SMART MINDS

What SMART MINDS does

SMART MINDS (legal entity: Smart Minds GmbH) is a German event creation and production agency founded in 2006 and headquartered in Potsdam, with a registered secondary office in Südmüritz. The firm operates as a full-service creative agency spanning three integrated phases: Design & Conception (architecture and spatial concepts, scenography, exhibition and brand space design, 2D/3D visualization, CAD planning), Planning & Organization (project management, budgeting, technical feasibility, lighting and acoustic design, media technology planning), and Implementation & Control (tendering, permitting, interface management, construction supervision, quality control). Its core capability is end-to-end ownership of high-end event architecture, combining physical set construction with technical staging such as LED walls, lighting systems, and immersive installations.

The agency's commercial model is professional services, project-based, and B2B, with quote-based pricing on bespoke enterprise engagements. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales; the firm does not use intermediaries or marketplace channels and is discovered primarily through its portfolio, LinkedIn presence, and Instagram. Its client base is almost entirely concentrated within the Volkswagen Group holding company, including Volkswagen Group (IAA Summit Booth, Group Night Shanghai, Group Night Munich, Group Night Geneva), Volkswagen Brand (world premieres for ID.7, Golf 8, Touareg; Media Hub @IAA; Electrified at Tempelhof; press trips), Traton (Innovation Day), Group Culture (Art & Tech conference at DRIVE Berlin), and Group Technology (be more #24 AI/robotics conference at Autostadt Wolfsburg). Geographic execution spans Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, and China.

SMART MINDS is privately held under managing director Julia Schürer-Zeh, with no external institutional investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Recent strategic emphasis has included the integration of AI-driven event elements, such as an AI Moderator and generative AI light shows at Group Night Shanghai 2025 and robotics demonstrations at be more #24 in 2024, used as presentation and staging features rather than as proprietary technology. The company maintains 1-10 employees and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

SMART MINDS

Legal name

Smart Minds GmbH

Website

https://smart-minds.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SMART MINDS is a Potsdam-based, privately held German event creation and production agency specializing in high-end design, scenography, and technical staging primarily for Volkswagen Group subsidiaries across Europe and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Production Services

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (54142), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Event production services
• Trade show booth design
• Event architecture design
• Technical staging services
• Brand experience events

Headquarters

HQ city

Potsdam

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Production Services: Project-based professional services revenue from event creation and production, including design, planning, and technical execution. Projects range from press events and media drives to large-scale product launches and trade show booths. Revenue is generated through fixed-price project contracts with enterprise clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SMART MINDS is an event creation and production agency offering integrated services spanning design and conception, planning and organization, and implementation and control. The agency specializes in event architecture, scenography, technical staging, exhibition and brand space design, and CAD-based planning for corporate events, product launches, press events, trade show booths, and technology conferences. Core clients are large automotive enterprises, particularly the Volkswagen Group and its brands.

Product overview

SMART MINDS is an event creation and production agency offering a comprehensive, integrated service portfolio spanning Design & Conception, Planning & Organization, and Implementation & Control. The agency specializes in bold statements from design and technology for automotive industry clients, particularly Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen Brand. Services include architecture and spatial concepts, scenography, technical staging, exhibition design, stage design, experience design, lighting and acoustic planning, and CAD-based technical planning—all delivered through a seamless process from initial concept to final execution. The agency maintains a portfolio of flagship projects including Group Night events, trade show booths (IAA), vehicle launch events, and technology conferences featuring AI demonstrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design & Konzeption (Design & Conception) Comprehensive design services covering architecture and spatial concepts, scenography and technical staging, exhibition and brand space design, stage design, experience design, material and color concepts, 2D and 3D design, renderings and visualizations, graphic design, wayfinding, implementation concepts, and safety concepts. Targeted at enterprise clients in the automotive industry and other large corporations seeking high-end event design for product launches, trade shows, and corporate experiences.
• Planung & Organisation (Planning & Organization) Project management services including consulting, project leadership, milestone planning, budget planning and cost control, technical feasibility studies, technical detail planning, lighting and acoustic design, media and presentation technology planning, set and special construction planning, execution planning, and CAD planning. Targeted at enterprise clients requiring rigorous technical planning for complex event environments.
• Umsetzung & Steuerung (Implementation & Control) Execution management services including procurement and tendering processes, authority management and approval procedures, interface management, construction supervision, trade coordination, quality control, and acceptance support. Targeted at enterprise clients needing turnkey oversight from build phase through final acceptance of complex event installations.
• Event Architecture & Technical Staging Specialized service combining event architecture, scenography, and technical staging with integrated lighting, sound, and media technology to create immersive multisensory environments. Targeted at automotive OEMs and large enterprises hosting flagship press events, world premieres, and corporate conferences that require bold design statements integrating physical construction with digital technologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful delivery of world premieres including ID.7 launch in Berlin with global livestream
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• MKG: Global experiential marketing agency with automotive and technology practice. Competes in the same enterprise launch and brand experience space with broader scale.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global brand experience agency with deep automotive event credentials. Competes for the same automotive launch event RFPs but at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint.
• George P. Johnson: Large global experiential marketing agency with significant automotive and technology event practice. Competes in the automotive launch and trade show booth category.
• Jung von Matt: Major German creative agency with event and brand experience capabilities. Competes for premium creative briefs from German automotive OEMs though at much larger scale.
• Sparks: Global experiential agency with automotive and mobility practice. Competes for enterprise automotive event budgets with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• KMS Team: Munich-based live communication and event agency with strong automotive client base. Comparable full-service event production for enterprise German automotive brands.
• Milla & Partner: Stuttgart-based event and communication agency specializing in premium event creation for automotive and industrial clients. Closely comparable to SMART MINDS in German automotive event specialization and full-service production.
• Uniplan: German experiential marketing and event agency serving global brands with integrated brand experience design and execution. Comparable integrated service portfolio and enterprise B2B event focus.
• Scholz & Volkmer / Neuland: German creative agency with strong event and brand experience capabilities for enterprise clients. Comparable in premium positioning and integrated creative-to-execution approach.

Regional players

• Vok Dams: German event and live-marketing agency with automotive event experience. Comparable in service scope and premium positioning, operating primarily in DACH market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agentur-smart-minds
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartminds.official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMART MINDS