BMW News

BMW Welt (BMW World) in Munich welcomed 2,930,000 visitors in 2013, more than any year since it opened in 2007. BMW Welt has rapidly become a tourist magnet and one of Bavaria’s top attractions. The BMW Welt Event Forum and Automobile Delivery also had their best year ever, demonstrated by a number of prestigious awards: BMW Welt was named Germany’s best design location at the 2013 Location Awards, while master chef Bobby Bräuer and his team earned a Michelin star and 18 points in the Gault Millau guide for the fine-dining restaurant EssZimmer.

BMW Welt is the company’s multi-functional customer experience and exhibition facility. Located adjacent to BMW corporate headquarters and the BMW Museum, and across the street from the Olympiapark, it serves as a hands-on showroom for all current production BMWs, the delivery center for customers taking Munich delivery of their new cars, an event forum, and a conference center.

“2013 was a year of new records, premieres, and unique exhibitions for BMW Welt. Our expanded brand worlds, new and established event formats, and gourmet restaurant EssZimmer delighted more guests than ever. And again, this year, visitors from around the world can expect to enjoy unique and fascinating experiences at BMW Welt,” according to Thomas Muderlak, head of BMW Welt.

The 2.93 million visitors represent an increase of almost 20 per cent over 2012. About 60 percent of the visitors came from Germany, with the rest coming from all over the world—especially the U.S., Russia, Asia, and neighboring Austria and Italy. Almost 40 percent of guests have visited BMW Welt more than once. In total, more than 14 million people have visited BMW Welt since it opened in 2007.

100,000 vehicle deliveries

Customers come to BMW Welt from all over the world to take delivery of their new cars. A total of 21,500 BMW drivers—the highest number ever—picked up their vehicles in 2013. Almost 3,000 of them were repeat Munich-delivery customers. Around 10 percent of those collecting their cars came from the U.S. In addition to these record numbers, in July 2013, BMW Welt welcomed the 100,000th driver to take vehicle delivery there since its 2007 opening, and in November, the first pure electric BMW i3 models were presented to new owners.

Varied event programs and celebrity guests

More than 40 brand events, international stars, and a diverse family program brought visitors to BMW Welt in 2013. The BMW Welt Jazz Award celebrated its fifth anniversary and entertained guests with several matinee performances plus a grand finale. At the Munich Crime Fiction Festival, TV actress Andrea Sawatzki made her crime fiction debut and best-selling Norwegian author Jo Nesbø presented his latest novel. In June, double Grammy award winner Frank Ocean launched his world tour at BMW Welt and “The Overtones” opened Munich’s “Long Night of Music” to a crowd of around 1,500 visitors. The "Mini Club Series “Good To See You” welcomed renowned DJs from the national and international clubbing scene. The busiest weekend of the year was the “Two-wheeler Days” with 35,000 guests in July. 2013 came to a colorful close with the “Night of Colors,” the spectacular New Year’s Eve party for about 3,000 guests.

Exclusive event location

The BMW Welt Event Forum also set a new record of more than 48,000 guests and 444 external events: among them, the twelfth Bavarian Sports Award; presentation of the Munich Film Festival’s CineMerit Award; the high-profile gala evening for the Eckart Witzigmann award; and the International Cardiology Congress. BMW Welt not only consolidated its position as an exclusive event location among its many event customers, but also impressed the jury in the Design Location category of the 2013 Location Awards as best event venue in Germany.

Awards for EssZimmer

BMW Welt and its gastronomy partner Feinkost Käfer opened the EssZimmer gourmet restaurant in the spring of 2013, and quickly established itself as one of Munich’s top gourmet dining addresses. After just eight months, Bobby Bräuer and his team earned a Michelin star and 18 Gault Millau points. The renowned guide described EssZimmer as “the newest, most spectacular gourmet restaurant” in the Bavarian capital and Bobby Bräuer as a “godsend for the local gourmet community.” The top chef was also named “Rising Star of the Year” in the Aral Schlemmeratlas restaurant guide. BMW Welt’s brasserie-style Bavarie restaurant was also included in the Gault Millau guide with 14 points.—Scott Blazey

 

For information on the 2014 program at BMW Welt, visit http://www.bmw-welt.com.

Interested in renting a new or classic BMW at the BMW Welt for a joyride around Bavaria? Check out BMW on Demand.