“I Simply Enjoy Bringing People Together”

Manfred Brinkmann: Mr. Westermeyer, looking at OMR today, it appears to be a very clear success story. Was it ever planned that way?

Philipp Westermeyer: No, not at all. It actually started as a hobby. At the time, I had my main company in online marketing, and people constantly asked me: “You know a lot about online marketing – can you explain it to us?” That led to small seminars for clients, friends, and former colleagues. People enjoyed it and kept wanting more. At some point, the first small conference followed. None of this was ever planned as a major business – it was more of a side project, a hobby.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn: When did it become a real company?

Philipp Westermeyer: It happened step by step. We realized that demand kept growing. At the same time, we tried to make the events special – with concerts, parties, and unusual locations. We simply wanted to create something enjoyable. The major turning point came when my former company was sold to Zalando. My two partners stayed there, but my role was no longer really needed. Suddenly, the question came up: What am I going to do now? And there was this hobby project that kept growing and growing. So I decided to focus on it full-time.

Manfred Brinkmann: And that’s when the major growth began?

Philipp Westermeyer: Yes, although many things simply came together at the right time. We often had perfect timing. Facebook distributed our articles extremely virally back then, podcasts became huge, and the entire digital industry was booming. We built an editorial team, published articles every day, later added podcasts, exhibition spaces, and new formats. At some point, we suddenly had 30 or 40 people on the team. We started the podcast because I had discovered podcasts myself. I used to push my small children around in a stroller in the mornings while listening to podcasts. At some point, I thought: Okay, we’re going to do this under the OMR brand as well.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn: Today, nearly 400 people work for Ramp106. How do you manage such a large system?

Philipp Westermeyer: You have to accept that you can no longer do everything yourself. My most important task today is selecting the right people and defining the overall direction. Today, we have different divisions – event production, partnerships, editorial work, podcasts, or software products – and all of these are separate systems with their own experts. In the end, it’s about bringing all these systems together. In the beginning, the team mainly consisted of friends and acquaintances because everything felt very much like a hobby. But at some point, you naturally realize that you need professionals for certain areas – people who truly understand event production or podcast content. That moved us forward tremendously.

Manfred Brinkmann: Despite its size, OMR still feels very approachable and emotional. What values are behind the festival?

Philipp Westermeyer: Basically, we always ask ourselves three questions: Is it informative? Is it inspiring? And does it bring people together? People should be able to learn something, feel inspired, and connect with others. But for that, you also need the right culture. If people are supposed to network, you need openness, ease, and a certain informality. If people are supposed to learn something, you need professionalism and calmness. And if people are supposed to feel inspired, sometimes you also need a certain amount of craziness.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn: What exactly do you mean by craziness?

Philipp Westermeyer: Sometimes you have to do things that seem bigger than what people would normally expect. For example, we are currently considering whether we could bring a cruise ship to Hamburg during the festival – as an additional venue for events or accommodations. At the same time, you also shouldn’t overdo it. We try to evolve step by step. I sometimes compare it to a pole vaulter who raises the bar only a little bit higher each time.

Manfred Brinkmann: After the pandemic, OMR grew massively once again. What was the main driver at the time?

Philipp Westermeyer: The desire for real human interaction was enormous. Back then, we were one of the first major events to take place again. People wanted to go out again, meet others, and experience things. We were completely overwhelmed. It was spectacular, crazy, and not perfect – but also incredibly emotional. Many people still remember those days very vividly. Afterwards, we structured the festival more professionally and organized it in a more controlled way without losing its original character.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn: How international do you want OMR to become in the future?

Philipp Westermeyer: We are already working on that very strategically. But we think less in terms of countries and more in terms of ecosystems. Amsterdam was our first major step, then London, and next will probably be Copenhagen or Warsaw. However, the goal is not to build separate branches everywhere. We want to bring people to Hamburg.

Manfred Brinkmann: Why does OMR work so well specifically in Hamburg?

Philipp Westermeyer: For us, Hamburg offers an almost perfect combination. The city is large enough, has many hotels, and at the same time still feels close and accessible. Here, you can involve the entire city – the exhibition center, the airport, the media industry, and the local community. In addition, the exhibition halls are located right in the city center. That’s a huge advantage.

Dr. Endre Hagenthurn: You now regularly interview top international executives. Do you feel comfortable in that role?

Philipp Westermeyer: Actually, I try to become a little more invisible. But sometimes guests specifically request that I do the interviews myself. What matters most to me is always the audience. People should be able to take valuable insights away from these conversations. They should understand how other companies think and what challenges they face.

Manfred Brinkmann: And what personally motivates you today?

Philipp Westermeyer: In the end, it’s still simply the enjoyment of it all. I never started with some grand mission. I wanted to explain things to people and bring people together. Of course, it has since become a large company with a lot of responsibility. But honestly, I don’t question it philosophically every single day. I rather feel that a responsibility has gradually emerged. People expect something from us, clients book with us, visitors buy tickets, and partners make plans together with us. And I genuinely enjoy this everyday work. Not every single day – but most days. I also don’t feel like I absolutely have to achieve some major goal. It would be a shame if I could no longer do this someday. But I’m not in that mindset of: “Only once I achieve something specific will I be satisfied.”