Two 'Made in Germany' Global Icons: Heidi Klum and Roland Emmerich at OMR26, May 5–6

On May 5 and 6, 2026, the OMR Festival returns to Hamburg. Announcements regarding speakers, exhibiting companies, Masterclasses, Guided Tours, Side Events, and more are now picking up speed week by week.

To ensure you don’t lose track of all the options and formats—and to help you pick the topics that suit you personally—we’ve come up with something new this year: our Journeys. They bundle dozens of festival topics and interests under nine overarching headings, helping you find exactly what moves you forward. Naturally, Heidi Klum and Roland Emmerich will be part of these themed worlds.

Supermodel, superstar, and businesswoman. Heidi Klum is one of the few individuals who has managed to assert herself at the top of the highly competitive international fashion and media world for decades—building one of the strongest personal brands in global entertainment in the process. As one of the most successful German models of all time, she made the leap from the world's runways into pop culture early on, evolving a career that goes far beyond traditional modeling.

Since the 1990s, she has shaped the industry with international campaigns, TV hits, and entrepreneurial foresight. With 21 seasons of "Germany’s Next Topmodel by Heidi Klum" under her belt, she has been molding generations of young talent since 2006, making the format one of the most successful in the German-speaking world. In the US, she established herself as a fixture in international entertainment with "Project Runway" and "America’s Got Talent." Beyond her TV projects, she can also be heard on the big screen as the voice of "Hai-Di" in the Disney movie Hoppers.

Parallel to this, Klum has consistently expanded her role as a brand ambassador and entrepreneur. She collaborates with world-leading companies such as L’Oréal Paris, Shark, Calzedonia, Intimissimi, and Aigner, making her one of the most sought-after testimonials in the premium and lifestyle segment. These long-term partnerships provide not only high credibility but also achieve massive reach, proving her keen sense for modern brand management.

Beyond fashion and television, Heidi Klum is also active in music, strategically extending her personal brand into pop culture. Most recently, she released "Red Eye," an international track in collaboration with superstar DJ Diplo. She is also a producer, investor, and strategic brand architect. Through her own productions, licensing models, media formats, and equity stakes, she has systematically translated her image into sustainable business models.

She combines fashion, beauty, entertainment, digital media, and music into an integrated business ecosystem centered around her personality. On the Conference Stage at OMR Festival 2026, she won’t just talk about this unique career—she’s also bringing a surprise that demonstrates why she remains one of the defining figures in the international creative and business world.

An internationally renowned director, producer, and screenwriter—Roland Emmerich boasts one of the most influential careers in cinematic history. With a global box office gross of over four billion US dollars, he is not only the most commercially successful German filmmaker of all time but also a permanent fixture in international pop culture.

Since the 1980s, he has shaped the industry with visionary worlds, groundbreaking special effects, and entrepreneurial vision. What began with his student project The Noah's Ark Principle at the Berlinale quickly evolved into an unprecedented Hollywood success story. With global milestones such as "Independence Day," "Stargate," "The Day After Tomorrow," and "2012," he redefined the modern blockbuster genre and established himself as the "Master of Disaster" in the premium segment of global entertainment.

In tandem with his cinematic work, Emmerich built his own production company, Centropolis Entertainment, in 1985. Under this banner, he has realized over 30 feature films, acting as much more than just a director: he is the strategic architect of his own material, a producer, and an investor. Recently, he proved his versatility with the international release of the TV drama series "Those About To Die," which hit #1 on the streaming charts in 45 countries, successfully translating his success into the digital age.

At the same time, Roland Emmerich is committed to mentoring the next generation. Through strategic support, he has championed talents like Oscar®-nominee Tim Fehlbaum, underlining his commitment to creating a lasting impact on the industry.

Discipline, technological pioneering, and a deep understanding of global storytelling form the foundation of his success. The recipient of numerous accolades—from the Visionary Award of the Visual Effects Society (VES) to the Honorary Award of the Bavarian Film Prize—he remains one of the defining figures of the international creative and business world. At the OMR Festival 2026 Conference Stage, he will share how to maintain relevance over decades, transform visions into global success models, and explain why he views the use of Artificial Intelligence in the film business with great optimism.