Berlin Letters welcomes the world
The second Berlin Letters conference was held between Friday 5 July to Sunday 7 July 2024, and I had the pleasure of flying 16,000 kilometres to join type designers, lettering artists and signage specialists from across the globe in a celebration of what we love most… letters!
2024 happiest moment, speaking at Berlin Letters
After booking my Berlin Letters ticket, I offered organisers Ulrike Rausch and Chris Campe a brush lettering workshop, my ambigram exhibition, or to help in some way. In return, they offered me a speaker role in their 7x7 Series conducted PechaKucha style on the first night of the conference. Seven speakers each present for seven minutes about a topic of their choice — what an incredible and unexpected opportunity. I felt tingles all over and said Yes before I had even booked my flights. I started preparing the speech called, ‘How I turned a passion project into a solo exhibition’ focusing on the steps I took to transform my ambigram collection into tactile exhibits. Condensing four years’ work into a seven-minute speech was challenging and absorbed every photo I had ever taken of each ambigram.
I checked out the Festival Program to make good plans, booked my flights, sought out sightseeing opportunities in the area, then booked accommodation close-by. Excitement was building!
Berlin type community
The type community in Berlin is very active. Prior to the letter festival commencing, several supporting activities were held around the city. I arrived two days early to attend AdobeCreate, and Buchstabenmuseum’s (Neon Museum) Typostammtisch’s type & wine event where Adam Kłodecki (@Theosone) shared his calligraphy, tattoo inspiration and tools that he uses at Scriptorium Berlin.
Then Berlin Letters began on Friday 5 July. As I walked through the venue gates, I immediately felt calm, happy and full of anticipation. From the goodie bag full of supplies to the tranquil venue of the Silent Green, the workshops, bookshop, demonstrations, and speakers provided endless inspiration. It's the place to immerse yourself in lettering, make new friends, and is absolutely worth flying halfway around the world for.
Berlin Letters lanyard and a colourful letter t made using Zhenya Spizh’s ‘Bibubator’ shapes from his KABK Masters project.
Highlights
The festival vibe. Berlin Letters’ program runs from 11am to 6.30pm leaving plenty of time for morning sightseeing, travel, or catchups. Each day felt easy-going and relaxed. In breaks, you can sit outside on the grass in the sun sipping a coffee from the onsite café, or perusing the bookshop, chatting with friends, or watching design demonstrations (watch the Fontself video above as an example).
The opportunity to join the 7x7 Series. It’s a daunting task speaking to a large group however, because I spoke on the first day, attendees got to know me early and felt comfortable starting conversations over the following days. Condensing my work into seven short minutes was also cathartic, forcing me to crystallise my messaging of how the project started and finished.
Making new friends. Berlin Letters attracts designers from all continents and, because the festival is held during summer, it feels like everyone is on summer holiday together. But it goes deeper — we all speak different native languages but, at the lettering we’re all speaking the same language and with evident passion. I came away feeling connected to new colleagues across the globe, and reconnected to my love of letter design and
Where to stay
Berlin is an accessible city with trains venturing to every suburb. Finding accommodation on the train line meant a short trip to the conference each morning. I found a fabulous AirBnB to stay at on Bernauerstraße, where the underground train stopped at the front door — very convenient!
Tips for visiting Berlin Letters and other type/design conferences
Before booking flights, search online for other design events that may be held close-by — this may impact your arrival and departure dates. Search AdobeMax, AdobeCreate, Typostammitisch, Buchstabenmuseum, Design Week, gallery openings, calligraphy/art events, Typographics NYC and other international type/design conferences.
Reach out to see if conferences need workshop presenters, speakers, exhibitors, books and merchandise, or assistance of any kind. You might find an invitation comes your way and, if not, you’ve still made a new connection in the design industry.
Out and about for a meal with Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer from Glyphs
