// the festival supporters
European rainmakers
There are followers and there are people who want to take the initiative themselves. The people below believe in this project, and with passion and enthusiasm they help pull the necessary strings to obtain top contacts which, in the end, will transform into corporate funding sources. Thank you so much for your support!
Specialist in Business Development and having gained extensive experience in the fields of marketing and sponsorship, Sven actively helps us approach potential corporate partners and of course will bring his European friends to The Festival. Apart from Europe and The Festival, Sven is interested in entrepreneurship, start-ups and marketing trends. In his spare time he fancies travelling, languages and sports activities like mountain biking, running, skiing and hiking // svenhock [at] me.com
“I am 22 and sending a sign from Hungary… I read through all the information and idea of The Festival and my heart almost missed a beat! I spent a half year in Lithuania, Vilnius as an Erasmus student a year ago. My reason for travelling there was the unknown beauty of the country, and, frankly, in those 6 months I gathered the most memorable moments for my future life. This initiative stands so close to my heart and I would love to be a supporter of it in any way you could provide me. After my graduation according to my plans I will start to work in the cultural sphere, but what I have always been dreaming about are jobs like being an active member of a project such as The Festival. I am overmotivated and ready to help and support The Festival!”
Manuel Sosna “I’m European!” “I have decided to support the European Movement “The Festival” because it is a great possibility for all Europeans and all enterprises to show that Europe is the most positive place to be, work, eat, live, do sports, … We all have to make this happen and we can make “The Festival” an unforgettable Happening, which unites Europe and the European people, that creates a European Mind and helps societies to overcome problems and master challenges. Enterprises have the power to support this idea and consequently can benefit from this unique European spirit “The Festival” is bringing to life! Being a European myself and travelling a lot and getting in touch with a lot of different people is the greatest gift for me – let’s all try to understand each other better and let’s all meet at “The Festival”! My background is an economical and entrepreneurial one: I studied international Business Management in Bamberg (Germany) and Milan (Italy). During my studies I launched a Marketing and Advertising Agency. My work placements were in Madrid, London, Verona and Zagreb. After my studies I worked for an Austrian Company with daughter companies in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and China. In the last seven years I was managing director of a software company producing and marketing Mobile Device Management Software for iPhone, Nokia, HTC, Symbian and Windows Mobile devices. My strengths are Business Development, Sales, Marketing and Key Account Management. Besides being a creative head I can also focus on figures; I have been Assistant of the Executive Board, Controller, Managing Director and CFO in various companies and sectors. Before studying I was a succesful semi-pro tennis player and a professional skier. Sports is a very important part of my life and still I do as much workout as I can: hiking, snowboarding, rowing, beachvolleyball, etc. My hobbies are travelling and getting to know and understand new cultures, music and the music industry. My motivation in life is the unbroken believe in the good in men, the willingness to leave an impact on this planet and the desire for the good things in life. I’m obviously Taurus.” // manuel.sosna [at] ubitexx.com
Alexandra Vollert is another enthusiastic supporter ever since she first heard about this project in detail. Apparently, the emotions underlying this initiative cannot be equally transmitted through PDFs or PPTs. Anyways, Alexandra is hooked and this is great for us, because in ten years she has acquired a profound knowledge base in the worlds of digital product management, music marketing and distribution, direct marketing, license management, digital sales, online PR, online promotion, and online community promotion. The Berlin based entrepreneur says that, “The Festival offers so much potential to launch cool campaigns, using all sorts of modern media like social networks and blogs. It’s amazing to see the innovative transparent approach of the guys behind The Festival. Movement shirts, the upcoming production of a hymn, the integration of different fields of lifestyle, and everything with an authentic European focus. I feel very positive about this project and I hope I can play my part.” Alexandra, who is fluent in English, French and German, loves to travel, dive, and snowboard, and she gets away from it all reading or listening to music. // consulting [at] alexandravollert.de
Trent zum Mallen is a US citizen who has been living in Europe for more than 20 years. He experienced the turbulent times of 1989/90 first-hand in Germany and Eastern Europe. According to Trent, these were defining moments and the dramatic impressions of the indefatigable human spirit remain vivid in his memory today. In 1992 Trent was a guest lecturer from Stanford at the University of Kiev, Ukraine. Later he worked for the US State Department in the Public Diplomacy Department, before he started up an internet company in Germany during the first internet boom. All these experiences culminated in the foundation of Trent’s current venture; CreativeMind based in Berlin. Guided by the motto Expect the Best to Happen!, CreativeMind has set out to embrace globalisation with social entrepreneurship, innovative financing mechanisms for sustainable development and value management. Working in the for-profit, non-profit/NGO/government and philantropic sectors, Trent has gained substantial experience in organizational setup, value management, public policy, systemic social change, and national and international leadership. About The Festival the ever positive European-by-choice thinks that, “The current situation of the EU could be compared with a theater. The players from Brussels are on stage trying to entertain the audience, asking indignantly, why the audience does not want to listen to their wisdom. In the meanwhile the vast majority of of the crowd have left the hall and gathered outside in the foyer – someone turned on some music, refreshments are flowing and conversations have begun. The players have clearly lost the connection with the audience. The Festival as a unique form of social entrepreneurship can not only build a bridge between those two parties but also help form and create a ‘Narrative’ for Europe. By 2050 the EU will represent only 3% of the world’s population. We better start writing a story together why Europe should and can play a significant role in the world. And The Festival is a great facilitator.” Trent who is fluent in German, English, Italian, Russian and Dutch will help us build the social side of this project. // trent [at] creativemind.net |
More European rainmakers
Since its initial steps in October 2006, the story of this movement has crossed the paths of many people out there. This list is dedicated to those who support this movement with heart, contacts, operational know-how, and anything else which makes this European dream come true… You can be part of that list too! Just tell us how you will “make rain in Europe”…
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I am majoring in international studies at Lorand Eotvos Science University, Budapest. I found ‘you’ on the website of my favourite ensemble 
