Inspire Me Award 2025 Recognizes the Best of the Best in Luxury Tourism

On 10 and 11 September 2025, Berlin was transformed into a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship: the German Innovation Institute, in collaboration with the German Entrepreneurs Platform (DUP), organised the Big Bang AI Festival, which attracted over 8,500 participants and more than 200 speakers, providing numerous insights into AI, business and leadership. On the evening before, selected companies were honoured with the ‘Company of the Future’ award – we are delighted to be among the winners.

An inspiring start: the awards ceremony on the previous evening

After a welcome drink in the elegant rooms of the Alte Münze Berlin, presenter Ines Woermann welcomed all the award winners. This was followed by the award ceremony and group photos. The event concluded with a flying buffet, which provided an opportunity for conversation and networking.

‘The event gave us a great chance to connect with innovative entrepreneurs from all over Germany,’ said Ilka Wymar. ‘We especially liked getting to know the people behind the ideas: young entrepreneurs who believe in their vision, stand their ground and succeed despite challenges.’

The ‘Company of the Future’ Award

The award recognises companies that impress with their proactive approach, commitment and sustainable leadership. Organised by DUP Media and the German Innovation Institute, it aims to highlight innovative ideas and promote exchange among pioneers in the business world.

Tina Kirfel, Managing Director and ‘Heart of Company’ at KITICON, is delighted with the award: ‘We are very honoured that our future-oriented work, our spirit of innovation and our sustainable corporate strategy have been recognised. Especially today, it is crucial to look ahead and consistently continue on our path of innovation.’

Impulses and inspiration

The following day, the festival kicked off with over 8,000 participants, more than 300 speakers, AI masterclasses and panel discussions on topics such as economics, medicine, politics and trade. Personalities such as Frank Thelen, Verona Pooth, Toni Kroos and David Precht ensured a varied programme and new perspectives on entrepreneurial activity and technological developments.

The focus: People and ethics in AI

A key topic was the responsible use of AI and automation. For us at KITICON, it is also clear that this is no longer just about tools and technology, but about ethical issues relating to leadership, innovation and dealing with change. Responsible action and forward-looking decisions are crucial for us to make the digital transformation successful and sustainable.

Our managing director and ‘heart of the company’, Tina Kirfel, was recently a guest at HanseMerkur's 12th Travel Summit in Hamburg – an event that goes far beyond networking. Here, partners of the travel insurance company regularly exchange ideas on culture, politics and society. This year, social engagement was the focus for the approximately 70 guests.

HanseMerkur board member Johannes Ganser invited Sirkka Jendis, managing director of Tafel Deutschland, and Rüdiger Ratsch-Heitmann, managing director of Bürgerstiftung Hamburg, to speak at the event. In the cosy atmosphere of the Peacetanbul restaurant in the Kampnagel cultural centre, they provided fascinating insights into their work – an inspiring start to a day full of encounters.

Social projects with impact

After lunch together, the participants went straight into practice. Divided into two groups, they visited various social initiatives:

• Hamburger Tafel: As part of Tafel Deutschland, volunteers collect surplus food and distribute it to over 1.6 million people affected by poverty. More than 75,000 helpers ensure that around 265,000 tonnes of food are put to good use every year.
  
  
• Jenkitos: The theatre project in Jenfeld helps young people to build self-confidence, expressiveness and personal development. Through theatre and creative methods, young people gain new perspectives and can develop their potential.

‘It was impressive to see how differently commitment can have an impact: while the food banks ensure social cohesion, the Jenkitos open up new perspectives for young people through art and creativity,’ reports Tina.

When technology meets social engagement

Tina was particularly struck by the realisation of how strongly AI influences the work of the Hamburg Food Bank. Food banks distribute food to people in need that would otherwise be thrown away in supermarkets or elsewhere. Thanks to increasingly intelligent systems, supermarkets are buying more selectively, which means there is less surplus – an ecologically sensible approach, but one that has become a real challenge for food banks.

‘I had no idea that AI had such a direct influence here,’ says Tina. ‘It shows how closely technological developments and social engagement are linked today – and how complex the challenges have become.’

Exchange, inspiration, responsibility

The 12th HanseMerkur Travel Summit has once again demonstrated that it is not just about networking. It is about broadening perspectives, recognising commitment and experiencing social responsibility first-hand.

For KITICON, this day is a valuable source of inspiration – both for our agency work and for the attitude of our team. Commitment, creativity and social awareness are not just buzzwords, but a lived reality that we carry into our projects.

The bestfortravel GROUP is a leading provider of worldwide travel experiences, covering vacation destinations around the globe. The group brings together established brands such as Raiffeisen- and Volksbanken Touristik, AtourO GmbH, Raiffeisen Reisebüro GmbH, GEO Reisen und Erlebnis GmbH, and Meine Kreuzfahrt Cruise Center. It also operates the event and ticket platform my-ticket.shop and runs numerous travel agencies in Austria and Southern Germany. In addition to traditional package tours, the company offers themed trips, business travel, cruises, and tailor-made round trips – designed for unforgettable holiday experiences.

In close collaboration with the bestfortravel GROUP, we optimized the new website for the cruise sector with a focus on key SEO aspects and further strengthened the brand presence of meinekreuzfahrt.com through targeted SEA campaigns. We also promoted several campaigns with exclusive offers using customized advertising strategies to sustainably increase visibility and reach.

Timeframe: Since January 2025
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Industry: Tourism
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Objective: To increase the visibility of the bestfortravel GROUP in the cruise segment and reach more potential travelers through targeted campaigns. The focus was on increasing inquiries and bookings by highlighting exclusive offers and customized promotions. By precisely addressing the target groups and optimizing landing pages, we aimed to maximize the conversion rate and directly boost travel bookings.

Services Provided:

• SEA Campaigns
• Conversion Tracking‍

The Challenge: Beyond improving organic visibility, it was necessary to quickly and effectively increase traffic and exposure for cruise offers through targeted SEA measures. A key requirement was the differentiated targeting of various user groups with specific interests in cruises – whether for exclusive deals or general cruise information.

Our Approach: To ensure successful Google Ads campaigns, we first implemented comprehensive conversion tracking to monitor performance and accurately measure campaign success. At the campaign launch in January 2025, we conducted detailed keyword research to identify high-conversion potential search terms in the cruise sector. Based on this, we developed three customized campaigns addressing different aspects of the target audience and their interests:
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• Brand Campaign:
  Aimed at users already familiar with the bestfortravel GROUP, ensuring they see relevant ads that support their booking intent when searching for specific cruise-related offers.
• Deals Campaign:
  Designed to attract potential customers with attractive, exclusive offers during fixed time periods, targeting users specifically searching for cruise promotions and discounts.
• Generic Cruise Campaign:
  Targeted users looking for general cruise information – whether for their first cruise or as returning cruise travelers.

Each ad was closely linked to specially developed landing pages offering relevant information and compelling calls-to-action to boost conversion rates. In addition, comprehensive tracking allowed us to monitor user behavior and campaign performance, enabling ongoing optimization and detailed performance evaluation.

Throughout the campaign period, we continuously made seasonal adjustments, managed budgets precisely, and excluded irrelevant search queries to further improve performance.
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Results:

Click-Through Rate (CTR):

• Brand Campaign: Outstanding CTR of 30%, underscoring strong brand recognition and high user interest.
• Deals Campaign: Impressive CTR of 12%, reflecting high interest in exclusive offers and effective messaging.
• Generic Campaigns: Solid CTR of 8%, indicating ongoing potential for further optimization and expansion.

Conversion Rate: With an average conversion rate of 9%, we achieved a strong performance in converting visitors into bookings.

Thanks to continuous optimization and data-driven strategy, we created a stable foundation for the long-term visibility and success of the cruise offerings. These campaigns not only increased the reach of the bestfortravel GROUP in the cruise industry but also helped position the brand as a trusted expert in the cruise travel market.‍

Explore cruise trips now on the meinekreuzfahrt-Website.

Sounds interesting? Meet our SEA experts in a free initial consultation!