Our core program - the 'Hauptgespräch'

The "Hauptgespräch," our core program of the Baden-Badener Unternehmergespräche, has been held twice annually since 1955 and brings together approximately 35 high-ranking executives from business, politics, administration, and science for three intensive weeks in Baden-Baden. The vision of the BBUG is clearly defined: the promotion of responsible leadership in business and society by providing thought-provoking impulses for today's and tomorrow's challenges.

The BBUG are characterized by three defining core elements: the relevance of forward-looking topics, unconventional approaches and methodology, and a strong impetus for personal and organizational development. As a place of ideas, the BBUG bring together new insights and perspectives from all areas of society and create a protected space for open exchange and deep reflection. The participants, who are mostly on the threshold of top leadership positions, engage with major future questions in various formats. Workshops, reflection units, off-sites, fireside chats, inputs, and exchange formats address topics ranging from corporate management and innovation to climate change and biodiversity to geopolitical developments. There is a focus on strategic business development with its elements of strategy, culture, transformation, and people. In the Leadership Labs, participants reflect on their leadership actions through peer coaching and self-leadership exercises. The manageable group size and the three-week duration create the basis for a sustainable network among participants. In the diversity of their perspectives and experiences, an open dialogue emerges about responsibility — toward oneself, one's own organization, and society as a whole.