“The Spirit to Create” is the motto of this year’s Bertelsmann Party: on Thursday in Berlin, the international media company will present new experiences involving its media products. Some 800 VIP guests from the worlds of media and culture, politics, business and the sciences are expected at “Bertelsmann Unter den Linden 1” in Berlin that evening, where they will have the opportunity to sniff the scent of jazz or classical music, along with other unusual media experiences.

Bertelsmann AG Chairman & CEO Gunter Thielen stated: “The world of media is multifaceted and full of surprises. We'd like to invite our guests on a voyage of discovery and let them feel the ’Spirit to Create’ that drives our artists and entrepreneurs day by day.”

The evening’s highlights include creations by the Norwegian scent artist Sissel Tolaas, who has developed scents to match the latest top hits in Sony BMG’s lineup. Couturier Stephan Hann has created eccentric media outfits incorporating photos of celebrities, elements of products, and brands that represent Bertelsmann. International models will present his exclusive creations.

High-ranking public figures including German chancellor Angela Merkel and cabinet members Annette Schavan, Ulla Schmidt and Brigitte Zypries, as well as Berlin’s governing mayor Klaus Wowereit have confirmed their attendance at the Bertelsmann Party 2007. They will be joined by German actors Veronica Ferres, Lara Joy Körner, Sebastian Koch, Hannes Jaenicke, as well as directors Helmut Dietl and Sönke Wortmann. Anne Will, Elke Heidenreich and Dieter Bohlen will represent the media realm, while the business world will be represented by entrepreneurs including Hartmut Mehdorn, Mathias Döpfner and Wulf H. Bernotat.