KriminaLa: Creating a unique event

Langenhagen was never known for humour and excitement. In fact it has got the image of a grey city bordering Hanover. Even the inhabitants would describe the image of their hometown in that way, although they like to live in Langenhagen.

Outside the region, Langenhagen is mainly known for it's airport - but the airport is called „Hanover Airport“. If radio and TV find their way to Langenhagen, they send pictures of the Hanover Airport - or perhaps of the horseracing course, which is owned by an organization called "Hannoverscher Rennverein“.

So Langenhagen isn't mentioned in overregional media very often. Our question was, how this can be changed.

A unique event, humorous and exciting - with an effect of public interest in northern Germany is a good solution.

Think of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein - without the large Rockfestival nobody would know the name of that little village. Nowadays it is a famous place, not only in Germany but all over Europe.

Inventing the KriminaLa was our step into larger awareness outside the region.

Watching crime stories on TV and reading thrillers is a very popular activity. 

Criminal festivals normally are series of author readings - you can find these festivals in almost every larger city. Criminal dinners are popular events as well: letting people dine and solve a simple case in three hours.

But how about solving a difficult case, that is being played by actors? A case, that can be solved by looking for clues at different places all over the city and on the internet?

We decided to create a case to be solved in one week and invitated inhabitants and guests to „find the murderer“.

Special websites and facebook profiles of the suspects and the victim were created. Every day during our criminal week a live-scene took place somewhere in Langenhagen.  A criminal dinner gave the possibility to talk to the suspects and the murder weapon was hidden by a local geocaching group.

Our actors were local amateurs and prominent people like politicians. 

All participants acted and helped organizing the event as volunteers.

We reached our aim to attract a lot of people from all municipalities of the region and our activities were filmed by TV stations. Every day more than one radio station sent interviews. Thereby our "KriminaLa" is known outside the region now and we are quite sure that this event will be growing year by year.