At Brand Experience 2025, German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen outlined its vision for the future direction of the automotive industry over the next three years and unveiled 10 new car models at the Düsseldorf exhibition center, from powerful combustion engines to hybrids and fully electric vehicles. Around 11,000 partners and dealers from 86 countries admired the new T-Roc, test-drove the Tayron, and participated in numerous workshops, lectures and social events.

“Guests arrived for a 24-hour stay and followed the same program each time. We welcomed them with coffee and light refreshments, followed by lunch, a stage show, and experiential activities, a coffee break and then a trip to the hotel where they could rest briefly before returning for the gala evening. Dinner was served in the form of a buffet, accompanied by live music, and lasted until midnight. The next day, we started with breakfast and gradually handed out packages for the trip home to departing guests,” explains Linda Gerold Reitingerová, the manager of this entire event. Her colleague Martin Žížala, managed the entire event on-site. He spent a continuous month in Düsseldorf and during that time tried nearly every role except truck driver and chef.

The foundation of success for any major event is a flawless plan that covers every detail, including alternatives. Now imagine organizing an event for 11,000 people from 86 countries, each with different taste preferences, at an exhibition center 750 kilometers away. The event becomes even more crucial when its aim is to strengthen emotional connection and positive brand perception. Catering can either highlight this mission or undermine the efforts of everyone involved. Zátiší Catering’s excellent reputation and extensive experience with catering events for thousands of people across the whole Europe ultimately helped them win the tender, and the newly formed VW team began planning in absolute secrecy in January.

At the same time, it is essential to carefully calculate the weight and dimensions of ingredients and equipment to ensure everything fits both into the vehicles and at the venue.

Tape over phone and laptop cameras, undergo a personal security check, and then off you go to the set. Within a week, a special marketplace was built inside the Düsseldorf exhibition hall, where each stall offered either an experience, information or refreshments. Added to that was a backstage area with a mobile kitchen and storage facilities.

“A hundred people worked on building it, and another 350 arrived for the two weeks of the event. The Zátiší Catering team consisted of around 130 people and we hired additional staff on site. Every day, they took care of 1,100 guests,” explains Martin Žížala. The teams rotated weekly, always after six working days, each group had one day off. The day started at 6 a.m. and ended two hours after midnight. Martin was responsible not only for the smooth running of the entire event, but also for coordinating the staff rotations on-site to ensure that everyone had enough rest, while avoiding unnecessary waiting or staff shortages.

Although she has worked in catering for over 25 years and has experienced countless international events, this was a unique opportunity to closely observe the needs and preferences of various nationalities. These insights will help enhance the experience for future clients as well.

Preparation for each day began already on the morning of the previous day, when Martin and Linda updated the plan and sent food, ingredient, and equipment orders to Prague. The team of chefs at the base in the Prague Congress Centre prepared individual dishes and baked bread and desserts, while the logistics team loaded everything into a truck in the afternoon.

Every day at 6 p.m., a truck left Prague to arrive at the Düsseldorf exhibition center by 6 a.m. There, the team unloaded it and prepared for food service. Each day, they handed out around 6,500 mini portions and served hot meals and snacks during breaks. “Our biggest fear was that the truck wouldn’t arrive, we had two to three trucks rotating on the route. Fortunately, that never happened and throughout the entire event, we had amazing support from Prague. Everyone gave it their all, and the results clearly reflected that. Both the client and the guests were satisfied,” says Martin Žížala with a smile.

In line with the event’s concept as a marketplace of experiences, the catering was styled as street food, with a focus on German specialties and popular international classics. Volkswagen specifically requested the inclusion of their own Currywurst, one of the brand’s iconic dishes. They produce it themselves in both meat and vegan versions, and every Friday is Currywurst Day at all their factories. One of the trucks even carried the signature sausage, complete with the VW logo and special curry ketchup, all the way back to Prague as a greeting for the support team at the base.

“We spent a month and a half intensively preparing the event in Prague, followed by a month on-site with strong support from our team back in Prague. The size, concept, logistics, and execution of the event were highly specific. Once again, we pushed our limits and realized we don’t actually have any. With a perfect team, which we can rely on, where everyone tries to give 100% to ensure the satisfaction of both the client and the guests, we can accomplish just about anything. Each day, we also refined our processes and immediately applied those improvements to the following events,” Linda and Martin both agree.