sit back and enjoy the process. As we got to know each other, and I showed him images of my baby (The first ever Official CeBIT Blog) we seemed to connect on more levels than one. I found him to be full of energy and humor; he even requested that we take off our coats and ties in an effort to capture a more comfortable Jörg.As we headed outside Jörg started sharing tales of the CeBIT Fair in Germany and described it as “50 times larger than the CeBIT Fair in Australia.” He commented on his love for Manly Beach and his passion for travel. What I understood most of Jörg was just how calm and appreciative he really is; his commitment to building a brighter and better CeBIT was evident, and his win/win attitude clearly displayed throughout our time together.“I’m retiring this year you know?” He stated. “In life I have a philosophy: Progress can only be made by renewal, and the whole Universe is made by renewal.” What I comprehended from this statement is that Jörg sees his retirement as a fulfillment of this philosophy, i.e. making space for renewal to commence. Not only does this ensure a bigger and better CeBIT for us all but it also allows Mr. Shomburg the luxury of leaving Hannover Fairs with a very commendable peace of mind.Enjoy this informal yet warm look at one of Hannover Fairs most Senior, and most influential, spokesmen.
[ Thu, 11 May 2006 10:06:48 -0500 ]
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