On January 22, 2025, AmCham Germany hosted its highly anticipated New Year’s Reception in Düsseldorf, bringing together approximately 150 guests to celebrate the start of a new year and foster transatlantic connections.
The evening began with a lively welcome reception and networking session, where attendees had the opportunity to connect with peers while enjoying appetizers and refreshments.
Christin Schack, Chair of AmCham Germany’s Regional Chapter North Rhine-Westphalia, officially opened the event with warm words of welcome, expressing gratitude to the guests, sponsors, and partners who contributed to making the evening a success.
Simone Menne, President of AmCham Germany, followed with her opening remarks, highlighting the Chamber’s commitment to fostering collaboration between Germany and the United States in the year ahead, against the backdrop of the recent inauguration of President Trump, as well as the upcoming elections in Germany.
U.S. Consul General Preeti V. Shah shared her insights on the enduring partnership between the two nations, emphasizing the importance of deepening ties. She remarked, “2025 will present many opportunities for deepening the relationship between the United States of America and Germany. Our people, businesses, academic institutions, arts, and values tie us together, and these bonds are a strong foundation upon which to build an ever-more prosperous future for NRW and the USA.”
The evening’s keynote speech was delivered by Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal, European, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery. He reflected on the strong political, economic, and cultural connections between the United States and North Rhine-Westphalia, and he stressed the importance of continuing collaboration to tackle global challenges. Minister Liminski says „‘America First’ will also demand a lot from North Rhine-Westphalia. During his campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly targeted Germany, particularly the German automotive industry. If the new US administration imposes punitive tariffs on the EU or sparks a new trade war with China, it would undoubtedly hit us hard. After all, the US is North Rhine-Westphalia's third-largest economic partner. Fundamentally, we would do well to take Trump’s statements seriously. He says what he thinks and usually does what he says. In his case, that is often not good news. We must counter the predictable burdens for businesses caused by tariffs and uncertainty with additional efforts to safeguard our economy and prosperity. When the foundations of democracy are called into question, we should confront this with a passionate heart. However, when it comes to resolving conflicts of interest between our countries, a cool head is needed.”
After the formal program, attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner and continued networking, making the most of this vibrant and inspiring evening.
A heartfelt thank you goes to our sponsors, whose generosity made this event possible: Platinum Sponsor 3M; Gold Sponsors KPMG, UPS, and Messe Düsseldorf; Silver SponsorsBird & Bird, Evonik, Johnson & Johnson, and the City of Düsseldorf. Special thanks also to our partner NRW.Global Business and mobility partner Uber.
Supporters: Teekanne, Düsseldorf Convention, Hotel KÖ59 and Neumann&Müller
We are grateful to all our guests for joining us in this celebration and look forward to seeing you at future AmCham Germany events as we continue to strengthen transatlantic ties in 2025.
