Former railway chief Hartmut Mehdorn has criticized his hometown’s plans to host both the Olympic Games and a World Exposition in Berlin. Speaking to the “Tagesspiegel”, the 83-year-old questioned the overall relevance of hosting mega-events like the Olympics today, suggesting that humanity may be more concerned with other pressing issues.
When asked for specific advice for the current generation of project planners, Mehdorn urged them toward a profound rethinking of large-scale undertakings. He noted that the success of such massive projects is often determined within the initial five percent of their planning timeline. He stressed that modern planning requires better public communication, the formation of citizen assemblies, prudent allocation of budgetary and time reserves, and transparent reporting throughout the process.
Mehdorn also expressed significant skepticism regarding Berlin’s bid for a World Expo in 2035. He pointed to the lackluster success of the Hannover Expo in 2000 as a cautionary tale, arguing that Berlin should learn from that experience. Furthermore, he questioned the necessity of physical trade shows altogether, asserting that in the age of Artificial Intelligence and the internet, all current products and services are readily available online, making massive expositions obsolete.
