How do you show off a German destination that pretty much everybody has visited on holiday at least once to a group of 70 insurance sales eagles and their partners? This year’s incentive trip for the best sellers from all over Germany was actually two trips – one for each sales territory – to Hamburg, in the north of Germany, from Thursday to Sunday. But they did not visit a musical or Hamburg’s spanking-new Elbphilharmonie concert hall. They passed on the colourful Reeperbahn and a “regular” harbour tour as well.

Under the motto “Hamburch – unner Deck”, we aimed to surprise our guests with a programme that showcased the expected. The guests were given a unique opportunity to take in the atmosphere of this storied port city – on land and sea. The programme offered participants a choice between adrenaline and giants. And in the evening, the incentive winners were treated to a very special event celebrating the unique relationship of Germany’s northernmost metropolis with one of the most popular pop bands EVER – and sang along with gusto.

Under the balmy summer weather, which according all the locals is extremely rare, the guests discovered entirely new facets and faces along the Elbe, and set out for home with the lyrics of Heidi Kabel ringing in their ears: "In Hamburg sagt man Tschüss, das heißt auf Wiedersehn. In Hamburg sagt man Tschüss, beim Auseinandergehn. In Hamburg sagt man Tschüss, das klingt vertraut und schön, und wer einmal in Hamburg war, der kann das gut verstehn". ("In Hamburg they say ‘Tschüss’ and mean goodbye. In Hamburg they say ‘Tschüss’ when they part. In Hamburg they say ‘Tschüss’, that sounds so sweet and mellow, and if you’ve ever been to Hamburg you’ll know why".)