The first contact

Some partnerships do not begin in long strategy meetings, but in a single good conversation. That is exactly how the collaboration between Beehive and elbvalley began.

The starting point was originally the search for a suitable speaker for an afterwork format. In this context, a phone call took place with Helena Will from Beehive, who had been recommended to us beforehand. It quickly became clear during the conversation, however, that this could be about more than just an event format. It soon turned out that Beehive, with its space in Hamburg, would be an ideal location for hosting training sessions as part of elbvalley.

From the phone call to the meeting in Hamburg

The idea behind the concept was briefly introduced during the call. Helena’s positive response was immediately clear, and from that initial exchange, a genuine interest quickly developed in exploring the possibilities of a collaboration in more concrete terms.

At the end of January, Martin and I therefore went to Beehive in Hamburg to see the space for ourselves. What stood out in particular was the location directly at the station, as well as the atmosphere of the venue, which is perfectly suited for training formats. Most importantly, though, the personal conversation was at the heart of the visit. In a detailed exchange, we presented our concept, explained what we are planning, and described how we want to develop training sessions and projects going forward.

The start of the collaboration

The positive impression from the first phone call was confirmed during that meeting as well: Helena was immediately enthusiastic about the idea. Out of this shared openness, the next concrete step soon followed. We decided to put a framework agreement in place for the first upcoming training sessions in order to create a reliable basis for bookings and for the collaboration throughout the year.

What was initially intended as the starting point for the first training sessions has developed very positively since then. More than 20 dates have already been scheduled. This is not only a strong signal for the development of the partnership, but also a major sign of trust from Beehive in our work and in what we are building with elbvalley.

Looking ahead

For us, this partnership is therefore far more than a simple venue collaboration. It is an example of how an initial recommendation, an open conversation, and a shared enthusiasm for strong formats can grow into something with real potential for the future.

We are excited about everything that lies ahead — more training sessions, new projects, and many joint formats that we will bring to life together in the months to come.