The annual network gathering of the German music industry on the day of the ECHO awards, organised by the Reeperbahn Festival together with the Hamburg Ministry of Culture and the Hamburg State Representation at the headquarters of the Hamburg State Representation in Berlin for the seventh time, got off to a particularly good start this year. A panel discussion at the headquarters of the Hamburg State Representation in Berlin moderated by Jan-Hendrik Becker entitled "Music moves Europe! Can Germany's music industry handle Europe?“.

On the previous evening, the Reeperbahn Festival was awarded the "Partner of the Year" ECHO by the German Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI), which recognises outstanding, innovative achievements that support music.
 
After a welcome speech by Dr. Carsten Brosda, Hamburg's Minister of Culture and Media, Dr. Florian Drücke (CEO of the German Federal Music Industry Association), Dr. Christian Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, initiator and co-chairman of the Intergroup "Creative Industries" in the European Parliament – CDU), Erhard Grundl (member of the German Bundestag – Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Media – Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Helge Lindh (music correspondent – SPD Parliamentary Group) and Karsten Schölermann (Managing Director Live Musik Kommission e.V.)