IGA Berlin

What IGA Berlin does

IGA Berlin 2017 (formally Internationale Gartenausstellung Berlin 2017) was a temporary international garden exhibition held in Berlin's Marzahn-Hellersdorf district from April 13 to October 15, 2017, under the theme 'MEHR aus Farben' ('MORE from Colors'). Organized by Grün Berlin GmbH — a municipal/public-private entity — the exhibition operated for 186 days and attracted 1.6 million visitors despite poor spring and summer weather. The legal entity associated with the operation records only 5 employees in firmographic data, consistent with a lean core team supplemented by contractors, public-sector coordination, and the broader Grün Berlin GmbH organization.

The exhibition's product surface comprised 11 themed gardens (including Balinese, Chinese, Christian, English, Italian Renaissance, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, and Oriental-Islamic designs, plus a Karl Foerster perennial garden and a hedge labyrinth), nine international garden cabinets sourced from Australia, Brazil, China, Chile, Great Britain, Lebanon, Los Angeles, South Africa, and Thailand, plus signature infrastructure: a cable car (Seilbahn), the Wolkenhain observation pavilion on Kienberg hill, an Open-Air Arena, a nature toboggan run, water gardens with play features, and playgrounds themed on Erich Kästner's 'Der 35. Mai.' Visitor services spanned audioguides, guided tours, school and kindergarten programs, group tourism bookings, weddings, children's birthday parties, and educational programs at an environmental education center. The build incorporated sustainability features including energy-efficient renovation of the tropical greenhouse and green roofs on visitor buildings.

Revenue was generated through admission tickets (sold online via gruen-berlin.ticketfritz.de and at the on-site box office), annual passes (33,000 sold over the run), group bookings for organized tourism and school programs, event venue rentals at the Open-Air Arena and other event spaces, cable car operations, and secondary streams such as weddings, birthday parties, and on-site gastronomy. Marketing relied on the Gärten der Welt website, email newsletter, Instagram/Facebook/YouTube organic social, and on-site print materials; distribution channels were regional (Berlin-area) across e-commerce, on-site retail, and direct sales to mid-market group and educational buyers. Following the exhibition's closure on October 15, 2017, the site converted into the permanent Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) park, with the cable car, Wolkenhain, and Open-Air Arena retained as permanent attractions and the garden area more than doubling in size; the IGA Berlin 2017 exhibition itself is recorded as 'closed,' while the underlying Grün Berlin GmbH-managed park continues operating.

Name

IGA Berlin

Legal name

IGA Berlin 2017

Website

https://iga-berlin-2017.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Temporary international garden exhibition held in Berlin April-October 2017, organized by Grün Berlin GmbH. Featured 11 themed gardens, 9 international garden cabinets, and an arena. Attracted 1.6 million visitors before becoming the permanent Gärten der Welt park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Gardens and Public Park Attractions

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJACAH

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Attractions & Landmarks (Observation Decks, Monuments, Scenic Sites)

SECONDARYTHAJAEAG

Educational & Edutainment Parks (Science/Discovery/Children’s Parks)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Theme Parks, Water Parks & Family Entertainment Centers

Keywords

• Botanical garden attraction
• Themed garden exhibitions
• Public park recreation
• Event venue rentals
• Environmental education programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IGA Berlin operated the 2017 International Garden Exhibition in Berlin's Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, a 186-day horticultural showcase that drew 1.6 million visitors and is now continued as the permanent Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) park. The core offering is a public garden attraction with 11 themed gardens, 9 international garden cabinets, a cable car, the Wolkenhain observation tower, a natural toboggan run, children's playgrounds, and event venues for weddings, birthdays, and corporate functions. Supporting services include guided tours, audio guides, an annual park pass, and environmental education programs for schools and groups.

Product overview

IGA Berlin / Gärten der Welt is a public garden park attraction featuring eleven Themengärten (themed gardens) showcasing international garden styles, Wassergärten (water gardens) with play features, and nine Internationale Gartenkabinette (international garden cabinets) representing countries from Australia to South Africa. The park offers visitor experiences including a Seilbahn (cable car), Wolkenhain observation pavilion, Natur-Bobbahn toboggan run, playgrounds, and audioguides. Additional services include event venue rentals (Open-Air Arena), wedding ceremonies, children's birthday parties, and educational programs at the Umweltbildungszentrum. Ticketing is available through an online Ticketshop with annual pass options. The adjacent freely-accessible Kienbergpark extends the recreational area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) Park Visitor admission to the permanent Gärten der Welt park in Berlin-Marzahn-Hellersdorf, featuring 11 themed gardens, 9 international garden cabinets, and signature landscape attractions for general visitors, families, and tourists.
• IGA Berlin Cable Car (Seilbahn) A scenic cable car ride across the Gärten der Welt park, offering aerial views of the themed gardens and the surrounding Marzahn-Hellersdorf landscape for individual visitors and families.
• Wolkenhain Observation Tower An elevated observation structure within the park that provides panoramic views of the gardens and surrounding Berlin landscape for visitors and tourists.
• Natur-Bobbahn (Natural Toboggan Run) A natural-style toboggan run providing a family-friendly ride experience within the park for visitors and children.
• Guided Tours Docent-led tours of the themed gardens and park attractions for individual visitors, school groups, and organized tour parties.
• Audio Guides Self-guided audio tour content allowing visitors to explore the themed gardens and international garden cabinets at their own pace.
• Annual Park Pass (Jahreskarte) A recurring membership pass granting unlimited park entry across the operating season for individual residents and frequent visitors.
• Event Venue Rental (Open-Air Arena and Park Spaces) Booking of the park's open-air arena and other outdoor spaces for weddings, corporate events, and private functions.
• Wedding and Celebration Packages Curated wedding ceremonies and private celebration packages hosted in the park's distinctive garden settings for couples and families.
• Children's Birthday Party Packages Hosted children's birthday party experiences in the park's themed gardens and playground areas for families.
• Group and School Tours Organized group and school excursions with guided access to the park's gardens and educational programming for classes and community groups.
• Environmental Education Programs Structured educational programming on horticulture, sustainability, and international garden cultures for school groups and organized visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% visitor satisfaction rate achieved during IGA Berlin 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Direct peers

• Longwood Gardens: Major US botanical garden attraction operating themed outdoor gardens, ticketed entry, annual memberships, and seasonal events; closely matches Gärten der Welt's mix of gardens, events, and membership revenue.
• Keukenhof: Seasonal flower garden park in the Netherlands operating themed gardens and ticketed entry during a limited open season; comparable seasonal/exhibition-style garden attraction model and visitor demographics.
• Mainau Island: German island botanical garden attraction on Lake Constance featuring themed gardens, ticketed entry, and family visitor experiences; directly comparable German garden attraction with similar target market and pricing model.
• Eden Project: UK visitor attraction featuring themed biome/garden structures, ticketed entry, annual passes, and educational programming; comparable themed garden experience with strong educational and visitor engagement.
• Gardens by the Bay: Large themed garden park in Singapore featuring multiple international garden styles, ticketed entry, annual passes, and event venue rentals; closely mirrors Gärten der Welt's multi-cultural garden concept and ticketing structure.
• Floriade (Almere): Dutch once-per-decade international horticultural exposition featuring themed gardens from multiple countries and ticketed admission; the most directly comparable international garden exhibition to IGA Berlin 2017.

Regional players

• Europa-Park: Germany's largest theme park featuring international themed areas, ticketed entry, and event venue operations; comparable German visitor attraction with multi-cultural theming and family-oriented audience.
• Sanssouci Park / Prussian Palaces Foundation: Major Berlin-Brandenburg garden and palace park attraction with ticketed areas, themed gardens, and tourism programming; comparable regional heritage garden attraction in the same metropolitan market.

Broad incumbents

• Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens): Iconic botanical garden attraction in London operating themed gardens, visitor ticketing, annual passes, and educational programming; directly comparable to Gärten der Welt as a destination botanical/garden attraction with similar revenue model.

Others

• Park Gardens of the World / Grün Berlin GmbH: The municipal operator managing Gärten der Welt and Kienbergpark; same operator effectively, providing ecosystem context for governance, capital structure, and ongoing management decisions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrBLoDrqFewJu4xV1XhoNgg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Gaerten.der.Welt
• Instagraminstagram.com/gaertenderwelt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iga-berlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 IGA Berlin