Harpswood Goes Full Charge in Berlin: supporting Octopus Energy’s Landmark Event with WIRED
Berlin, the city where tech meets techno, pulsed with energy as it hosted a landmark event for Octopus Energy. For the second year running, Octopus Energy joined forces with iconic tech and culture magazine WIRED to host the Energy Tech Summit in the heart of the German capital.
All proceeds from this year’s event went to the Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, which equips Ukrainian schools and hospitals with hybrid solar power plants.
This year’s summit was held at the legendary Kraftwerk space, the former power plant that once heated the city with gas and is now renowned as a vibrant venue for innovative and cultural events.
Bringing together over 500 industry leaders across tech, energy, mobility, and sustainable housing, this year’s summit tackled one of the most urgent challenges of our time: how to accelerate the uptake of green technology to make the clean energy revolution a reality.
The stage was set for a powerhouse lineup of speakers, including Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy; Stella Li, CEO of BYD Americas; clean tech pioneer Bertrand Piccard; Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter; and F1 racing sensation Kevin Magnussen.
As usual, Harpswood’s UK and German team members were on hand to support Octopus as part of our wide-ranging brief with the global green energy leader. From the earliest stages of pre-planning, our team played a key role in speaker outreach and led on coordinating an exclusive press trip to be hosted in conjunction with the main event.
From the outset, Octopus trusted us to help bring their vision to life and ensure the press trip ran smoothly. We invited leading energy journalists from across the UK, Italy and Spain, managing the bookings and all logistics to give them a front-row seat to Octopus Energy’s sector-defining work in Germany.
From designing the trip’s itinerary and arranging memorable sightseeing activities to scheduling on-site interviews and liaising with multiple event stakeholders - we threw ourselves into creating a seamless experience for our media guests.
With the support of our team in Germany, led by Christina, our Munich-based native, we were able to add an authentic local touch to the press trip.
Highlights included a private cruise on a solar-powered catamaran down the Spree - and of course, what trip to Berlin would be complete without experiencing the local food? A hearty German meal at one of Berlin’s oldest and best-loved traditional pubs rounded off the day, leaving everyone with a taste of the city’s unique charm.
Journalists had a fantastic time, with many highlighting the well-organized schedule, memorable activities, and the insightful look into Octopus’s work to bring sustainable energy solutions to Germany.
Beyond the pre-event planning and press trip, it was fantastic to be on-the-ground supporting the Octopus and WIRED teams on the day of the event. It was an action-packed day managing the on-site press room, supporting speakers in the lounge and facilitating media interviews.
We’re lucky to work as an extension of Octopus’s incredible team and deliver vital support on landmark projects like this for the business. Now running their press offices across the UK, US, Germany and Italy, our work continues to build the innovator’s global reputation as a leader of the green energy revolution.