Lunch & Learn, 21.07.25, Second place is first loser! | Keynote: Sven Voth | Moderation: Bert Helbig

There are personalities from the business world who inspire like few others. There are company stories that make you want to “think big”.

“That guy doesn’t use the subjunctive!”

This is the best way to describe Sven Voth. He has turned snipes from a store in Essen into a billion-dollar business with 800 stores. In 2025, he is reinventing retail: with HIGGINS, he is not only creating a new brand but also setting a new standard in terms of scaling, positioning in crowded markets and genuine brand-people proximity.

  1. Think big! “Second place is first loser”.
  2. What can you actually do better after turning a shoe store on Limbecker Platz into a billion-dollar chain? What can we learn from the successes of this aggressive expansion strategy, but also from the downsides of this success story?
  3. How do you beat everything we know from traditional marketing with consistent community marketing?

team karin burger presents Sven Voth’s celebrated keynote speech from the Founder Summit in Wiesbaden exclusively in Lunch & Learn, the interactive online format for your lunch break. Sven inspired more than 8000 people with his story.

Afterwards there will be more exciting, surprising and useful entrepreneur insights from Sven in a 1:1 Q&A with Bert Helbig, keynote speaker and expert for strategic business communication.

Time for professionals: Sven Voth is the founder of snipes. After 25 years, there are several hundred stores in 12 countries – in Europe and the USA. Now he is embarking on a new journey – and once again he is thinking big, uncompromisingly – without the subjunctive. With his new brand HIGGINS, we can observe in real time how business models will set new standards in seemingly overcrowded markets – in terms of customer experience, marketing and revenue potential.

Bert Helbig advises companies, media houses, CEOs and public figures on communications. He develops strategies for successful storytelling and for the positioning of product and personal brands. He is also an outstanding keynote speaker.

Lunch & Learn: “Second place is first loser!”
Date: Mon, 21.7.2025
Duration: 12:00 – 13:00
Keynote & Talk: Sven Voth
Moderation: Bert Helbig
Host: Karin Burger, Die Agentur für Redner