GGI EasyMeet in Dusseldorf, Germany, 7 to 9 March 2014

Sixty professionals from all over the world gathered for the 2014 Spring EasyMeet, hosted by GGI member firms FPS, Kieffer Stübben and Wendler Tremml. Participants from across Europe as well as from Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey and the USA spent two intense days together, enjoying wonderfully mild temperatures in the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Dr. Reinhard Nacke gave the welcome address and opened the official program. The packed agenda provided profound insights into Germany as a business location. In a series of presentations by Dr. Walther Kieffer, Kai Sturmfels, Philipp Stübben and Thorsten von der Heyde, key aspects of German business law, forms of business organisations, liability issues, auditing and publication in Germany, public administration and business registration in Germany were dealt with. Linda von Hoegen and Professor Dr. Renate Dendorfer Ditges then covered key aspects of German labour law and general aspects of the Works Constitution/Works Council were covered by. After lunch, Dr. Sven Nolte’s keynote speech on behavioural aspects of financial decision-making certainly proved to be one of the many highlights of this conference.

In the afternoon, presentations on German tax return obligations and online services, eBalance and a VAT overview and Bernadett Csusz’ update on GGI’s accreditation at the European Parliament and the related possibilities for GGI members and their clients marked the virtual end of a fascinating conference day. The official part of the programme ended with an interactive case study on cross border M&A transactions led by Marlon Putter, Christian Roghmanns, Kai Sturmfels, Philipp Stübben, Martin Tottmann, Linda von Hoegen and Thorsten von der Heyde.

It was then time to discover the city of Dusseldorf with a guided city tour of the Old Town, followed by dinner in the traditional “Füchschen” brewery. Many thanks to the three superb host firms who ensured all participants had an excellent time in this captivating and welcoming city.

GGI Business Travel Tip: Dusseldorf, Germany

In preparation for the EasyMeet, which will be taking place in Dusseldorf from 7 to 9 March 2014, I have asked Lin- da von Hoegen from GGI member firm FPS to share recommendations about her hometown with us.

Dusseldorf is famous for its nightlife and shopping, and is the hometown of approximately 600,000 people.

As I have not personally visited the city for quite some time, Linda was a great help. We are all invited to join the Easy- Meet, or even just visit the city and check out her recommendations for ourselves.

Eat, drink and be merry 

One of the best views of the city is from up in the VIEW Sky Lounge & Bar, which is in the INNside hotel located in the Media Harbour of the city. Speditionsstraße 9, 40221 Dusseldorf, T: +49 211/447 17 16 66. The bar is on the 16th floor and offers a beautiful panoramic view across the harbour and Dusseldorf itself. Enjoy delicious snacks and a large variety of cocktails in the bar’s modern, exclusive and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The first Saturday of every month is “Gin and Tonic Lounge Night”.

Ellington – Scheurenstrasse 5, 40213 Dusseldorf, T: + 49 172 2903451. A cocktail bar as it should be, with a large bar made of dark wood and a passionate barkeeper who mixes excellent cocktails from a well selected menu. Combined with the DJ music, night owls will have an unforgettable evening at Ellington, and don’t be put off by the fact that the bar is close to the main train station.

Wyno – Belsenplatz 2, 40545 Dus- seldorf, T: + 49 211 46 87 34 50, http://www.wyno-weinhandel.de. Wyno is a wine bar in the fancy, trendy and chic Oberkassel district. It is a small bar and a wine retailer in one and in the evenings you can enjoy a glass of wine or two out- side in the garden area or inside with DJ music. The bar attracts many different people across all age groups.

The Flingern district used to be the area where factories were based, but it is changing rapidly, with trendy restaurants and clubs popping up all around. One charming venue was built within a former soap factory. Dr. Thompson’s – Erkrather Straße 232, 40233 Dusseldorf, T: + 49 21188921588, http://drthompsons.info/. En- joy the creative pizzas accompanied by live jazz music. It is perfect for a night out, with dinner followed by DJ sets to keep you jumping until the early hours.

Food for thought 

Füchschen – Ratinger Straße 28, 40213 Dusseldorf, T: +49 211 1374716, http://www.fuechschen.de. The Füchschen is a very traditional brewery that produces the beer Dusseldorf is famous for: the Altbier (old beer). This brewery has ex- isted since 1848 and is located right in the heart of the Altstadt on the Ratinger Straße. The interior is as you would expect from a brewery, with wooden chairs, tables and wall panelling. Of course, it also serves traditional German food. Any visit to Dusseldorf would not be complete without a visit to the Füchschen (or at least one of the other breweries) and an Altbier – Prost! (cheers).

Les Halles – Schirmerstrasse 54, 40211 Dusseldorf, +49 211 86937796, http://www.leshalles.de. Les Halles is a restaurant with the charm of days gone by situated on the grounds of a freight depot. A unique interior and an aquarium in the centre of the restaurant are what make a visit to Les Halles memorable. The food is international and at 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, the tables are cleared to the side as the restaurant is trans- formed into a club (playing funk, dance, classic hits and house). Turn up early as this place always has long queues out- side on club nights.

Muggel – Dominikanerstraße 4, 40545 Dusseldorf, T +49 211 554182. The café, bar and restaurant Muggel is also located in Oberkassel. They serve perhaps the best latte macchiato in the city, and the breakfast is delicious – as is the rest of the menu. It is a cosy es- tablishment with a wooden interior and wall panelling, and it’s always bustling. Some say it is the place to see and be seen, and they are probably right. People from all age groups come together to have a great time. Try the “Muggelino”, a small drink made of espresso, Liquor 43 and milk froth. But don’t forget to make a reservation if you want to go for dinner.

I absolutely love Japanese food. It is a little known fact that the largest Japanese community in Germany can be found in Dusseldorf. There are many Japanese shops and food locations, but here are just a few: http://shochiku- online.com/en/ and http://www.toykio.de. Top Japanese food can be found at the acclaimed Michelin star restaurant Nagaya – Klosterstraße 42 40211 Dusseldorf , T +211 863 96 36, http://www.nagaya.de.