​No panels.
No small talk.
Just a weekend to rebuild the directory ecosystem in Germany.

​Berlin · May 15–17 · In-Person Hackathon

​Online directories like Yelp, Gelbe Seiten and Google Business are how millions of people discover and choose local businesses every day.

​Most of them are still stuck somewhere around 2010.

​Berlin doesn’t do static.
And neither should online directories.

​For one weekend, we’re turning the pdm office in Friedrichshain into a curated innovation playground.

​Six teams.
Real industry pain points.
Zero buzzword theatre.

​The Challenges

​You won’t hack on vague ideas.

​You’ll work on real structural problems from the directory and local business ecosystem.

​Our industry is moving beyond static listings toward platforms that help people discover, trust and transact with local businesses.

​Search bars worked when users knew what they wanted.

​But what happens when AI understands intent before users even ask?

​What happens when you remove the search bar entirely?

​Static listing → smart discovery → seamless transaction.

​That’s the arc.
We’re building the next chapter.

​Choose your angle:

​🖤 AI-native interfaces that understand user intent
🖤 Embedded booking & transaction flows for SMB services
🖤 Self-healing live-data engines that keep listings accurate
🖤 New business models for the next generation of directories
🖤 Or something we didn’t see coming

​We’re not looking for pitch decks.
We’re looking for working prototypes.

​Rough flow

​Friday (May 15)
15:00 – Kick-off, intros & team setup
→ then: start building

​Saturday (May 16)
Full day building
→ mentors available throughout the day

​Sunday (May 17)
Morning: final build & polish
~15:00 – wrap-up

​Wednesday (May 20)
15:00 – 16:30 Demo Day (Hackathon Final)
MotionLab Berlin, Bouchéstraße 12 / Halle 20
→ present your prototype live on stage at the VDAV Branchentreff

​The Setup

​3 days of focused building.
Curated teams (3–5 people).
Mentors from industry (operators, not theorists).
Pizza, brainfood & proper Berlin caffeine.

​Working hours (flexible):
Friday: 15:00 – 00:00
Saturday: 09:00 – 00:00
Sunday: 09:00 – 15:00

​Teams decide how long they work. We provide the environment.

​Demo Day (May 20)

​The best part:
You’ll present your prototype live on stage at the VDAV Branchentreff 2026.

​May 20, 15:00 – 16:30
MotionLab Berlin

​In front of:

• ​CEOs & decision-makers from leading media companies

• ​Product & strategy leads

• ​Digital & innovation experts

• ​Industry partners with real market access

​Prizes

​1st place
1,000€
CEO pitch session
additional perks

​2nd place
500€
additional perks

​3rd place
250€
additional perks

​Plus for all teams:
Industry exposure
Pilot opportunities
Direct access to decision-makers

​Jury (confirmed)

• ​Felix Güßfeld (TikTok)

• ​Ilja Radusch (Fraunhofer / Automotive Services and Communication Technologies)

• ​Michael Lesch (Berlin Partner for Business and Technology)