GERA Leuchten, a company based in Thuringia, Germany, has created a new meeting place at its headquarters in Sankt Gangloff for anyone interested in modern lighting design. The new GERA Lichtforum shows on 1,200 square meters the effect lamps and illuminated furniture in minimalist design can have on interior architecture. In addition to the exhibition areas, the new building houses the sales department, the warehouse for the online store, conference and training rooms, and a kitchen and outdoor grill for events.
The official inauguration, which was celebrated on November 7, 2019, marked the start of a series of events that focus on light and design just as much as communication and enjoyment. And thus in deliberate proximity to the holiday of reunification, which also played an important role in the corporate history of GERA Leuchten: without the merging of East and West, the company “would not exist in the form in which it is successful today,” as Hening Pölitz emphasizes. Consequently, the approximately 100 business partners and friends of the company also came from all parts of Germany.
To feed the visitors appropriately for the occasion, GERA lamps had invited Mario Pattis. Mario Pattis is the first chef born in East Germany who was awarded one of the coveted stars of the Guide Michelin after the reunification. Entertainment and a good mood were provided by a live graffiti sprayer from Gera as well as a saxophonist, who later brought the guests onto the dance floor as a DJ.
The inauguration ceremony was the culmination of a project that had begun in 2016: at that time, GERA Leuchten purchased the site, which is located in the immediate vicinity of its headquarters. With an investment of around one million euros, the GERA Lichtforum was built on the 4,000 square meter site and is now available to our customers from near and far. It was a very round evening with many conversations and contacts in the elegantly furnished Lichtforum. “What made me particularly happy is that good friendships have now developed from the long-standing business relationships – and many business partners have accepted because we have known each other for 30 years.” So while the Light Forum is a strong signal for the future of GERA lamps, the inauguration also showed the value of the past.
