Big screen, 1000 visitors: The YouTube Festival 2017

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We were at the YouTube Festival 2017

18.10.2017

Translation: machine translated

YouTube, the video platform owned by Google, celebrated its second YouTube Festival in Berlin last week. We were there and enjoyed an entertaining Thursday - together with numerous creators and artists.

You may have heard of the Video Days, which have been taking place since 2010 and are aimed at YouTube creators as well as the public, attracting thousands of visitors each time. The YouTube Festival, which has been taking place in autumn since last year, is not quite as big - after all, it is only aimed at a limited target group: the advertisers, to which we belong with our two channels (Galaxus and digitec).

Last Thursday it was that time again: around 1000 advertising clients and agencies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland gathered at the Kraftwerk in Berlin at around midday. Of course, we Swiss were in the crass minority, but as luck would have it: I had already shaken the first hands I knew on the way to the first lunch station.

The motto of this year's festival was "Our audience is yours" and Philipp Justus, Vice President Central Europe, and Andreas Briese, the director responsible for YouTube content partnerships, soon took to the stage. In his welcome address, Justus recalled the year 2005 - "Tokio Hotel" was travelling through the monsoon, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were a couple - and the first video was uploaded to YouTube.

Soon enough, they moved on to smaller, separate areas where so-called "masterclasses" were held. You had to register for three topics in advance, and over the next two hours or so I learnt how YouTube ads can be booked in the programmatic age, how to strategically target the right users and how a German classifieds portal was successful with influencers. Nothing spectacular, but definitely interesting insights into different areas.

Then it was back to the main stage, where, in addition to best practice cases from the business world, the programme also included appearances by various YouTube creators: ProSieben presenter Joko Winterscheidt hosted the YouTube Brandcast show, where artists and YouTube stars such as Nicole Cross, Die Lochis and later Cro also performed. But creators from outside the entertainment scene were also featured: Mathematician Daniel Jung talked about how "edutainment" is gradually conquering the video platform and Sally from Sally's World, Julien Bam and two thoroughly entertaining older Youtubers from Senioren Zocken.

Afterwards, during the stand-up dinner, there was another opportunity to discuss YouTube strategies and work out follower targets before the Beginner crowned the evening with a concert. Tired but thoroughly inspired, I fell into my hotel bed sometime after midnight, having subscribed to one or two of the YouTube channels I had discovered that day.

YouTube streaming on the TV

Streaming box

Google Chromecast

2 GB, Android Go

Header image: Big screen, 1000 visitors: The YouTube Festival 2017

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Thierry Pool

Head of Digital Marketing and Media Planning

thierry.pool@digitecgalaxus.ch

I’m passionate about observing the development of the digital environment – particularly when it comes to the countless exciting and interesting challenges and changes it has in store for our society, our everyday lives and businesses. Apart from that, gaming has been a part of my life since I first started out at Digitec Galaxus as well as IT in general, travelling, sports, concerts and good food.

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