Marcus Geßler

City centres are facing major challenges. As shopping areas are becoming increasingly dominated by large chains, more and more vacancies are emerging. The modern-day shopping experience takes place online. And retail isn’t the only victim – restaurants are also perishing. But digitalisation can help. City centres are being revitalised by new combinations of online and local retail, pop-up concepts are breathing new life into vacant premises, and digital networks are being created within the gastronomy sector. This networking is exemplified by the digital town of Ahaus, which has managed to enhance its appeal and start using vacant properties as showpieces.

• Born in Ulm / Danube in 1970
• Studied business administration in Augsburg and Manchester, graduated in 1997
• Opened “Enchilada Münster” in 1997
• Opened approx. 40 companies in the Enchilada Group (property search, contracts, renovation, start-up)
• Now owns 15 businesses, including franchise outlets such as Enchilada (in Hamm and other places), Besitos, Aposto, Dean & David as well as his own concepts such as Lux (www.das-lux.de), pyjama-park (hotels and bar, www.pyjama-park.de), kneisterei.ms
• Event company art y vent (www.gastro.ms): events and catering
• Events to date: “Schloß Open-Air Cinema Münster” for the past 20 years, foundation and organisation of “Münster City Festival” until 2018 (mittendrin.ms), various urban events in Münster, food delivery service (www.hungrig.ms), two pop-up beer gardens (www.biergarten.ms) and another pop-up location opening at the start of October 2020 (www.wintergarten.ms)
• Spokesman for inner-city restaurateurs in DEHOGA Münster
• CEO of Wirtschaftsinitiative Münster (WIN).