‘Hybrid‘ means that the congress will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Berlin AND will be simultaneously streamed as a virtual event (not only as a webinar). Therefore, the total number of participants is not limited, and on-site visitors as well as online participants can interact intensively, participate in panels and workshops and hold meetings. The number of on-site participants will be limited depending on the regulations then in force.

Imagine what you usually do at an on-site event:

• You attend panels, workshops and roundtables based on your interests and talk to the panelists and other attendees. The vast majority of panels and workshops are streamed live, and breakout rooms even give you the opportunity to interact with speakers and attendees on a topic-by-topic basis.
• You have meetings and one-on-one conversations. Via intelligent conferencing tools, free networking is already possible today, as it is in person on site.
• You visit the marketplace and talk to the exhibitors.
• You enjoy the breaks with coffee and lunch. With our TSI Congress in a box, we make sure that we don't keep you on a purely digital menu ;-)

All these options are also available to you at the virtual congress. Let us surprise you with the many possibilities of state-of-the-art event technology!

The TSI Congress will be held as a hybrid event, with the option to hold it entirely online if needed:

• Online moderation and streaming with live chat to enable constant interaction with all participants.
• Completely virtual setup with live streaming and the possibility of location-independent digital integration of participants.
• ‘on demand‘ provision of ALL on-site recorded panels and roundtables after the event (for all attendees).
• Adapting workshop and panel formats to digital demands - shorter, more interaction, variation of formats, speakers are on-site in person or remotely connected.
• Well-integrated content (PPT, movies ...) and versatile interaction options (question/answer, polling) as an important element to engage the virtual audience.
• Use of professional transmission technology.
• The ‘TSI Congress in a box‘ as a small hamper for the virtual participants

Yes! Each ticket for the on-site event will be exchanged for 2 virtual tickets at a 1:2 exchange ratio, so you can add a colleague. Simply contact us by e-mail at tsi-kongress@tsi-gmbh.de. This is also possible at short notice up to one day before the congress and is not subject to a deadline.

• Each participant (online and onsite) receives access to the digital congress. This means that onsite participants can switch between digital and onsite participation at any time.
• Taking into account the maximum number of visitors permitted, an upgrade from a digital ticket to an onsite ticket is still possible at short notice.
• If you want to convert an on-site ticket into a completely digital ticket, this is usually no problem either (exchange ratio 1:2).

In all cases, please contact us by email at tsi-kongress@tsi-gmbh.de.

Our virtual congress platform will be set up in English. This way we can ensure that all international participants can orientate themselves without any problems. The different panels will be held in German (approx. 30%) or English (approx. 70%). The respective discussion language is marked in the agenda. Simultaneous interpreting for the German events will not be provided.

You may cancel your participation (only in writing) up to 14 days before the start of the event, after which half of the participation fee will be charged. In case of no-show or cancellation on the day of the event, the full participation fee will be due. If the participant cannot attend the event, TSI will accept a substitute participant at no additional cost.

Given the options of on-site attendance and virtual participation, a carryover to next year is not necessary and therefore not planned.

The congress will be accessible from any internet-enabled device (including mobile devices). All you need is a current browser version. Internet Explorer is not supported, so you need an alternative. A device that can stream video and has speakers will suffice. For interaction with other participants, we also recommend a camera and microphone.

In principle, you can contact every participant who has registered on the event platform, regardless of whether they participate online or attend on site.

Whether online or on-site in Berlin, every participant has access to all digital content and functions at all times. This means that all participants have the same opportunities to network and make contact.

There will be a virtual marketplace where our participants can visit the various exhibitors, get information or get in touch directly with a contact person.

Of course we are happy about every participant who follows our congress live online. This also gives the online participant the opportunity to actively ask questions and directly connect with panelists and other participants. That will make you not just a spectator but part of the event.

However, it is also possible to access the individual panels and events ‘on demand" afterwards. This way, missed events can also be streamed afterwards.

The TSI Congress 2021 will take place on the Eventmobi platform, as it did last year. The platform is currently under construction.

The Radisson Blu in Berlin is a professional partner for hosting our congress. The hotel is a partner of SGS, the leading international inspection, testing and certification company. It is recognised worldwide as a benchmark for quality and integrity. The hygiene measures developed by the hotel will also be implemented at our event. You can find all the information here.

Of course, there will also be a testing strategy for this year's congress, which we will be happy to share with you here as soon as there are specifications to guide us.

The entire hotel is equipped with a comfort air conditioning system, which means there is complete air exchange with supply and exhaust air (no circulation of the existing air). The room temperature is controlled by the supply air temperature, i.e. the supply air is either cooled or heated.

At the event, TSI as the organiser must take appropriate measures to ensure that attendants who do not fall under the exemption of § 2 paragraph 2 of the ordinance maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 m to others. Vaccinated, recovered and tested persons are exempt from this requirement in certain situations on site (for example on seats in lecture rooms or when consuming food and beverages at the table during breaks).

Since the TSI Congress will follow the procedures for vaccinated, recovered and tested persons, these persons do not have to maintain the specified separation at the premises including the lecture rooms. However, we are planning sufficiently spaced seating arrangements and passages, for example, which provide attendants with additional comfort. (The relevant regulation reads: ‘If suitable protective measures are used or if all visitors present have tested negative in the meaning of § 6b, the minimum distance of 1.5 m may be shorter (see § 11 para. 3)’.

It is compulsory for all visitors to wear a surgical mask in the entire hotel and event area except their own place. We have FFP2 masks available for you on site if required.

There is currently no maximum number of people allowed to sit at one table in Berlin. However, a minimum distance of 1.5 m must be maintained between tables.

Yes, food and drinks may only be consumed while you are seated at the table. However, bar tables may also be used.

Yes, you may be served at the table or collect your food yourself.

Attendants must submit to TSI or a person appointed by TSI (hostesses, security) a printed or electronic certificate of a negative test result of a point-of-care (PoC) antigen test taken within the last 24 hours or a negative test result of a current PCR test not older than 48 hours.

You have the option to be tested directly at a test centre located at the back of the Radisson Blu Hotel conference foyer in the DomAquaree food court:

Teststelle Berlin Mitte 2
Food Lounge Berlin im CityQuartier DomAquarée
Heiligegeistgasse/St.-Wolfgang-Straße 4
10178 Berlin

The test centre will offer appointments for you on Thursday and Friday from 8 am. If necessary, you may book a free appointment online at: https://testedichschnell.de/teststelle-berlin-mitte-2/

In exceptional cases and for speakers only, we keep a small quantity of self-tests so that they can perform a supervised point-of-care (PoC) antigen self-test on site (self-testing at the event location).

The testing requirement for participation in events does not apply to the following group of persons:

1. Vaccinated persons who have been vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the European Union and whose last required vaccination was at least 14 days prior,
2. Recovered persons who can show proof of a positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 infection more than six months prior and who have received at least one vaccination against Covid-19 with a vaccine approved by the European Union and whose vaccination was at least 14 days prior,
3. Recovered persons who can demonstrate a positive PCR test result for SARS-CoV-2 infection at least 14 days and no more than six months prior

Yes, TSI is required to document completion of the test in the attendance documentation in accordance with § 5 of the ordinance. This must be kept or stored for a period of two weeks after the end of the event.

A negative test result not older than 24 hours at the time of admission must be presented again every time you enter (start of event).

Persons tested positive are not allowed to enter the venue. A person tested positive on site must immediately quarantine in compliance with the AHA rules, report to the responsible health office and contact a responsible doctor for a PCR test. However, quarantine of all event participants is not required.

The current vaccination status is ascertained using the digital CovPassCheck app, otherwise by visual inspection of the vaccination card. Attendants who have ‘recovered’ must present their positive test result, which must be at least 14 days old and no older than 6 months.

TSI, as the organiser, is required to maintain attendance documentation with contact tracing information for those in attendance. If there is a justified need, the data will be made available exclusively to the health authorities. Attendance documentation must include at least the following information:

• First and last name
• Telephone number
• District or municipality of residence or place of permanent residence
• Complete address and e-mail address, if available
• Check-in time

The attendance documentation must be kept or stored by TSI for a period of two weeks after the end of the event and protected from inspection by third parties. After the end of the storage period, the attendance documentation will be erased/destroyed accordingly.

To the form

The city of Berlin insists on keeping the data in analogue form, so registration via the Luca app is unfortunately not sufficient.

According to paragraph 4 (1) No. 7 of the ordinance, only the test (e.g. if the guest performs a self-test on site under the supervision of the staff) or the presentation of a certificate must be documented. Whether the certificate is a certificate of recovery, vaccination certificate or negative test result must not be recorded separately to protect the person’s health data.

At the recommendation of the Senate Department of Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises – in consultation with the Health Administration – we will note "certificate provided" or "not required" in a column in the attendance documentation. In this way, no health data will be collected from our guests.

We will affix a round coloured sticker to your name badge for each day of the event to confirm that the check has been completed (in order to avoid renewed requests to present a certificate/test results), using a different colour for each day of the congress.