Business of Apps Berlin is on Thursday 12 November 2026 at the Estrel Congress Center, and it’s one day. That’s the most important thing to understand about it. Unlike a four-day expo, you don’t get a second chance to catch someone you missed, so the people who get the most out of it are the ones who arrive with a plan.
This guide covers the practical side: what’s new this year, how to get there, how to plan the day, and what happens around it.
What’s new for 2026
The Berlin edition has moved to a much bigger venue this year, and it shows in the format. The organisers expect more than 1,000 attendees, over 80 speakers and more than 50 sessions across eight content areas. New for 2026 are a Verticals Zone, expanded Table Talks, a larger Meeting Zone and a broader marketplace of companies on the expo floor. In practice, that means more parallel content than you can possibly see, and more structured ways to meet people, which makes planning even more important.
Getting to the Estrel
The Estrel is at Sonnenallee 225 in Neukölln, south-east of the centre. It’s a huge hotel and congress complex, and you get to the congress center through the main hotel entrance, so don’t go looking for a separate door.
The easiest way there is the S-Bahn ring. Take the S41 or S42 to Sonnenallee station, which is about a five-minute walk from the venue. From central Berlin, go to Ostkreuz or Treptower Park and change onto the S41, or take the S42 from Südkreuz.
From BER airport, allow around 40 minutes by public transport. A common route is the FEX airport express to Ostkreuz, then the S41 to Sonnenallee. You’ll need an ABC zone ticket from the airport. A taxi takes roughly 20 minutes. If you can, stay at or near the Estrel itself, because on a one-day event an extra 40 minutes in the morning is time you’d rather spend in conversations.
How to plan your day
The week before
Use the event’s networking platform to see who’s attending and request meetings ahead of time. The Meeting Zone is bigger this year, so it’s worth booking specific slots there rather than trying to find people on a busy expo floor. Send a short note to the people you most want to meet, with a reason and a suggested time.
Then go through the agenda and pick your sessions. The content areas run in parallel: the Main Stage for short talks and panels, the Growth Zone for hands-on workshops on topics like ASO and Apple Search Ads, the Retention and Revenue Zone for monetisation and CRM, The Boardroom for smaller strategy conversations, plus the new Verticals Zone and the Table Talks. Choose two or three sessions that match your current priorities and treat everything else as optional.
A simple shape for the day
Morning. Arrive early, collect your badge, and walk the expo area once over breakfast so you know who is where. The first hour is when people are freshest and most open to a quick hello.
Late morning. Your first planned session, then your first meetings. Keep meetings short, around 20 minutes, so you can fit more in.
Lunch. Don’t eat alone at a laptop. Lunch is one of the easiest moments to join a table of strangers and start a conversation.
Afternoon. This is a good time for Table Talks. Sitting with a small group of peers working on the same problem is often more useful than another talk, and it’s the easiest way to meet people from apps in your vertical.
Evening. Stay for the drinks reception. People relax once the sessions end, and that’s when the most honest conversations happen.
Side events and parties
The official day ends with a drinks reception. Around it, platforms and agencies usually host their own dinners, happy hours and after-parties, mostly on the evening before and the evening of the event.
The 2026 partner events haven’t been fully announced yet, but last year’s Berlin edition gives a good idea of what to expect. There was a VIP “Appy Hour” the evening before, co-hosted by AppTweak, RevenueCat, RevX and Vibe. SpinX ran an invite-only growth dinner for senior UA and marketing leaders. Superwall and Day30 hosted a small founders’ dinner in Kreuzberg straight after the event, Alison.ai had a friends and partners dinner, and Asapty threw a relaxed after-party with live music.
Most of these are invite-only or need an RSVP, and the good ones fill up quickly. Keep an eye on the partner events page on the official Business of Apps Berlin site and on LinkedIn in the days before the event, and register early. I’ll update this guide as this year’s side events are confirmed.
Pick one evening event where the people you want to meet will be, rather than trying to do three. And if you’re arriving the night before, the pre-event happy hour is a great way to start the day already knowing a few faces.
Make an evening of it: Berlin’s Christmas markets
One of my favourite memories from last year’s Berlin edition had nothing to do with the conference. After the drinks reception, a group of us headed to the winter market on Schlossplatz, in front of the Humboldt Forum, right by the replica of the Sanchi gate. Mulled wine, fairy lights, cold air, and some of the most relaxed conversations of the whole trip. That’s us on the cover of this post. If you’re travelling with a partner, or want a memorable evening with a client or new contact, a Christmas market beats another hotel bar every time.
The timing is different this year, though. Last year the event was at the end of November, when the markets were already open. On 12 November, most of Berlin’s big Christmas markets won’t have opened yet. Here’s what you can realistically do.
Open around 12 November
- Historical Christmas market on the RAW grounds, Friedrichshain. Opens on 12 November itself, which makes it the easiest proper Christmas market to reach on the evening of the event. It has a medieval theme and is very different from the classic markets. Check the opening hours before you go.
- Lichtenberg Winter Season on Landsberger Allee. Running from the end of October, more of a winter funfair than a traditional market, but open and festive.
- Ice rink at the Center at Potsdamer Platz. Opens on 13 November, the day after the conference, so it works if you’re staying an extra night. It’s covered and central, an easy plan with colleagues or a partner.
If you’re staying longer
- Winter Market at Schlossplatz, Humboldt Forum. The one in our photo, and one of the prettiest in the city after dark, with Berlin Cathedral in view. Opens on 18 November and runs to 3 January, daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with free entry. It’s closed on 22 November.
- The big classic markets at Gendarmenmarkt, Rotes Rathaus, Potsdamer Platz and Breitscheidplatz open on 23 November, the official start of Berlin’s Christmas market season.
Dates can change, so check the market’s own website or visitBerlin before you go. And if you’re bringing a partner along on the trip, an extra day after the event, spent between the museums of Mitte and a market in the evening, turns a work trip into a proper short break.
After Berlin: the follow-up
On the way home, write a line or two about every useful conversation while you still remember the details. Send your follow-ups within a week, and make each one specific: what you talked about and one clear next step. A one-day event creates a lot of goodwill very quickly, and it fades just as fast if nobody follows up.
I’ll be at Business of Apps Berlin on 12 November. If you’d like to compare notes on app growth or attribution, send me a message on LinkedIn. You can also read why I’m going back to Business of Apps Berlin.
Quick answers
What is the nearest station to the Estrel?
Sonnenallee S-Bahn station, on the S41 and S42 ring lines, about a five-minute walk from the venue. Enter through the main Estrel hotel entrance.
How long does it take to get to the Estrel from BER airport?
Around 40 minutes by public transport, for example the FEX to Ostkreuz and then the S41 to Sonnenallee, or roughly 20 minutes by taxi.
Is there an after-party at Business of Apps Berlin?
The day ends with an official drinks reception, and partner companies usually host their own dinners and after-parties that evening and the night before.
What’s new at Business of Apps Berlin 2026?
A bigger venue at the Estrel Congress Center, capacity for 1,000+ attendees, a new Verticals Zone, expanded Table Talks and a larger Meeting Zone.
Are Berlin’s Christmas markets open during Business of Apps 2026?
Mostly not yet. The historical market on the RAW grounds opens on 12 November, the Schlossplatz Winter Market at the Humboldt Forum opens on 18 November, and the main markets open on 23 November.
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