Fleet Europe Award Jury sessions were “very inspiring” to BMW

Earlier this week, the Fleet Europe Awards Jury convened at BMW Welt – giving us a chance to ask Christoph von Meyer, the brand's Head of International Corporate Sales, about BMW's involvement with the Awards, and with its own commitment to the international fleet community. 

München is BMW city, and the power and prestige of the brand are both in evidence at BMW Welt, the eye-catching showcase of its current model range, right next to the BMW Museum, which highlights the brand's past glories, and the BMW factory, where the future is being built. 

This year's Fleet Europe Awards Jury meeting was graciously hosted by BMW. What convinced you to make this effort on behalf of the wider fleet community?
Christoph von Meyer: “We really appreciate the exchange within the Fleet Business Community, with many interesting and valuable expert discussions. The award applications are always of high quality, offering interesting insights into a wide range of approaches and solutions concerning our joint business area. 
“This is why I am pleased to support this proven format and to welcome the other jury members and all laureates here in the BMW Welt - the heart of our BMW facilities in Munich.”

BMW Welt (pictured above) is one of Munich's top tourist attractions. In a nutshell, what can you tell us about this building, its history and its function? 
“This is a delivery and brand experience centre, event location and meeting point for car, design and technology enthusiasts. Up to 160 cars are delivered daily here, adding up to an annual average of more than 20,000 deliveries. And each year, more than 50,000 Business guests attend a total of over 450 events. 
“Over the past decade, more than 20 million visitors have made their way to BMW Welt, two thirds of those from outside Germany. The building, designed by internationally renowned architects COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, will be celebrating its 10th birthday in the weekend of October 21 and 22”. 

The Jury is looking for laureates in the categories Safety, Smart Mobility and Innovation – all areas in which BMW also displays a keen interest. 
“Yes indeed - the new BMW 5 is certainly a prime example. With its launch earlier this year, we set new standards for driving assistance and safety systems. The Driving Assistant Plus enables automated driving in traffic jams or on long journeys – and even when changing lanes, you're in good hands with this feature. 
“As you know, BMW launched a wide range of new models and innovative concept vehicles at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The BMW i Vision Dynamics takes e-mobility to a new level. By offering the broadest portfolio of electrified vehicles in the premium segment, BMW can demonstrate it's ready for the future today.
“Also, we celebrated the one-millionth DriveNow customer on the 10th of October – a milestone that underlines the success of BMW's holistic mobility offering”. 

With the Fleet Europe Awards for Global and European Fleet Manager of the Year in mind, what can you as Head of International Corporate Sales for BMW tell us about your brand's efforts and expertise in this respect?
“Although traditionally the fleet business takes place in Europe, for years the BMW Group follows a global approach, which we consequently professionalise and intensify with our colleagues in the markets worldwide”.

Finally, the jury sessions are long and exhausting, but we hope they are also of benefit to the Jury members themselves. What have you learnt?
“The jury sessions were very inspiring and I particularly appreciate the added value of the intensive expert discussions during these sessions. The personal exchange, not only among us jury members, but also with our own customers, is a great opportunity for us to gain valuable insights from a range of perspectives.”

Images: Mhbcep, CC BY-SA 3.0; BMW