U.S. Election Night in Berlin, November 5-6, 2024
The Aspen Institute Germany celebrated the U.S. presidential elections with its exclusive Berlin event, the U.S. Election Night 2024, which lasted through the early hours of November 6th as participants awaited the results. More than 1,600 guests gathered at the Permanent Representation of Baden-Württemberg to experience a historic evening together. Among them were leaders and representatives in the fields of politics, business, trade and journalism.
The evening began with opening remarks by Rudi Hoogvliet, State Secretary for Media Policy and Plenipotentiary of Baden-Württemberg to the Federal Government, Dr Stormy-Annika Mildner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Germany, and Eckart von Klaeden. This was followed by a speech by Alan Meltzer, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the US Embassy in Berlin. Further exciting political keynotes and interviews with prominent guests followed, including Katja Keul,m MdB (Alliance 90/The Greens), Minister of State, Federal Foreign Office Germany; Michael Georg Link (FDP), Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation at the Federal Foreign Office; and Thomas Erndl, MdB (CDU/CSU), Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Various panels discussed key topics such as “Key Moments and Insights for Europe” and “The Future of Transatlantic Business and Trade”. In addition, there was an analysis of a wide range of election statistics conducted by YouGov and presented by Frieder Schmid, Account Director for Political Research Germany. For more information about the program throughout the night, please see our program booklet here.
A special feature of the evening was the live coverage by our exclusive media partners: Bloomberg, CNN, Euronews, Handelsblatt, Politico, rbb24 Inforadio, and WELT. Highlights of the evening included exclusive interviews with media representatives such as Rieke Havertz, as well as a press roundtable with acclaimed journalists such as Dr. Melanie Amann, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of DER SPIEGEL, Jennifer Wilton, Editor-in-Chief of WELT, and Frederik Pleitgen, Senior International Correspondent, CNN.
There was also a lot of activity off the main stage: our supporters, including Dunkin’ Donuts and Lidl, provided the guests with a selection of U.S. themed snacks and drinks, complemented by Schwabian delicacies from the State Reprentation of Baden-Württemberg in Berlin. While the guests eagerly followed the CNN live stream of the U.S. election, the VIPs and media partners were able to watch the action from an exclusive VIP lounge overlooking the bustling event floor. The arriving guests were greeted with stickers and German-American pins, thanks to the generous contribution of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. A photo booth with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump props invited them to take memorable snapshots. The atmosphere was palpable amid the keynote speeches, results streaming in on the TV, and a live jazz band while guests mingled, formed connections, and gave interviews throughout the night. The event was unforgettable thanks to our generous partners and hosts that helped shape the night that kept crowds spirited until the early morning.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to our community partners, The American Academy in Berlin, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Bertelsman Stiftung, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), Heinrich Böll Foundation, American Chamber of Commerce Germany, Atlantic Community, Bundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie, Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft e. V., U.S. Embassy in Berlin, German Marshall Fund, Transatlantic Business Initiative, and YouGov, who made U.S. Election Night 2024 possible as the central meeting place for Berlin’s transatlantic community on this momentous night.
Special thanks also go to our supporters: Catherine von Fürstenberg-Dussmann, the Dussmann Group, DHL Group, Airbnb, Dunkin’, Evonik, Johnson & Johnson, Lidl, and Uber – without whose support this event would not have been possible.
