interview
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ounded in Munich, Germany, in April 2007, InterNations is the brainchild of Malte along with friends Philipp von Plato and Christian Leifeld. A social and business networking organisation, it is the largest global network and information site for people who live and work abroad. Malte, 39, explains the group’s beginnings: “I met Philipp at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland in 1997. We became close friends as we shared the experience of living abroad in an international environment. After graduation we parted ways, pursuing our individual careers, myself travelling and working as an international television reporter in Europe, India and Brazil while Philipp, an entrepreneur, embarked on a career as a consultant for global blue chip companies in Germany, the UK and Croatia. We met again in Germany in 2007 where we realised that, despite several years apart and different career paths, we both shared the experience of being an expat. “Having lived and worked abroad, like many other expatriates, we noticed how tiring and time-consuming it could be to gather all the necessary information before moving to another country and to build up a network of social and professional contacts at a new location. This is how we came up with the idea to create a platform where people who were in the same situation could share their experiences and learn about the different countries and cities. “We met with our friend Christian Leifeld in an attic apartment in Cologne to discuss our idea. We then organised a boot camp in an old castle where we developed our vision and drafted the first version of the InterNations website with a detailed business plan. In May 2007 InterNations was founded and within a couple of years it has grown from a network of friends living abroad to the number one community for expats and global minds worldwide.” Nine years on and Philipp and Malte are co-CEOs of the brand. Launched with eight employees and 4,000 registered members, InterNations has grown massively. Earlier this year it recorded its two millionth member and now employs around 100 people, with InterNations communities in 390 cities and 166 countries worldwide, the top communities being in London, Dubai, Munich, Singapore and Paris. Membership is free by approval and those interested in joining can register at www. internations.org. For a small fee you can upgrade to Albatross membership which gives added benefits. There are official monthly events, organised by volunteer ambassadors, 60 March 2016
Malte Zeeck and Philipp von Plato
WORLDWIDE NETWORKING LIZ O’REILLY Malte Zeeck, co-founder of global networking group InterNations, is heading to the island this month. BTM caught up with him to learn how the group has gone from 4,000 members to two million in under 10 years. as well as special interest groups which stage regular activities. Malte continues: “In many InterNations communities there is a hiking group, a group for art lovers, one for language exchanges, one for business networking and one for parents and children, just to name a few examples.” Asked to cite the milestone developments over the years, Malte is quick to reel off an impressive growth list. “In 2008, the first InterNations official events took place in Munich, Zurich and Madrid, organised with the help of our local volunteers. “In 2009, we gained our first advertising partner and also successfully introduced the Albatross premium membership model, giving InterNations a solid revenue stream to also grow financially. In 2011, the InterNations country and city guides and InterNations Expat Magazine were launched, providing members with essential information about their expat destinations. Later in 2012, InterNations groups were introduced and this gave members the
opportunity to organise their own, smaller activities based on common interests. “InterNations reached one million members in 2013 and a presence in 390 cities worldwide. In 2014 and 2015, a comprehensive website relaunch was kicked off, focusing on enhanced usability and preparing the way for mobile access. Now in 2016, we have welcomed two million members.” So what’s left for the brand that’s gone from local to global in less than a decade? “Aside from attracting more members and expanding our brand awareness, one of the biggest projects that we are working on is our mobile app. Our overall goal is ultimately to make life easier for expats and to be the place where expats across the globe come to network, socialise, and find trustworthy information.” Malte Zeeck will be at the March 3 meeting of Bahrain InterNations community organised by ambassadors Burak Aydin and Hanan Abu Hadba at WU Restaurant at ART Rotana. www.bahrainthismonth.com