Back to Real Life? How Physical Places Are Renegotiated Between Digitality, Staging & Encounters

Dennis BajerMarvin BratkeDara Sepehri

Gen Z has a clear need for real encounters - trends such as the "pudding with a fork" gatherings show how strongly the physical space is returning as a social stage. But what happens when communication, culture and community shift further into the digital realm? Does physical space have to keep up - or is that precisely why it is becoming more valuable? This discussion asks what functions places fulfil in the digital age, how atmosphere, belonging and trust are created and where digital formats reach their limits.

In focus: How physical and digital space interact - and what opportunities arise for the creative industries when experiences, formats and business models become "real" again.