Speeches from Grand Opening of BMW Welt

10/17/2007, MUNICH --
SPEECH BY DR. NORBERT REITHOFER, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF BMW AG, GRAND OPENING OF BMW WELT, MUNICH, OCTOBER

Dear Prime Minister,
Dear Lord Mayor,
Ladies and Gentlemen -

Thank you for coming here today for the opening of our BMW Welt. Most of all, I am delighted that you, dear Prime Minister, have found the time. This is one of your first appearances in the new position. So we feel particularly honored that you have joined us today.

Today is an important day for the BMW Group. For this building, our new BMW Welt, is of particular importance to our company.

During planning and construction, we were frequently asked:

 Why are you building BMW Welt at all?
 What are the ideas behind this project?
 And why have you decided for this particular location?

These are exactly the questions I would like to address today. Let me begin with the question about the location - since the answer is rather obvious:

There is no better place for BMW Welt:

 This location here at the Milbertshofen Oberwiesenfeld is where our company was founded in 1916.
 And it is also the place where, in 1972, we completed the BMW Tower, our corporate headquarters that have long since become a Munich landmark.

BMW Welt could not have been set up anyplace else. This is exactly the spot where it belongs; right here in Munich, right here where the BMW brand was created and where its global success story began. This is the place where we started to build our reputation as a premium automotive manufacturer that offers special products to its customers.

So this is where our brand world has to be situated - in the immediate vicinity of our headquarters and our first plant.

Let me ask you something: When you first heard about our plans for BMW Welt - what were your expectations?

Did you think about a rather ordinary building that would not give away what was inside? Or did you expect us to do something truly special? After all, the BMW brand is unique. All our products have a high emotional appeal. They are characterized by their unique product substance and their extraordinary style.

So BMW Welt had to become something extraordinary and unique as well. Only something extraordinary and unique could be a perfect match for the BMW brand and could fulfill our claim always to offer something special. But there's another point that had to be considered: The BMW tower, the TV tower and the Olympic Stadium are an environment that demands a great deal of expertise when erecting a new building. And of course, our BMW Welt was supposed to make a positive contribution to the overall impression.

In 2001, Professor Joachim Milberg, my pre-predecessor as the BMW Group's Chairman, phrased the call for tenders as follows:

"Create a structure that offers exceptional architectural features while representing BMW values. Fit this building harmoniously into the surroundings characterized by the BMW Group headquarters and the Olympic Park." - End of quote.

Today, you have a chance to see for yourselves to what extent BMW Welt meets these requirements. Due to our claim and our assignment, the architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au had to master numerous challenges.

Let me just mention two examples:

 The roof does not require any support columns even for wingspans of up to 80 meters.
 The building's foundation is six meters below the water table where it had to be tied with 175 concrete beams to resist the groundwater's lifting force.

I am sure Professor Prix agrees when I say that the BMW Group as this project's principal was not easy to please. We demanded a lot; and we got involved. Many BMW Group employees spent a lot of time dealing with the building during the planning stage. BMW Welt is the result of close and efficient cooperation. I would like to thank you, Professor Prix and your team, very much for that.

Let's move on to a very important point: What exactly is BMW Welt? I would like to comment on this question as the press has already been offering a variety of answers:

 Is BMW Welt an oversized showroom? Definitely not! And we wouldn't need one anyway, because showrooms are our dealers' responsibility.
 Is BMW Welt a brand museum? Once again: Definitely not. The new BMW Museum is being established right across the street.
 Is BMW Welt a delivery center? Yes, it is; but it is also much more than that.

It is not easy to find the right term for BMW Welt. I'll tell you which one I like best: BMW Welt is the "home of the brand", the place that represents the BMW brand like no other.

There are BMW fans and enthusiasts all over the world. Already today, thousands of people come to Munich every year to visit BMW, some of them solely because of the brand. Not all of them are customers. But all of them are fascinated by the BMW myth. Our BMW Welt is made for these people:

 We want to show them what the BMW brand stands for.
 We want to demonstrate the ideas that shape the BMW brand.
 But first and foremost, we want to give visitors an opportunity to fully experience the BMW brand at its point of origin.

Such a brand experience cannot be achieved by sending people books, brochures or films.

This is one aspect of BMW Welt. In addition, BMW Welt is indeed an exclusive car pick-up center.

Many of our customers have always wished for such a place.

Buying a car is always something special, something we don't do every day. And this is especially true for buying a BMW. For many of our customers, such a purchase is a symbol of their personal success. Sometimes it is a dream come true after waiting for a long time. So people don't just want to come and pick up their BMW. They want a special atmosphere.

We want all our customers who come here to pick up their new BMWs to feel this special atmosphere. We want them to enjoy an unforgettable day. "Sheer driving pleasure" should start right here at BMW Welt.

I've told you before that:

 our BMW Welt is the "home of the brand".
 And it is an exclusive automobile delivery center.

These are two important aspects, but there's more to BMW Welt.

There is another aspect that is extremely important to us: BMW Welt is not only a place for our customers. It is open for everybody. Nobody will ever be asked for an admission ticket.

BMW Welt will be open 360 days a year - for conferences, concerts, readings or for taking a stroll. Anybody can come here - to emerge into our brand world or just to have a cup of coffee.

We expect about 850,000 visitors a year. And I would like to emphasize once again that all guests are welcome!

This openness reflects our role in society. We consider ourselves a responsible member of society - open for dialogue and open for cooperation. BMW Welt is our offer to people to get to know us better - and to enter into a dialogue with us.

Obviously, we also intend to present our innovative ideas for the future at BMW Welt.

Just think about pressing issues such as environmental protection and the shortage of natural energy resources.

Our automobiles are leading the way as regards fuel efficiency. No other manufacturer applies an equally consistent fuel-saving approach in series production. We plan to refine our EfficientDynamics strategy further and to launch new vehicle and powertrain concepts in the years to come - with the goal of securing the individual mobility of the future. We are demonstrating that it is possible to offer "sheer driving pleasure" while reducing CO2 emissions. EfficientDynamics is one element in our concept of social responsibility and sustainability.

BMW Welt also reflects our claim: Firstly, we exhibit EfficientDynamics showcases here at the double cone. And secondly, the design of the entire building is based on sustainability considerations. For example, the roof is equipped with a solar power plant. (Memo: Output: 0.8 MW)

When it comes to sustainability, we don't only address adults, but make persistent efforts to get adolescents involved as well.

This is why BMW Welt has a Junior Campus. It serves the purpose of transferring knowledge primarily about "sustainable mobility" in a manner that appeals to young people.

We want to raise children's enthusiasm for technology issues and tell them about vital issues of our future.

We at the BMW Group are all very proud of BMW Welt. Together with the 400 employees here, we are looking forward to welcoming our visitors and handling our new tasks.

Many people have had their share in planning and building BMW Welt as well as in today's Grand Opening:

 I would like to mention our neighbors here in Milbertshofen who demonstrated courtesy and patience during the construction stage,
 the architects and structural engineers involved,
 not to forget the construction companies and their workforce. You all have accomplished great things.
 We would also like to thank the public authorities involved in this project, primarily the Lord Mayor of Munich, Christian Ude, who was an enthusiastic supporter from the start.
 Next I would like to mention the young solo singers from the Opera Studio of the Bavarian State Opera. Thank you for today's excellent music program!
 And it's a matter of course that I would like to thank the numerous employees at our company who accompanied the project and who will make a visit to BMW Welt a pleasant and unforgettable event for our guests.

With lists like that you always run the risk of forgetting someone. So let me keep it simple: Thank you very much on behalf of the BMW Group to everybody who has had a share in designing, building and preparing the opening of our BMW Welt.

As the BMW Group's Chairman of the Board of Management, I am obviously enthusiastic about each and every one of our products, without exception. But I have to confess that there are two models that have always been my clear favorites: the BMW 507 and the BMW Z8. Both are roadsters that represent the BMW brand's values in the best-possible manner. This is why they are considered true classics in automotive history.

I am convinced that BMW Welt offers everything that is needed to become a classic as well. We have created something unique. Of course I am aware of the fact that time goes on. Other buildings around the world will be setting new standards. But for us, BMW Welt will always be something special! We consider it a milestone in our corporate history! And I would be delighted if, some years from now, you said: BMW Welt in Munich - that's a true classic and always worth a visit. Then we would have accomplished what we had intended.

Thank you very much for your attention. And have a great time at BMW Welt!

***

SPEECH BY ERNST BAUMANN, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF BMW AG, GRAND OPENING OF BMW WELT, MUNICH, OCTOBER 17, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen -
Thirty-five years after the completion of the BMW Four-Cylinder Building, we are meeting here again to open an outstanding achievement in progressive architecture. Welcome to the BMW Welt!

The bold Four-Cylinder Building created by the Viennese professor of architecture Karl Schwanzer already set a new benchmark in architecture at its time. And now his former student, Professor Wolf Prix from the Vienna Coop Himmelb(l)au architects office, has established an entirely new standard in architecture with the Double Cone, the "Hovering Cloud Landscape" and the pillar concept of the BMW Welt, pushing the benchmark to the extreme limit currently regarded as possible by experts in this field.

Not quite seven years ago Coop Himmelb(l)au won the tender for the BMW Welt in the architects contest held at the time. Four years ago we then started the building process as such. And from then, things have continued at a fast pace from one year to the next: The founding stone was laid in 2004, in 2005 we celebrated completion of the basic building structure, and last year we started work on the interior structure and fittings.

So we must thank a wide range of contributors for the fact that we are now able to make you acquainted with the BMW Welt today.

First and foremost, of course, my thanks go to the architect Professor Prix and Coop Himmelb(l)au. Creating this unique building project, we sought to construct more than "just" a functional building. We wanted to create a unique work of architecture reflecting the world of BMW. We wanted to create architecture that is both bold and sets new standards, architecture standing out in the urban landscape and at the same time blending smoothly and harmoniously with the ensemble of the existing BMW buildings and the Olympic Park. And we wanted to create architecture standing for dynamism and elegance as well as a clear orientation towards the future and sustainability - plus, of course, the premium pledge of the BMW brand. The result, as you can see, is a building which combines all these requirements in an extremely impressive manner.

I also wish to thank those who competed with Coop Himmelb(l)au in proposing the architecture of the BMW Welt: In our architects contest no less than 275 of the world's best architects submitted exciting designs for the BMW Welt, displaying their enormous creative potential in the process.

My thanks naturally also go to the members of our jury of experts who contributed their services in the contest. Their job was by no means simple, and it required great efforts and dedication.

Without our close cooperation with the Free State of Bavaria and the Students' Association of Munich University we would not have had the land required for this ambitious project. And it was only in equally close cooperation with the City of Munich that we were able to implement the special architectural style and highlights of this building. Mr Ude, you have shown your great personal commitment to the BMW Welt consistently over many years - so allow me to thank you very much for your great contribution.

I also wish to thank all the planning experts and building companies involved in the project, who have all shown their untiring efforts in promoting the concept and spirit of the BMW Welt. Indeed, the task of turning the architectural concepts of Coop Himmelb(l)au and the BMW Group into reality was not always easy. During the construction process up to 600 people worked on the BMW Welt at the same time, and in all several thousand people were involved in the building project.

All of these individuals have experienced what it means to work to the extreme limit - or sometimes to go beyond that limit. As an example just let me mention the foundation of the BMW Welt no less than six metres beneath the groundwater level and held in position by a concrete structure made up of no less than 175 pillars. Another example is the roof, the "Cloud Landscape" hovering in space, where it was important to Professor Prix to use only 11 instead of the 30 support pillars actually required. This meant a span between the individual pillars of up to 80 metres.

Last but certainly not least, my thanks go to the BMW Welt Project Team within the Company and to our external partners. Over a period of several years, some 300 associates from the entire Company have helped to implement the BMW Welt and its many outstanding features, making sure that everything became reality in the building process.

Creating the BMW Welt, we are once again making a clear pledge to Germany and, in particular, the City of Munich as our home, establishing another landmark both for our Company and for Munich as a whole.

However, we have not just created a highlight in architecture, but are also enriching the wide range of leisure time and cultural offers for the citizens of Munich and for tourists visiting us here. Open to visitors the whole year, the BMW Welt offers a wide range of outstanding events: Apart from the comprehensive line-up of offers revolving around our products and the BMW brand, we will be presenting literary readings, concerts and all kinds of exhibitions at this splendid venue.

To ensure that all visitors receive optimum attention in the BMW Welt, we have created no less than 400 jobs here in this building alone. And like all associates within the BMW Group, the associates employed here in the BMW Welt are our most important asset and a factor crucial to the success of the Company: People are the decisive criterion distinguishing a successful from a less successful corporation.

With this in mind, I am confident that the BMW Welt will be a genuine success - for our customers, for our guests and, as a result, for our Company.
What exactly is the BMW Welt?
Precisely this is what my colleague, Stefan Krause, will now be telling us.

***

SPEECH BY STEFAN KRAUSE, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF BMW AG, GRAND OPENING OF BMW WELT, MUNICH, OCTOBER 17, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen -
BMW - three letters which stand for a powerful brand and first-class products. Indeed, our automobiles are more than "just" a means of transport. For the BMW driver his automobile is an expression of his very own personality.

Many rational reasons justify the purchase of a BMW. But the purchase of such a car is always a process of making dreams come true. And the BMW Welt is to become the empire of automobile dreams for both the customer and the visitor in general. So with this in mind, it is great to see you all here today at the Grand Opening!

It is precisely here, in the Munich Oberwiesenfeld District, that the BMW myth was born. Which explains why it was also precisely here, at our birthplace, that we sought first and foremost to create the brand experience par excellence.

What exactly is a brand? A Canadian professor once told me:"Brands are a piece of mental real estate"- a small piece of land in our minds. So ultimately we are talking about values we associate, about the stamp brands leave behind in a person's perception.

Now the BMW Welt is to become the experience that stays in the minds of our visitors.
• To begin with, this means we are presenting everything in the BMW Welt that the BMW brand has to offer. Automobiles in our various model series, motorcycles, as well as accessories and services from BMW.
• A wide range of new encounters offering a new experience time and again awaits the visitor - such as theme-related exhibitions focusing on significant innovations of the BMW brand. Right now you will find exhibits, among others, on our concept of EfficientDynamics -our answer to the CO2 challenge.
• We also have original exhibits from the world of Formula 1 and BMW yachting.
• The Technology and Design Atelier is particularly fascinating. What stands behind the innovations created by BMW? How is a BMW developed and designed? This is where you will find the answers to these questions.
• Very important: Our young visitors between 7 and 13 will enjoy their own encounter area on the subject of mobility.
• The Double Cone is our exhibition area, where we will regularly present new products and technologies as well as themes relevant to society. Starting off these presentations, you will find cars and more about BMW EfficientDynamics in this area, too.

The very special architecture of the BMW Welt offers the ideal stage for presenting and experiencing the brand. Inside the BMW Welt everything is 100 per cent BMW, even our catering services.

This building is the new home of one of the most valuable brands in the world currently estimated to be worth some 25 billion dollars. The BMW Welt therefore shows how significant the brand is to the Company.

That is the financial, the business-related perspective. But at the same time a strong brand has invaluable emotional significance borne out by the number of aficionados and fans it is able to win over. Even today, thousands of people come to visit BMW in Munich each year, many of them exclusively on account of our brand alone. Not all of them are customers - but they are all fascinated by the BMW myth. These are the people we wish to reach here in the BMW Welt.

The customer buying a BMW is often making an old wish come true. He is looking for more than just a top product and a strong brand image. For he also rightly expects premium service from the very beginning.

Many customers wish to experience the delivery of their BMW as an unforgettable moment. This is what we have heard and seen ourselves time and again.

I personally remember the delivery of new BMWs I experienced as a child very well indeed - first in Milbertshofen, then in Freimann. Back then my parents came to Munich from South America every second year to pick up their new BMW, first a 2500, then a 2002tii, and then a 2002 touring.

In recent years, however, our Delivery Center in Freimann was no longer up to the appropriate standard today. We were no longer able to fulfil this wish for a delivery experience unforgettable in every respect - but now the BMW Welt makes all these wishes and dreams come true.

The customer picking up his dream car here, will experience a very special day. A day he will remember for a long time to come. Every customer puts together his own personal programme, choosing among the various encounter areas, the exclusive catering services offered by the BMW Welt, the BMW Museum or a visit to our Munich Plant.

At the Product Information Center we give each customer a virtual experience of his new BMW. The absolute highlight in picking up the car is naturally the actual process of handing over the new automobile, with each new BMW being presented in highly emotional style at the BMW Welt. Our objective in this process is to create an absolutely unique experience of the brand.

When our customers then drive home with a feeling of passion and absolute satisfaction, the 400 associates at the BMW Welt have done a good job. And chances are good that the customer will remain loyal to the BMW brand also in future.

The BMW Welt is far more than an encounter and delivery centre for BMWs. Rather, it is an ultra-modern conference and congress centre, and may also serve as a cinema and concert hall. The rooms within the BMW Welt are flexible in size and configuration, and they are open to everybody for all kinds of events.

Openness and flexibility are particularly important in a building of this kind. The BMW Welt is not a "brand museum", but rather provides ample space - in particular for all kinds of great encounters. The BMW Welt is open to the public 360 days a year and enables all visitors to enjoy a true experience of the BMW brand - deciding himself how far this experience will go. Many visitors will not come here primarily because of the brand. But they will take a piece of the brand back home with them when they leave.

Open to visitors, to customers and guests - this applies not only to the BMW Welt. Rather, we also expect far more visitors to our Munich Plant in future.

We have indeed created a new Visitor Mile for these friends of BMW guiding guests through 12 halls and showing them in the process how a BMW is created - from the steel press all the way to final assembly. In future these tours will start and end in the BMW Welt.

This brings me to the end of my statement. As usual, you as representatives of the media are the first to see the BMW Welt. And as usual, the first visitors to a premiere event of this kind are the most critical. So I am truly looking forward to your judgment and your questions.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Source: BMW

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