greeting
Once again we look back on a special year. 2021 was once again marred by the pandemic, although we had all hoped for a return to normality. Again, everything revolved around new regulations, flickering hope, worries and the search for motivation, both professionally and privately.
For me, 2021 was mainly a very special year from a professional point of view.
In the spring of 2021, I joined the ranks of Draiflessen employees who had already celebrated their ten-year employment anniversary here in Mettingen. For me, it is unbelievable to think that I have already spent ten years with Draiflessen and the Brenninkmeijer family. I can still remember the long and distinctive application procedure, followed by the happiness about receiving the job offer and the search for a new apartment – initially for the transition period but then for the ten years in Osnabrück.
What a wonderful task lay ahead of me; building up a family centre with a museum (as it was then called), a team and a signature for this special house and to give a face to the idea and its implementation, both internally and externally. My objective was to create something special with an extraordinary character and above all a feeling of wellbeing.
During the first few years, I was able to work with Joseph Brenninkmeijer. His way, previously unknown to me, of dealing with and seeing people and things, had a great influence on me and built the perfect foundation for the years to come. When Martin Rudolf Brenninkmeijer took over DRAIFLESSEN, a new type of cooperation began. It was different, but always motivated, trusting and respectful. This type of work within a hierarchy should not be taken for granted and for this I am very thankful.
A very private family centre was made into an open event centre with a focus on something which is very important to me – music. A big, wonderful challenge which I was not expecting. We could not have foreseen the opportunities and challenges which would arise for us locally. Everything coming our way is welcome, because we are a really good team. I would like to introduce one element to you in more detail in this annual report: the technology team. By clicking on one of the underlines names, you can view a brief biography of each team member.
I wish you an entertaining journey through the last year.
Warm regards,
Key issues
Lockdown with Snowdown
Working effectively despite avoiding social contact
However, the weather gave us the most effective contact avoidance strategy in February. A blanket of snow metres thick resulted in us being snowed in in lockdown and forced the last employees who had continued trying to get to Draiflessen to capitulate. Draiflessen was trapped by huge volumes of snow. Only Thomas Alkemeier managed to get all the way through to the company with his tractor and cleared the escape routes. The snow chaos provided a bit of variation during a corona lockdown which seemed to go on forever.
The museum, the shop and the café were finally allowed to reopen in March. Draiflessen set up a test station in the hall to comply with the applicable safety measures. This allowed three more colleagues to work in the office besides the slimmed-down technology- and service teams.
Everyone was glad when the measures enacted to limit the spread of the virus were successively eased as of May. During this phase, members of each team were allowed to work “on-site” and communicate with the others.
Like everywhere else, this rule was tightened to include only proof of vaccination or recovery from corona in November in all DFC offices. All employees and external visitors and trade representatives must present valid proof of vaccination or recovery from corona upon entering the premises and, if possible, work from home again. In 2021, we channeled our complete concentration towards the implementation of various measures, including the social-distancing and hygiene rules to guarantee the highest level of safety for both our employees and our guests. And, we are pleased to say that we succeeded.
In 2021, Draiflessen used
antigen rapid tests
litres of disinfectant
OP masks
FFP2 masks
Key issues
Thinking of tomorrow – together
Working group for sustainability from Draiflessen and the Mettingen offices
To make the group’s working structure clear, broad topics were defined which formed the basis for initial deliberations. These included mobility, energy and hydrogen.
Mobility must – and will – change. The Mettingen fleet was analysed with this in mind. At the AG’s initiative, various electric cars and bikes were tested, e.g. for use by the gardening team. The specific measures derived from this are as follows: all Mettingen offices have been equipped with charging stations and Draiflessen has been provided with a small electric transport vehicle for the garden.
In the spring of 2021, our colleagues were also invited to form a team to participate in the city cycling competition. The kilometres cycled by each individual were put towards the team’s overall result. Against the backdrop of joining in, the results were compared to those of other teams from Mettingen and also on the district level. With 409.9 km and 60.3 kg CO2 saved, our kitchen chef Martin Laubrock was the winner of the tour – an outstanding success.
Is hydrogen a new source of energy? The AG is also addressing this question. Discussions were held with industry actors that construct petrol stations, energy supply infrastructure and heating systems and options for improvement for Draiflessen and the Mettingen offices were considered.
Specific measures at Draiflessen were implemented as “low hanging fruits”. For example, the annual consumption of water at the offices has been calculated. Instead of heavy crates of water bottles, water dispensers are now used – this entails a significant reduction in our carbon footprint. At Draiflessen, the feasibility of converting all light fittings to LEDs was checked as well as the use of movement detectors to steer light sources.
We also think outside of the box. The AG has established several contacts, e.g. to the Office for Sustainability and Climate Protection for the district of Steinfurt, and has attended information events, such as the “Green Energy Summit” held by the body for business promotion for the Steinfurt district. The project has been kicked off and is continuing.
Business operations
Fire protection for life and health
This measure was important for fire protection at Draiflessen. However, the top priority is to prevent fires from starting and spreading and to enable people to be evacuated and ensure effective fire fighting. The internal fire protection plans for Draiflessen and its properties are subject to regular checks. Fire protection was one of these topics in 2021.
Hagen Ingenieurgesellschaft für Brandschutz mbH was mandated to review the existing fire protection plans for the Draiflessen building complex. Employees, guests and service providers will receive these as guidelines for conduct in the event of a fire. Important codes of conduct for the prevention of fires are also specified. If, despite all of these precautionary measures, there should still be a fire, evacuation- and rescue plans are required. These have been reviewed together with Hagen in 2021; 19 of them are displayed at Draiflessen.
For an even better night’s sleep in the guesthouse
One of the evacuation routes leads from the top floor through the window of a designated room. From there, the fire brigade is able to evacuate people from the outside using their lift. Of course, this has to be tested: The Voluntary Fire Brigade of Mettingen were able to come by at short notice with their turntable ladder and a team and performed a drill of this exercise. The guesthouse passed this test with flying colours.
Training of fire protection officers
Fire protection must be at the forefront of employees’ minds. Accordingly, Draiflessen GmbH & Co. oHG organised a fire protection officer training session for employees of Draiflessen and the Mettingen office, as it did in 2018. These training sessions lasted half a day each and took place at the DRAIFLESSEN.
The fire protection officer training sessions were carried out by experienced members of the fire brigade using case studies and featured practical examples. After two theoretical lessons on fire prevention, practical training was done outside in front of the timbered building. There, as part of practical exercises, the employees learned how to use fire-fighting equipment and how to conduct themselves in the event of fire. We are well prepared: In total, 60 employees from Draiflessen and the Mettingen offices took part in the training sessions.
Furthermore, our fire protection officer, Benedikt Meyer, attended the required two-day refresher seminar for fire protection officers at DEKRA.
Say goodbye to frailty in old age: new technology for digital meetings
All four seminar rooms were therefore fitted out with new 4k displays, new cameras and a new sound system. The special feature of this is that the microphones are fitted to the ceiling and are almost entirely concealed. This enables an excellent sound transmission, which excludes noises from the tables. One can put one’s coffee cup or glass back down on the table top or tap impatiently on the table with one’s pen, without disrupting the meeting. The tangle of cables which was always under the table can also now be consigned to the past.
So that presentations can be made using the same standard of technology in other locations, e.g. the auditorium, our mobile displays were also updated. Here, two 75‘‘- und 85‘‘ devices are also used in each location, which can show content in 4K quality.
For the greatest level of flexibility, we have also fitted out one of these four cars with conference equipment: Camera, speakers and microphone. Transmission is then easy to do using two ClickShare connections. In this way, each laptop can be used to stream into the room but also in online meetings without any problems. And, in the meantime, to the TV in the GFC Guesthouse. Farewell to old-age frailty – welcome to the new technology.
Green green green
The Mettingen gardening team has been taking care of the Draiflessen park, the warehouse and the guesthouse garden since 2018. Over time, it became apparent that regular maintenance was requiring significantly more working hours and workers to keep the green spaces looking nice.
After a long search, the Mettingen gardening team was able to appoint Birgit Haarmeyer, who will now be working part-time, primarily for DRAIFLESSEN. She will also have two assistants at her disposal. These “greenfingers” and their intense focus have done the premises the power of good. Garden waste was taken away and trailers filled with plants and mulch were brought in.
The chef was happy – or that was at least the intention. The long list of herbs he wanted finally became reality with a herb bed. However, the only ones who were happy at the start were the rabbits, who found the delicious organic plants irresistible. Therefore, raised herb beds are being planned in for next year.
Old stone troughs are great. The troughs in front of the timbered building had been left standing unused for a long time and gave inspiration to our gardeners. They have been filled with new plants and give the entrance a special glow.
Such tasks demand good equipment. The gardeners received new basic equipment with a leaf blower, lawnmower and garden shears. These are all kept in the timbered building which now serves as a storeroom. It is also home to our sweeper and a locker from our staffroom. The larger pieces of garden furniture for the two terraces and the covers for the sandstone art objects in the garden were lovingly transported into the half-timbered house in winter and out again in spring by Rainer Knüppe and his colleagues.
During the winter, the outside tap suddenly stopped working – it was frozen! The reason for this was that the outside pipe heating system had broken down. We gave our local water supply association a call and the supply valve was closed so that the situation did not get any worse.
To prevent such situations from happening again, the external water connection was moved to the inside of the supply building as a precaution.
Sun lotion for trees?
The park, the museum grounds and the street edges in DFC do not only feature numerous different sorts of trees; their maintenance and care are everybody’s concern. Therefore, the expert tree surveyor office Meyerrose from Hunteburg conducted another tree check in July 2021.
The good news: The deciduous trees on the museum grounds are in good health. They do not need any maintenance and there are no signs of a reduction in vitality or any illnesses.
Some of the young trees along the Georgstraße (copper beeches) and the Allee aus Schwedischen Mehlbeeren along the side of the museum building have got “sunburn” or display other bark irregularities. Due to the intense heat, sun necroses are formed – after a certain amount of time, great pieces of bark peel off and fungi spores can move in. Therefore, trees with intact bark have been given trunk protection (sun protection).
Some trees, like the pin oak, a copper beech and Spanish chestnuts have to be subject to a more detailed investigation. These works will be done in the course of 2022.
Digital time recording and staff planning replace Excel
The online time recording tool edtime provides the option of managing employees, recording holiday and absences without needing paper and a digital stamp timer in diverse media. With the edpep tool, work plans with special user authorisations can be made by employees, days of leave verified and approved, and days off sick and working hours recorded.
All employees get their own profile which is protected by personal login data. Using their log in data, employees can log into the eurodata app and record their working hours on their laptops or smartphones.
Written guidelines helped with first attempts to stamp in and out, apply for leave or enter a break. Personal assistance was also provided in the initial stages as part of a weekly appointment where questions and issues could be answered/resolved. Of course, data protection is a priority with such a system.
As with the introduction of any digital system, there were a couple of teething problems which had to be adjusted to suit the structure of Draiflessen. In the meantime, time recording and planning of staff deployment are working smoothly and we are benefiting from the possibilities which the system provides.
Guesthouse – corona made us creative
The large dining table was ideal for meetings of up to eight people. The cosy living area was equipped with flatscreen TVs. This enables presentations to be transmitted from the laptop via a ClickShare connection. Flip charts are also available. A further novelty were the various business dinners which were held in the guesthouse. The preparations were made at Draiflessen, but our chef was responsible for finalising the dishes served onsite.
For the few guests who stayed overnight, we managed to come up with a few ideas – because breakfast can still be nice in spite of the corona-related rules. Instead of a breakfast buffet, each guest was served individual portions of food on a multi-level cake stand which were served to them at their tables.
A new shine for the villa’s gables
Clever technology GLT: Intelligent building management and -surveillance using software
Due to the complexity of the GLT at Draiflessen, the technology team have to attend frequent training sessions. The competent employee carries out these training sessions at regular intervals. Any problems which could arise are discussed and simulated, e.g. diverting from one heat pump to another if the first is faulty. Due to the covid pandemic, these training sessions also had to be done online using Teams.
Smart outfits for service assistants
Beauty needs care: Maintenance and repair:
Endless electronic circuit
Easter – new tones in the music programme and an extraordinary event
Precision work resulted in a video with excellent sound quality. It was published on social media in time for Easter. And family B. received it with a “special Easter greeting”!
June – live again, finally!
On 26th June 2021, we did not just have the new start for our events in the large auditorium, but also a new format for Draiflessen: the award of certificates for the Kardinal-von-Galen School in Mettingen. For Draiflessen, it was a large event with 300 people which needed special care to make sure it went off safely and without a hitch. Around 100 pupils came to collect their long-anticipated A-level certificates from their teachers. We constructed a large stage which the pupils used to put on a show which they had planned. A digital church service and greetings from the mayoresses of Mettingen and Westerkappeln were projected onto the screen – a really festive event.
Everything went very smoothly – even the weather was on our side. Besides the happiness of the school graduates, everyone working behind the scenes noticed something else: the radiant faces of the musicians, the sound- and light technicians, our technology and lighting team, and our events office staff – finally live again!
As everything was already set up for this event, the entire Draiflessen team was invited at short notice to the terrace at the auditorium in the evening for the first joint get-together. That was the crowning moment – finally live again with our colleagues! We report on this in better detail later on.
The family came for another visit
It was especially nice in September to have a full house with the family meeting. It was the first time we worked together with our Dutch caterer, NB Hospitality. The firm we originally wished to engage could not meet its obligations due to the pandemic and so a new partner had to be found. This of course also presented several challenges for our team. In the end, everything was fine: The event went very well and now everyone is looking forward to the next one.
At the meeting of the Aspiring – potential new generation entrepreneurs – we were able to show which competences out Events team has: In the large auditorium, 24 work stations were set up. Every one was set apart from the others, with its own lighting and electricity supply. This created a concentrated working atmosphere. Our culinary department made a great contribution to the success of the evening: The kitchen team supplied delicious light dishes from Italian to Chinese along the theme of a “journey around the world” and thus kept the energy levels and spirits of the 60 participants up.
August – new and wonderful: meetMUSIC Open Air
The presenters Malte Arkona and Marie König easily brought together the audience and the musicians with the motto “meet music” and the idea of bringing musicians together in a great atmosphere. Liv Hansen presented the soothing tones of her harp, the Svevia Quartet from Swabia amazed us with their trumpet skills. The combination of classical and crossover music of the renowned vision strong quartet symbolically unified in a concert that which we had intended for the Open Air. HeptaPolka performed folk music from Hamburg to the Balkans to Westfalia on classical chamber music instruments – their contribution ended like a party, the atmosphere was fantastic. Sunday morning began with experimental music in a Jazzical Class, a duo with ten instruments. The duo Anouchka and Katharine Hack put on an impressive display with their improvisation. As a finale, there was an eight-person cello ensemble which had been formed especially for the performance in Mettingen.
It was clear that the mixing of music styles and the concept of the Open Air were a success; the public reacted with great enthusiasm. It quickly became clear: This will be repeated next year!
A lot of planning also went into the issue of guest catering. According to the motto “Sustainable – Seasonal – Regional”, the Draiflessen kitchen team prepared delicious food for the guests and the musicians, including kebabs made from home-baked dark bread, fenugreek cheese and grapes, but also Mettwurst, roasted walnuts with a hint of curry, lentil salad and open sandwiches. The theme was also carried through to the drinks menu and to the vegan ice cream lollies made by a regional startup as well as the fruits provided by an apple-grower from the region.
Two days of vibrant activity took place in the villa’s garden, with all kinds of music, a fascinating ambience and excellent sound. And finally – with an audience!
The countdown is on – there are only
Day(s)
:
Hour(s)
:
Minute(s)
:
Second(s)
until the next meetMUSIC OPEN AIR EVENT 2022
Autumn
After a long break due to the pandemic, we were pleased to have managed the restart so well. We were not only able to implement established concepts but also dared to try new things; both our guests and our entire team found great enjoyment in this. We can now look to the future in a positive and motivated way.
June in Mettingen: Hurray! Team meeting at the DRAIFLESSEN
October in Bremen: special Bremen town musicians?
The participants were excited to learn which animal they were: the friendly, open, helpful whale; the critical, safety-oriented owl; the shark who always wants to win at any price; the fun-loving dolphin. It might sound odd, but it has a clear objective: This training session did not only help people to understand their own personality and communication abilities, but also to identify what personality type their counterparts have. With this knowledge, one is better able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of others and support each other. This facilitates relationships and interactions in the workplace and in private.
We then moved on to a pleasant evening meal in an Italian restaurant in the former fire station in Bremen, with a large deck and a direct view of the harbour. The magician David Lamé provided the entertainment before we commenced our journey home on the bus. An extraordinary day drew to a close.
December: Virtual hohoho
www. Wenigstens Wirtuelles Weihnachtstreffen.met
But, in spite of this, the hour we spent together on the screen was enjoyable and festive – in its own way. Some colleagues dialed in during their holidays; others were getting ready to start theirs. It was therefore all the nicer that the team came together one more time with their boss. The motivating revue of the past year and preview of the coming year by Martin Rudolf Brenninkmeijer did everyone good. It was a chance to say “cheers” one more time and start the festive season in good cheer. It was a good end to 2021.
Hello and goodbye – departures and new arrivals
10 years at Draiflessen
The surprise menu for those celebrating their service anniversaries – which was cooked and delivered personally to the respective office, together with suitable wines – caused a furore.
To her great surprise, the carnival enthusiast Isabella van Hamme was “given” a virtual carnival meeting by the team – with costumes, fanfare and carnival speech… a triple “Alaaf” and thank you.
We thank all those who celebrated a service anniversary for their work over the past ten years and look forward to many more fruitful year of cooperation.
There were some weddings too
Our chef Martin Laubrock got married in an open-air ceremony and rode off into the sunset on a 42-year-old Vespa.
The second married couple is a “DRAIFLESSEN-marriage”, as the Head of Operations Verena Alkemeier (née Sock) married in-house technician Thomas Alkemeier; they met and fell in love at DRAIFLESSEN. Of course, the colleagues stood under a trellis of red roses.
In September, it was the turn of Lisa Tüchter, who has been working for the Events team since April, to sail into the harbour of marriage. This is meant literally – her new husband is a ship’s captain.
We wish all the newlyweds all the very best for their futures together.
Further education: Competence + safety
Further education: Competence + safety
A total of nine Draiflessen employees took part in a seminar in December entitled “Further training for certification as an event manager” for the first time. It is a statutory requirement for an event organiser to be on site at all times during an event. This person is responsible for the situation and – in the worst case scenario – has to make the decision to break off the event.
In addition, 16 staff members attended a follow-up workshop in November in the form of a one-day webinar by the A.V.B. Academy, in which their knowledge of event management and technical supervision at events was refreshed.
Jahresunterweisungen
There was also an in-house training session for cleaning staff and technicians on using the working platform “Gini”. “Gini” is an absolute fixture of the Draiflessen – due to the height of the rooms. Staff were shown how to construct and take down the platform and how to operate it. The mobile lift for people is impressive – but not suitable for everyone. It can be elevated to a maximum of 13 metres.
Kirsten Meyer took part in Dutch language training at the Sprachinstitut Regina Coeli during her stay in Vught.
Management
Isabella van Hamme
Head of Operations Management & Deputy Head
Verena Alkemeier (* Sock ♥)
Operations assistance
Christa Baune
Head of Event Management
Niklas Berger
Event Management
Lisa Tüchter (seit März)
Legal and HR
Friederike Menschel
Public relations
Simon Otto (bis Oktober)
Museum shop
Caroline Hertel
Guesthouse Draiflessen
- Caroline Hertel
- Maria Tospann (Vertretung)
Technology
- Johannes Büscher (Leiter Bereich Technik)
- Stefan Bohle (Stellvertreter)
- Benedikt Meyer
- Manuel Papke (seit April)
- Uwe Reth
- Michael Tegeder
- Thomas Alkemeier
- Matthias Schmiemann
- Markus Finke
- Rainer Knüppe
- Günter Otte (bis 31.12.21)
Service
- Susanne Adam
- Petra Niederstraßer
- Inga Schuller
- Lumturije Smailji
- Maria Tospann
- Natalya Weinmeister
Kitchen
- Martin Laubrock
- Marianne Blom (April bis Oktober)
Mettingen office
- Kirsten Meyer
- Marieke Lütke Drieling
- Günter Otte (bis 31.12.21)
Frau/Isabella van Hammes Büttenrede
Liebe Frau/Isabella van Hamme!
Vor 10 Jahren hätten Sie bestimmt angefangen zu lachen, wenn man Ihnen gesagt hätte, dass Sie demnächst in einem Dorf auf dem Lande Karriere machen. Von Bonn nach Mettingen hat es Sie verschlagen und hoffentlich haben Sie es bis heute nicht bereut, diesen Schritt zu wagen!
Tadäää
Sehr schnell haben Sie dann sicher festgestellt, Draiflessen ist ein besonderer Arbeitsplatz, der viel verspricht und es auch hält. Viele Erfahrungen in Ihrem Leben und Beruf Ihnen gute Voraussetzungen für Ihre zukünftigen Aufgaben schuf. Denn wer schon mal bei McDonald`s und in einer Musikagentur gearbeitet hat, der hat alle möglichen Tipps und Tricks parat.
Tadäää
Ihrer Leidenschaft für Musik und gutes Essen können Sie so richtig frönen in Draiflessen. Wenn Martin Laubrock in der Küche experimentiert, kommen Sie immer ganz zufällig vorbei flaniert. Ganz selbstlos testen Sie die Delikatessen und diskutieren mit dem Koch die Zubereitungsfinessen.
Tadäää
Mit meetMUSIC initiierten Sie ein Format, das sich die Förderung junger Künstler auf die Fahnen geschrieben hat. Hier kommt Ihr großes Netzwerk und ein Händchen für tolle Künstler zum Tragen, da kann man auch manchmal was Experimentelles wagen. Bei Veranstaltungen wird alles genau und perfektionistisch organisiert und geplant, das kostet das Team manche Nerven, aber das haben Sie sicher auch schon geahnt.
Tadäää
Akribisch werden im Vorfeld Exceltabellen erstellt, am Tag selbst Vasen gedreht, Stühle verrückt und sogar Lampen umgestellt. So läuft alles wie am Schnürchen, es sieht jedenfalls so aus, und zufrieden sind alle über begeisterte Gäste und ein volles Haus!
Tadäää
So schön es auch ist in Osnabrück und Draiflessen, den Karneval kann man hier aber Ihrer Meinung nach vergessen. Nach Bonn in die Heimat zieht es Sie dann, im Auto auf der Fahrt man Sie sicher ganz laut singen hören kann. „Isch saach nur Alaaf“, das ist der Schlachtruf der Bonner Jecken, dort im Straßenkarneval könnte man bestimmt eine ganz unbekannte Seite an Ihnen entdecken.
Tadäää
Neben Musizieren und Singen verreisen Sie in Ihrer Freizeit gerne, seit letztem Jahr geht es mit dem Wohnwagen in die Ferne. Vor dem Fahren mit dem Wohnwagengespann haben Sie Respekt, zum Glück haben Sie Uwe Reth als Fahrlehrer entdeckt. Auf dem Draiflessen Parkplatz wurde das Gefährt rückwärts manövriert, das haben Sie immer und immer wieder probiert.
Tadäää
In den Urlaub nach Holland geht es dann, sicher können Sie bald auch rückwärts einparken irgendwann, in Holland sieht niemand beim Rangieren zu, da lernen Sie das dann aus dem Effeff im Nu! Im Urlaub sind Sie wahrscheinlich sehr leger, in Draiflessen kommen Sie stets gestylt und modisch daher.
Tadäää
Der Aufbau der Draiflessen Krippe ist Ihnen sehr wichtig, die Figuren brauchen dann auch länger, bis sie stehen ganz richtig. Ihre Bürotür steht immer für alle offen, jeder kann auf einen Termin mit Ihnen hoffen. Für ein gutes Gespräch nehmen Sie sich die Zeit und haben dabei auch viel Sinn für Humor und Heiterkeit. Das Singen im Chor Ihnen viel Freude und Entspannung gibt, das Projekt „Draiflessenchor“ leider immer noch in der Schublade liegt. Vielleicht wird nach Corona ja manch Neues angeregt, denn Draiflessen stets für Innovationen steht! Für die Zukunft wünschen wir Ihnen viel Gesundheit, Freude und Elan, und dass man bald wieder gemeinsam arbeiten, anstoßen, singen und feiern kann.