The focus was to be on the visitors' experience, and the presentation was to go far beyond a mere product show. The idea was to create a multifunctional space that would offer the audience a variety of experiences and qualities. It should provide a place for brand presentations and make the proximity of the brand tangible, but at the same time it should be a cultural place to meet and linger.

The IAA MOBILITY 2021 concept picks up on impulses that Mercedes-Benz has already set with its appearances at the IAAs 2017 and 2019: addressing new target groups through a new congress format and staging socially relevant topics such as sustainability, connectivity, urbanity. Mercedes-Benz is consistently continuing this in Munich and is taking advantage of all opportunities to make innovative, sustainable and digital solutions and services for the future of mobility in public spaces tangible for a broad audience beyond the mere vehicle presentation.

The bended city square formed a unity with the historic ensemble of buildings at the Odeonsplatz. A high quality stay was created and the focus was placed on sustainability. The walkable roof was landscaped and materials like wood were used for construction. The sculpture floating above the surface appeared like a modifying structure through wind and colored light staging and was inspired by the knots of fishing nets. It represented our interconnected ecosystem. A colorfully pasted Mercedes star served as a selfie point. On the ground floor, the Voronoi structures on the ceiling corresponded to the organically shaped upper floor. They were repeated on the asphalt floor, which in turn created a reference to the urban environment. “Urban roughness” was the design guideline there, as the high quality in design and implementation contrasted with simple scaffolding that separated the brands and at the same time spatially framed the overall area.

A place to stay and a cultural meeting place were created in Munich. It was an inviting gesture to all Munich residents, visitors and passers-by. The floating sculpture by Janet Echelman was installed four weeks before the IAA and was still present in the middle of the city three weeks later. During the IAA, the brand presence enriched the city with another place to linger and stroll and even enjoy live music. The evening concert series ”Artificial Soul presented by Mercedes-Benz” gave neo-classical musicians a stage and the audience the opportunity to be not only trade fair visitors but also concertgoers.